A/N: I know... I know. I'm a horrible person for making you guys wait SO long. I apologize greatly! Things got in the way, and I'm not even going to make excuses. This chapter really was a huge block for me. It's a bit shorter than the others, but I really just wanted to get this published for you guys. I hope this makes up for the wait!
476 A.D., During the Fall of the Roman Empire
"You Holy creatures are a relentless bunch," he exclaimed, a little winded, wiping the blood away from mouth with the back of his hand.
"Unlike your infernal kind, we don't quit," the larger man said, hunched over, trying to catch his breath. He looked at his bruising and bloody knuckles, shaking his hand before standing straight again.
"Now, David," Killian groaned, stretching his own bloody and beaten hands and rolling his shoulders. "Is now the time for insults?" He studied the bigger man, looking for any hint to what he was thinking. This wasn't his first brawl with the archangel, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Neither of them seemed to be able to kill the other. They were the perfect pair of fighters, giving both of their Leaders a show.
David stared at the demon, slightly smaller than he was, but no less dangerous. "Well it's definitely not a time for jests, demon." Neither of the men moved, both regaining their energy at a safe distance.
"You're no fun," Killian whined, wincing at the pain in his side. He definitely had a broken rib or two, David was a great fighter. The Holy one stood three inches taller, covered in a shiny gold armor, and ethereal glow surrounding him as if a bright light was illuminated behind him at all times. Killian wore thick, black leather armor, molded to fit him perfectly. Without a glow, his energy was visible by his fire-engulfed eyes and flaming fists.
"This isn't fun for me," David stated, readying himself for the next attack. "You're the only one that gets enjoyment from this."
Killian laughed and gave David a sarcastic bow, mocking him. He stayed still as the angel ran towards him, all gleaming power and strength. There was a thunderous boom when David collided with Killian, rumbling the ground beneath them. Unless controlled, their skin would burn the flesh of their enemies, Killian could scorch skin, and David could melt it. The sounds and scent of burning flesh filled their ears and noses as they flew through the air before landing on the ground with an earth-shattering crunch. Killian grunted under the angel's weight, quickly pushing him off, rushing to stand.
"Bloody hell, you weigh a ton," the demon groaned, watching his adversary slowly rise to his feet. They were panting, bloody, and bruised, but neither wanted to give up. They were equally matched, and it meant that sooner or later, one of them would have a stroke of luck and defeat the other, but that time hadn't come yet. Once on his feet, David began walking towards the other being. They kept a two-foot distance between them, trying to catch their breaths and taking fight stance.
They exchanged punches evenly, both making contact more than they missed. Killian's leaner frame gave him in advantage in speed, allowing him to take the angel down to the ground, where he excelled. David was better at brute force and beatings, and was easily out-maneuvered in the tightness of wrestling. His weight helped him, but the demon was spry, slipping out of any holds he tried to pull. Their bodies burned and bled as they continued to fight for dominance.
For every strong hold David had, Killian had an even better escape, turning the tables quickly, placing the larger being into submission holds, doing everything to defeat him. The archdemon made his way behind David, wrapping his legs around the angel's waist, and arm around the front of his neck, the other holding onto his own wrist to sink the chokehold in. He began stretching out, pulling David's head back with him. Killian chuckled as David struggled to get out of the hold, slowly losing energy with the lack of blood flow to his head. He could feel the life force of the angel begin to falter, growing weaker and weaker as his own energy increased. A loud and deep growl pounded through the air, causing the Earth to shake and crack open. Bright red fire peaked through the cracks, causing Killian to loosen his grip around David's neck enough to allow him to take a shaky breath.
"Looks like our fight isn't over yet," Killian whispered into his ear, laughing as he released him, shoving him aside to stand. David's vision was coming back into focus, his lungs screaming and mind fuzzy from lack of air. He could sense the evilness in the air, seeping through the cracks in the Earth, calling the vile demon back home. Killian stood over the angel still gasping for air, face red in effort, smiling a wicked grin before falling through one of the cracks. The world became normal almost immediately, the stifling wickedness washed from the atmosphere, allowing David to breathe easily.
David prayed his thanks to his Heavenly Father for allowing him to be spared, to continue fighting for his beliefs. He was lucky, this time, but he knew his next encounter with the Devil's Secondhand wouldn't go the same way. He would destroy the demon, even if he had to die in the process.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Tell me everything!" Ruby demanded, gripping Emma's wrist in the backroom of Granny's. It was lunchtime, and this was the first time both girls were free for a few minutes during their shifts
"What do you want to know?" Emma asked, trying to be quieter than her friend, who seemed to want the whole dinner to know about her night.
"What was Killian doing in your room?" the brunette asked, completely curious, a huge smile spread across her ruby lips. "I didn't even know you knew him that well."
Emma hesitated with her answer. As far as Ruby knew, she had only met Killian at his bar a couple of nights ago. "We talked a bit while you were dancing," Emma stated, trying to keep her voice even. "We've only spoken a few times since then, including last night."
Ruby started doing mini jumps next to her, barely containing her obvious excitement. "So, are you guys like a thing?" Her movements stilled, waiting for her answer.
"We're just talking," Emma insisted, smiling at Ruby's pouting lip at her response. "But there's something there," Emma added, admitting it to herself. Ruby quietly squealed, gathering Emma into a brief hug before pulling back and grabbing her shoulders.
"Just wait," she exclaimed, her face conveying nothing but seriousness. "He is fantastic in bed!" Before Emma had the chance to appear shocked, Ruby was gone, walking down the hallway to take care of her waiting customers.
