Another sneer. He ran his thumb down the back of Cullen’s neck to try to calm the tenseness to his body. It didn’t work. Cullen wasn’t a coward, he knew, but to be in a room full of Princes of Hell…well, he could feel the aura rolling off his brothers himself. For a lesser demon like Cullen, it must be immobilizing.
“And if you don’t want it to happen again,” Leviathan threatened quietly. “You will not come here and scare my–” He broke off, wincing when he realized he wasn’t sure what exactly to call Cullen.
Asmodeus’ eyes narrowed, a new smile pulling at his lips, but Leviathan ignored it, scowling back at him. “You will not harm or scare him unless you want war, is that clear?”
Asmodeus chuckled softly and shrugged. “A new toy isn’t worth all that.” Shadows bloomed behind him, a portal to the devil knew where, but he remained unmoving, his gaze sliding to Cullen again.
“I do wonder,” he purred, his head tilting again. “How much he knows, though. He hasn’t been here for very long and he seems quite clingy to this human body of yours…” He sneered. “Has he seen your true form?”
Leviathan winced, his lips pressing into a tight, unhappy line. Cullen tensed beside him, but remained mercifully quiet, as if he knew he should stay silent and let him handle this mess. “What he’s seen,” Leviathan murmured, “is none of your damn business. Leave. Before I grow irritated.”
Asmodeus smirked, but turned and vanished into the portal with a quick wave. Leviathan exchanged a quick glance with Mammon, and then he was gone as well, the portal sealing shut behind them. Leviathan exhaled slowly, feeling that familiar tension draining from his shoulders once he was left alone with Cullen again. And beside him, Cullen exhaled sharply, as if he’d been holding his breath. “Who was that?”
Leviathan ignored him, spinning to cup his face, tilting it this way and that way before he finally darted in for a quick kiss, a strange feeling of relief bubbling in his chest. He’d sensed his brothers only heartbeats after they’d entered his realm, but it had most certainly been enough time to cause Cullen some harm. To take him away from here, even.
But he was here and he was safe and the relief that filled his chest was…surprising.
“Levi?” Cullen whispered, the concern in his eyes sending some strange, deep ache through him. “Who was that?”
“My brothers.” He murmured, tracing his thumbs along his cheeks. Slowly, he dropped his hands, though he didn’t move away from him. “Two of them anyway. Mammon and Asmodeus.” He smiled. “I’m sure you’ve heard of them.”
Cullen sucked in a harsh breath, his eyes widening, and Leviathan saw the stories play out in his mind. Wars and death tolls and all the other horrible–and true–things his brothers had done. They were quite similar to his own stories. But Cullen looked pale in a way he never had before, his eyes downcast and his shoulders tense.
“You don’t need to be afraid, Cull.” He murmured, bringing his hand forward to twine their fingers together. “They won’t bother you again.”
He blushed. “It…it’s not that.”
Leviathan saw the answer in his mind before he could speak it. He chuckled. “Think nothing of it. I’m sure the old stories told you that Asmodeus’ powers include forced lust.” He flicked his nose. “With just the brush of a finger.” He smirked. “It’s a much quicker and more intense version of the darkness that sweeps through a regular demon’s soul, isn’t it?”
Cullen frowned. “You say that like you’ve experienced it yourself.” When Leviathan’s smile grew more sheepish, disgust flickered across Cullen’s face. “You can’t judge demons as you would humans.” Leviathan scoffed. “The blood of gods runs in our veins. It does not cause the same…issues mortals face.”
Still looking somewhat green in the face, Cullen stepped away, turning for the door that led back to their room. “I do not want to think about that.”
After a hesitant moment, Leviathan followed him, frowning at the back of his head. Just as he opened his mouth to ask if it truly bothered him, Cullen spoke again.
“What did they come here for?” He didn’t turn to look at him as he spoke. “Were they coming…to see you?” The tone of his voice made his meaning obvious. Leviathan grinned at the jealousy in his voice.
“No, pet. Nothing like that has happened between us for quite some time. They were here to see you.”
“Me?” The word was barely more than a whisper. Leviathan watched him for a long moment, letting him lead them back to their bedroom. It sent a thrill through him that Cullencouldlead them back.
“Yes.” He murmured letting his shadows slip forward to tug at Cullen’s ankles. Cullen froze for less than a heartbeat before he began walking again, tendrils of his own shadows falling back to play with Leviathan’s. He had been getting more bold with them, had been using them casually instead of pushing so hard to lock them away inside of him. “I imagine there has been quite a lot of talk about you since I defended your honor. It’s an…odd thing for a Prince of Hell to do. My brothers probably came snooping about to see what pretty mortal had caught my eye.”
Cullen paused again and turned back to him, his eyes searching his face.
“What are you looking for?”
He blushed. “Nothing.”
He let his mind prod against his, but stopped when Cullen tensed and turned his head to the side in an attempt to keep him out. Not that it would help, of course, but Leviathan was trying to let him keep some of his secrets these days.
“Are you surprised that I have feelings?”
A little puff of laughter left Cullen. Something tightened in Leviathan’s chest at the sound, at the light in his eyes. It had been too long since he’d seen it. “A little, maybe.”
He stepped closer, smiling when Cullen tensed, his lips parting with a soft gasp. Leviathan brought a hand up,touching his cheek gently before he pressed a thumb under his jaw, forcing his face up. Cullen’s face went red as their eyes met.
“It may have been a few thousand years since I’ve felt them,” Leviathan murmured, “But there’s something about you, Cullen, that sends them pulsing right through me again.” He brushed their lips together and Cullen gasped, his blush deepening.
