Dance With Me

by Green

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. This work is just something I ran off the top of my head. It's Rachel/Al. Turn back now! You've been warned.

Something Algaliarept never managed to mentioned about Demon sex was that everyone knew when you've been ... naughty. Now that I think on it, of course every half trained demon (and probably most of the familiars) would know. The amount of leyline energy we channeled last night would be too hard to disguise.

Maybe he didn't know? But that idea didn't wash with me. Even if he did say I was the first female demon he'd slept with, I can imagine he'd felt Newt's energy pulls. Hell, she'd killed her last six or seven lovers. The amount of leyline magic that would be involved probably rocked the Ever-after.

And so, here I was, in a white summer dress with yellow flowers on the hem and green ribbons in the tumble of my red curls.

The moment we misted into shape, standing under the great white marble archway hand in hand, it seemed as if every pair of eyes turned to us in curiosity. I stepped into Al before I could check my sudden fear. He put a hand around my shoulder, bare fingers brushing my skin above the neck of my dress, and pushed us into the crowd.

"Why are they ..." I started under my breath, letting my voice trail off. I hated these parties and I really disliked being around all these demons. My hand sought Al's, finding the contact between us soothing. Demon's were just ... disturbing and having a whole room stare was almost too much.

I'd promised Al that I wouldn't try to jump on my own but now I wonder at the wisdom of that. I lagged behind but the slight tightening of Al's grip was the only sign that he'd noticed.

"They're just jealous," Al said, leaning over to kiss my forehead. "They didn't believe that you ..." he pulled away to study my confused expression and gave me a radiant smile with his perfect teeth. "Well, let's just say, now they wish they had contested my claim on you."

I stared up at him. "What? You're claim?"

"None of them believed you were..." He paused again. He knew I hated the title of 'Demon', even if it fit more than any other out there, "what you are," he finished, trailing off into silence. I was beginning to wonder if that smile would break his face.

"What are you saying?" I hissed, forcing him to stop. I wouldn't be put off anymore tonight. These demon's are staring at me as if I was some shank of lamb glistening above the fire. I wish I had some kind of cloak to cover myself. God, it felt horrible have twenty or thirty pairs of goat slitted eyes studying me.

The thing was, I wasn't even bare. The dress was rather concealing for me, settling modestly about my ankles. I'd even worn a pair of those strange embroidered slippers that most demons favored. I matched Al's style but I thought I looked rather school girlish. If I'd worn my tight and skimpy black mini-dress, then maybe I could understand.

"Minias was the only one to question my claim and that was only because he was trying to make right with Newt. He didn't want you, per say." Al tugged at the lace about his throat and straightened, an air of male satisfaction in his stance. His smile didn't lesson at my look of ignorance.

I shook my head and took a step closer, hand squeezing his tightly. "You best start talking English, Al, or I'll ..."

"They felt us Dove." He paused again and tugged his sleeves down. The satisfaction was rolling off him, making my whole body tighten. "Last night."

My mind stopped. "What?" I tore my hand away from his and stepped out of his grasp. My fists balled. He was leering at me like a perverted old man (and okay, maybe he was that) but he couldn't possible mean what I think he meant, right? Oh god, if there even is a God (I was beginning to doubt it), he wouldn't mean that ...

He leaned forward to grab my hand, but I side stepped him again, tangling my fingers behind my back. I could still feel the intense looks of the demons but I pushed them out of my mind as I glared at Al. "You don't mean that they..."

He chuckled and moved forward, grabbing one hand and tugging it free. "You want to make a scene in the middle of the dance floor, my itchy witch?"

I tried to tug free but he pulled me along with him until we reached the outer edge of the dance floor. "Bastard," I hissed.

A flush of color rose up, enflaming over my cheeks and probably making me look red and splotchy. Great, just what I needed, to look terrible on top of this humiliation. "I swear I'll never --"

He leaned over and puffed into my ear, sending a cascade of goose pimps to blossom down me and pool around my middle. "You'll swear what, Rachel Mariane Morgan?"

I glared at him but had stepped into him unconsciously. Even the memory of his purring voice made my knees feel weak. He'd been right about me enjoying sex with him (though enjoying seemed to not quite qualify the depth of sensations I'd felt) and he would be right about me not being able to say no. Something as wonderful as that just couldn't be denied.

