Israel awoke to a single ray of sunlight dancing across his eyes. He moved his arm to shield them from the bright light, but the sun was quickly rising to cover his face with a stronger intensity. Unable to fall back into his dreams, he stood and stumbled into the bathroom. He tucked his hair behind his ears and looked into the mirror, then realized that no reflection was able to be seen through it. He reached out and ran hand across the glass, clearing away a thick layer of vapor.
"Hello." Loki stepped out of the shower. He was bare, save for the towel wrapped around his slight waist. Strands of his raven hair were plastered to his face, partially masking the black cross tattoo that stretched from the corner of his right eye down his cheek. Droplets of water made his exposed ivory skin glisten in the light.
"I was just finishing up. I'll be out of your way in a second."
Israel couldn't help himself; he gazed at every inch of Loki that he could. His soft features were accented by the bright lights above the mirror. Subtle shadowing made the slender muscles of Loki's body seem much more prominent. His dark brown eyes appeared to be looking directly through Israel.
"No…! No, you're fine! I'll…I'll leave, Loki!" Israel tore his eyes away from the striking vampire and turned to exit the bathroom.
Loki chuckled lightly. "If you insist." He released his grip on the towel and let it fall around his ankles. "You know," he said, pulling on a pair of sleek black pants, "you didn't have to stay with me." He pulled back his dripping hair with a length of black silk.
Israel stopped in the doorway and leaned against its frame. "I didn't want you to go out and get hurt, vampire," he explained. "And the traffic out there was so bad…I just felt like I needed to keep an eye on you."
"Oh?" Loki walked forward and stopped behind him. He leaned in so close that his lips brushed Israel's skin as he spoke. "How very…noble of you," he whispered.
Israel's knees buckled, and he fell back a step, right into Loki's arms. Loki caught him easily and spun him around to hold him in a dip as though they had just been dancing. Staring into Israel's bright sapphire hues, he couldn't help the smug smile that crept onto his face.
"Be careful now."
The eyes that Loki had been staring into so intently were now wide with panic. Israel pressed his hands against Loki's chest and tried to push him away. "Let me go, vampire!" he commanded.
Loki stared searchingly into Israel's eyes for a moment longer before he sighed and set him on his feet. He took a step back and flashed Israel a sincere smile, but his eyes were bright with amusement.
Israel straightened his shirt and took a few steps away, back into the bedroom. "You are obviously not drunk anymore, so I think I should be on my way," he said bitingly.
Loki's eyes flashed. "What?" Four long strides and he was beside Israel, his arm in hand to halt him. "No…don't leave. I apologize for my actions."
Israel looked Loki up and down. "When we first met, one of the first things you said was that I was 'cute'," he stated. "Why should I have any second thoughts about leaving, when it's obvious, even to me, that you want more than my company?" He pulled his arm away from Loki and walked deeper into the room to retrieve his leather jacket.
"No, I…" What? He wasn't sure himself. He stared after Israel and watched as he gathered his things, preparing to leave. Loki slumped onto the edge of the bed, unsure of what else to do. Unsure of what he wanted.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, vampire Loki," Israel said brashly. "Perhaps one day you could be fortunate enough to succeed in seducing some other, more unsuspecting Tellurian." He walked towards the door, passing Loki without so much as a backwards glance.
Loki tilted his head to the side and leaned back, watching Israel speculatively. "What is your problem?"
Israel paused. "…Excuse me…?" He looked back at Loki with a tinge of annoyance.
"I said, 'What is your problem?'" He pronounced each word slowly and precisely, amusement flickering in his dark hues. "I didn't ask you to take me from the bar. I didn't ask you to stay with me. All of this was your doing."
Israel's expression changed drastically from annoyed to infuriated. "How dare you?!" He threw his jacket to the floor and approached Loki at the foot of the bed. "I took you from that bar because I didn't want to see someone who initially had showed me cordiality and respect get hurt! Whether or not it was my doing, I was only trying to help you!" Israel's cheeks were flushed with anger. "What about you, you ungrateful bastard? What the hell's your problem?"
Loki stood abruptly, glaring down at Israel. "My problem?" He grabbed Israel's arm, hard. "Maybe my problem is that I'm stuck in a hotel getting bitched out by a guy whose temper is about as short as he is. And you know what else? I think that you'd love to get with me, but you're just too fucking proud to admit it! And maybe it makes me mad that you won't admit that, even though you stayed the night with me of your own free will!"
Israel winced and pried Loki's hand away from his arm. He looked up into Loki's eyes penetratingly. "It makes you mad…that I don't want to stay with you…?"
Loki glared right back. "But you do want to."
"Why would I?"
"Why?" He leaned forward and captured Israel's mouth with his own, kissing him passionately, desperately.
After his disbelief had faded, Israel's arms somehow found their way around Loki's neck. He closed his eyes and pressed himself closer to Loki's chest. "Mmm…" He pulled away for a moment to study his face. "Loki…" Israel pushed himself back up to Loki's lips, which parted easily against his.
Loki wound his arms around Israel's waist, pressing himself against the contours of his body. After a few moments he finally pulled back.
"That's why," he whispered, a bit out of breath.
Israel swallowed nervously and laid his head on Loki's bare chest. "I…Loki…"
Loki sighed, resting his head on Israel's and running his fingers through his soft, black hair. "Yeah?"
"…Why…?" Israel asked. "Why me? Why would you make such a horrible decision?"
He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. "Why? You're beautiful, and I find you quite charming…if not a bit feral."
"…No…No matter what you think of me, we could never go any farther than this." Israel pulled away from him and walked away, leaning on the foot of the bed.
Loki let him pull away and sighed. "Why is that, love? Do you not want to be with me?"
Israel shook his head. "I don't know, Loki…I just don't think that I'm who you think I am or want me to be. I can tell that you're more of a…" He faltered and looked back at Loki sadly. "Never mind."
"More of a…what?"
"A one-night-stand kind of person." He sighed and sat down on the bed. "I never have been, and never will be."
Loki was silent for a moment before he came to stand behind Israel. He brushed his fingers along Israel's cheek. "Is that what you think of me?"
Israel turned his face away. "That's the impression you gave me."
"I'll admit that at first my intentions were…less than pure." He took a hold of Israel's chin and turned his head so that he could look full into Israel's face. "But that's changed."
"How so?" Israel's eyes had lost their bright blue shine. He averted them from Loki's intense gaze.
"I don't know. You're just…different. You're unlike anyone else I've ever met."
Israel looked back at him. "Different…isn't necessarily what you're looking for. I'm nothing like you…And I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to make you happy as your…lover…" He cheeks were tinted with light pink.
"Please…you can't possibly know what I'm looking for. I…I think I'm in love with you."
"Oh please," Israel scoffed. "You don't even know my full name. How could you possibly love me?" His eyes locked with Loki's once more. "And what makes you think that I could love you like you'd want me to?"
"I could teach you," Loki whispered seductively. He shoved Israel onto the bed and climbed on top of him, straddling him. He pressed his lips against the nape of Israel's neck and spoke softly. "I could make you love me."
Israel found himself gasping at Loki's touch. His spine arched involuntarily, and he all but sunk his claws into Loki's back. It was an overreaction, sure, but he couldn't help himself. "Loki, please! You...You don't know what you're doing!" he cried.
His took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. "I know exactly what I'm doing," Loki responded, grinding his hips against Israel's.
In his shock, Israel let out a mix between a cry of surprise and a moan of pleasure. "Stop! Please!" Israel's features radiated fear. He had never felt so vulnerable in his life. "I am telling you," he said, "you have no idea what you are doing."
He snorted, one of his hands lingering on Israel's hip. He was no longer looking at him; his stare focused on the floor. "Do you doubt my affection for you?"
"Not at all," Israel answered. "Your affection is as clear to me as it could possibly be. But…" His sentence trailed off.
"But…?"
Israel looked unsure. His eyes darted, as if the answer would be somewhere in the hotel room. Realizing that there was no other way to say it, Israel blurted out, "I'm a virgin, Loki!"
He froze. "Excuse me?" He laughed out loud, rolling off of Israel to lie beside him. "You've got to be kidding me!"
Israel frowned. "Well, I'm not." He looked away dejectedly. "I can't…please you, because I don't know how." He blushed bright red. "I've always thought that I should save myself for the man I loved. I've been saving myself for three-hundred and forty years."
Loki ceased his laughter, with obvious effort. "Indeed?" He smiled suggestively, seductively. "You could love me."
"With difficulty," Israel retorted. "I chose this lifestyle to protect myself from getting hurt…Every relationship I've been in, even just with my family, has ended up being nothing short of disastrous. Everyone I've ever known has ended up hurting me somehow."
Loki cupped Israel's face in his hands. "I could never hurt you." His eyes smoldered as he stared into Israel's, sincerity softening his features.