Around us, demon's gathered up their partners and started a slow couples dance. A string quartet started to play. Demon parties varied, though most included some kind of dancing. This varied between the formal dances of two or three hundred years ago and the slower, couple dances of modern day. I'd yet to see any of the really modern dancing -- that is, the booming music and people jumping up and down in hopes of bumping into someone hot.

I'd heard rumors from Ceri that almost all parties had smaller, furnished rooms off to the sides where Demons would drag which ever familiar they wished of off for some alone time. There was a general understanding that, if invited and you came, your familiar would be up for grabs.

Hadn't Al said that Ceri 'put out without much fuss' or something to that effect? On the heels of that, I wondered how many men were familiars in the Ever-after. I hadn't seen very many. I supposed they could just shift their familiars looks to something more ... pleasing. I repressed the shudder that ran through me. Poor Lee. I hoped to everything out there that he hadn't had to endure that kind of humiliation.

It was hard to temper what I knew of this demon to what I felt and what he could make me feel. It felt good, but so did ice cream and hamburgers. Was I really such a good judge? I was really starting to wonder.

I chewed on my bottom lip as he tugged me into the dance. "I just don't like them looking at me like that," I said after a long moment. I laced my arms about his neck and rested my head against his chest.

He hummed in delight against my hair. I hit his chest, barely noticing the burnt amber that puffed up, and was rewarded with a rich chuckle for my effort. Stupid man, I thought, trying not to see the looks or feel their eyes undressing me. Why did they even bother? Couldn't they just "dress up" as me and look for themselves if they were so damn curious?

"They're just jealous," he said, caressing cheeks, stroking my neck with his callused fingers. "Everyone got a taste but --"

"Not as much as you did," I finished dryly, remembering that long ago compliment. How long ago that time seemed now and here I was, with a demon lover, spending most of the time in the Ever-after. It hurt to be in Reality for any length of time, something even Algeliarept didn't understand. I remembered Newt's pained voice, "It hurts here! Why does it hurt here?" and find myself actually understanding her (which was terrifying.) It did hurt. Like a bitch.

He brushed a kiss against my forehead and pulled us deeper into the dance. Stark pleasure trilled through me from the kiss, heating a path to the hand that lightly gripped my own and the other resting against my open back. Demon's are beings of energy, raw and open, and even a light brush of skin to skin can open the channels of connection. It is why, I learned much later, that most Demon's wear gloves or preferred not to touch other people.

Hell, I was in that camp now. It felt strangely intimate for another Demon to touch me and I didn't like it. On the flip side, I had to have this kind of contact with Al. It was embarrassing how dependent I was becoming on it. My fingertips brushed the soft curls at the base of his neck just to touch him. And now everyone knew I'd had sex with Al. God save me. Could my life get any more embarrassing?

"I'm never going to have sex with you again," I said, tilting my head up slightly. I didn't meet his eyes. I was a terrible liar but was it possible for me to get any redder? I didn't think so.

His breath was gentle against my temple and I felt the laughter rumble through him. He tightened his hold, pressing my against him so that I could feel *all* of him, from the hardened chest muscles to his obvious need. It deepened the flush and I felt woozy. I shifted my head up further and he kissed me, hungrily eating at my mouth.

"I --" I started, then stopped, swallowing. Our aura's were merging, the feeling so intense and exquisite that my knees buckled.

Al's arms tightened about my waist, holding me up. I panted. I felt like a whore but I couldn't stop the feelings coursing through me.

"Exactly," he said, his hand surprisingly gentle against my scar. He didn't put the scar into play. He didn't have to. He ran the pad of his fingers up the side of my face, brushing away the tears gathered at the corners of my eyes. "This is what we are, Rachel," he said, a breath away from my cheek.

I shuddered in pleasure. The demons dancing around us were gone, the curious eyes of the familiars and the chatter had disappeared. My world was made of Al and pleasure that seemed to ring between us.

"Let yourself feel this, Rachel," he said, nuzzling my ear. "I've never smelled or tasted anything quite so wonderful as the smell of you when you want me. Spun sugar and nectar..."

I felt my acceptance almost immediately and almost cried out in pleasure when he jumped us back to his room.

***

Yay for short oneshots! =D I'm firmly in the Rachel/Al and Rachel/Minias camp. Sorry all you Rachel/Ivy people out there. Don't fire up those torches. xD