Israel's eyes met Loki's with intense yearning. "I…I can't…" He pulled away. "I just can't…"
"Please, Israel." The desire in his voice surprised even himself. His long, icy fingers threaded through Israel's inky black hair. "I know you're afraid…"
Israel closed his eyes and sighed at Loki's touch. He leaned his head closer to Loki's hand. He could feel himself being drawn in further with each sweet word that the vampire spoke. "I don't want to get hurt…please, just leave me alone…"
"Is there something else I could say? Some declaration of my love that you would find suitable?" Loki pressed himself against the pleasant warmth of Israel's body.
"Enough people have claimed love for me, and then broken all of their promises. Besides, you don't love me. You're lusting after me," Israel said scathingly. "You just met me, so how can you possibly make a connection with love?"
Loki froze, staring at the floor. When he gazed back up at Israel, his eyes were anguished. "I…I don't know, but…"
Israel pulled himself closer. "We'll both be hurt…we would be at opposite ends of the world. You would be in Europe, and I would be in Telluria. Loki, that's in Antarctica! We would be apart for so long…"
"You and I are ageless, love. Months pass like days in our eyes." He pressed his lips to Israel's cheek. "It would be worth the wait."
Israel's lips quivered. They were so close to Loki's. "You would be willing to wait weeks…even months…to see me again?" he asked in awe.
"I would wait for far longer if it meant that I could be with you."
"You don't even know me…And I don't know you…"
Loki smiled sweetly. "I am Prince Dimitri Chevalier of the Sabbat."
"A prince?" Israel questioned.
"That's right." He cocked his head to the side curiously. "And who might you be?"
"...My name is Emperor Israel Chaim Yazid of the Tellurian Empire," Israel replied.
"So…we're both royalty," Loki mused.
"Yes…," Israel answered. "So…I guess we're acquainted now, huh…?" he commented timidly.
"I'd say we were," Loki agreed, smirking.
"…Loki…if you really do mean everything that you said…then…" He inhaled and let out a shaky breath. "We can give this a chance." Israel took in Loki's face with his bright cobalt eyes. Please don't let this be a lie…I've been hurt too many times for that…
Loki sat up and shifted to straddle Israel. His eyes were dark with desire. He leaned closer and pressed his mouth to Israel's. The first kiss was short and careful and chaste, but the second was not. His hands cupped Israel's face, kissing him deeply, passionately. When he drew back he noticed that Israel's lip bled.
Israel licked the cut slowly, Loki's lingering taste blending with the flavor of diluted copper. He gazed up at Loki, a question playing in his eyes. But Loki wasn't watching. His eyes now focused on Israel's lips, staring at them intently, and his eyes seemed to darken a shade.
Understanding the vampire's desire, Israel brushed his lips softly across Loki's, leaving a streak of crimson across the pale skin. "The sight of blood excites you, am I correct?"
"Yes," Loki whispered. Behind pale lips, his canines had elongated. He licked the blood from his lips and closed his eyes with a satisfied sigh. "Decadent."
"Don't try anything funny vampire. We both have fangs." He swiped his tongue across the laceration again, which healed seamlessly.
Loki looked down at him again and smiled apologetically. "I assure you, you've never experienced anything like it. Were I to partake from your neck…" He whispered the last part against Israel's ear, "…You'd be in ecstasy."
Israel shook from head to toe with both excitement and fear. "Perhaps you will one day. But for now…" He grabbed Loki's shoulders and pulled him closer. "Stop teasing me, before I change my mind."
Smiling, Loki bent to nip lightly at Israel's neck. He pulled off Israel's shirt and was about to toss is aside when he froze suddenly. "What is that?"
Thick leather straps wrapped around Israel's thin torso in a tight harness. Israel ran a hand across it. "It's…to hide my wings, Loki…," he explained.
"Wings," Loki breathed, his eyes widening with his smile. "Amazing." His fingers brushed reverently over the straps.
Israel unbuckled the harness and slid it off, letting his blue leathery wings fall to the bed sheets. "All Tellurians have them."
Loki reached out tentatively, pausing with his fingertips just inches away from Israel's wing. "I've never seen…"
"You can touch them." Israel raised his wings and spread them out, displaying how large they were compared to his small build.
"Amazing," Loki repeated, brushing his fingers over the top of Israel's wing.
Israel shuddered and slightly contracted his wings. "That tickles…," he said weakly.
Loki dropped his hand to the bed. "So cute." He grinned widely. "That's really something. Quite possibly the most amazing thing I've ever seen. But I believe it was you who said for me to stop teasing you." His long fingers worked quickly to undo Israel's jeans. "Ready or not," he purred.
Wincing, Israel looked away from Loki. He shifted nervously under Loki's chest. "What do I…?"
Loki couldn't help the wicked grin that spread across his features. "Just try not to scream."