Emma couldn't help the small smile that was on her lips. This was the first time she had actually felt content, happy even, since she Fell in this dreary town. She had a great friend in Ruby, someone who was kind, and good, but just bad enough to give her balance. She had something with the demon, a something that she wanted to explore and understand more as her damnation was becoming more apparent, resentment boiling in her heart. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, pulling the sleeves of the shirt she wore under her uniform down to keep her hands covered. She had found a shirt with thumbholes on the long sleeves at the small discount store in town, and knew it would work perfectly until her wounds healed completely. She only had a couple of hours left in her shift, and she was excited for the workday to end.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
She opened the door to her room hurriedly, wanting to change out of her food and coffee stained uniform into more comfortable clothes. She hadn't talked to Killian all day, but he had promised the night before that they would talk at some point, and she had been anticipating it while pouring coffee and placing plates of lasagna in front of townspeople. She was beginning to recognize the regulars, and they were doing the same with her. The old carpenter, Geppetto, was in every morning, and she had a handful of regulars at lunch.
She had felt his presence all day, a welcoming warm buzz in the morning that had slowly grown into a hot rolling against her skin, caressing her skin and making her feel tingly in all the right places. Ever since her epiphany after David's scorning the day before, she allowed herself to enjoy, and even crave, the sensations he put out, allowing herself to thrive off of the warmth and lust he radiated. No more than twenty-four hours after, basically, putting her holy journey back to Heaven on hold, she was totally embracing the idea of exploring the darker side she gained from her banishment. She wasn't naïve, she knew the main reason her choice was made so quickly was because of the demon more than willing to show her his ways.
While she knew she should be feeling something for deciding to go against her kind, she couldn't muster guilt for putting up a wall towards her supposed family. Her faith had always been strong, but she was beginning to feel places where the strength of it was beginning to grow weak in spots, allowing her to see a little more clearly outside of that mindset. She truly wanted this, truly wanted to experience all of the sins and pleasures that Killian could give to her, and she wanted to feel something other than the abandonment that crushed her heart, even if that meant inviting the welcoming darkness into her mind and soul.
She grabbed a pair of jeans and a lightweight crimson sweater, slipping into same shoes she worked in, since those were the only shoes she had. Looking at herself in the small bathroom mirror, she could tell her glowing skin had slightly dulled, but there was still a touch of glimmer. Just enough, she thought. The subtle, but distinct, knock on her door was not the only alert to who was behind it. The familiar buzz of a darker energy surrounded her like the warmth from a fire. The crucifix still resting between her breasts thrummed against her sternum, a sensation she grew to love.
Smoothing down her hair, she hurried to the door, almost embarrassingly giddy. She placed a small smile on her face before opening the door, her jaw almost falling to the floor at the sight before her. His black jeans hugged his legs perfectly, black leather boots complimenting the dark material. The black satin button-up shirt was snug across his entire torso, fitting perfectly over his shoulders, chest, and waist. There was a throb between her thighs when she noticed that he hadn't buttoned the top three buttons, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a charming grin spread over his perfect lips. She was fond of the way his jaw would twitch under his dark stubble
"Good evening, Emma," he greeted, bowing his head slightly. She still couldn't tell if he was being polite of facetious with the bow yet, but she didn't take it personally.
"Hello, Killian," she replied, holding his eyes with her own. He had kissed her last night, an act that she had completely allowed, and she could feel tension in the air, but it wasn't awkward, it was hunger. She opened the door wider, motioning him to come inside. He shook his head and smiled at her, holding out his arm for her to take.
"I'm here to escort you to my place," he said, pulling his shoulders back, playing the part of a charming prince elegantly. "I figured that would be a better place to have our talk."
"Why didn't you just have me meet you there?" she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I pride myself on being a gentleman, Angel," he explained, holding his proffered arm out higher, one corner of his mouth lifting in a grin. "Shall we?" She gave him a coy smile before wrapping her arm around his, closing and locking the door behind her.
The night air was frigid, but the demon was incredibly warm by her side. She hesitantly pressed herself against his side, smiling when he didn't seem to mind her closeness. It wasn't a long walk to his apartment from Granny's, but it was long enough to warrant conversation.
"So, what does our mutual friend think about our friendliness?" he asked, looking down at her with a smug grin, humor twinkling in his eyes.
She smiled shyly, averting her gaze to the ground. "Ruby thinks it's great," she stated, feeling his gaze bore into her. "She also said you were great in bed."
Killian raised an eyebrow, his tongue darting out to lick the corner of his mouth. "Did she, now?" he asked, nudging her lightly with his shoulder. Emma could feel her cheeks turning pink, but tried to hide the bashfulness from him. They walked the rest of the way in a peaceful silence, simply enjoying each other's company.
Emma sighed in relief when she felt his apartment was warm, knowing he must have done that for her. He didn't require auxiliary heat, being his own furnace and everything. It was a kind gesture, surely one too nice for an ordinary demon, but he was not that. Killian, the evil, but fair being he was, had a different side to him that Emma was lucky enough to see. That side was probably well hidden when he was home, in the fiery pits of Hell.
"It feels nice in here," she said, breaking the silence between them.
She felt him walk past her into the kitchen, pulling two tumblers and a dark bottle from a cabinet. "Rum?"
Emma sighed, stretching her arms out to the side. "Why not." She watched him smirk while pouring generous amounts of the brown liquid into each glass. He deftly carried each drink in one hand, the other holding the bottle. He stood directly in front of her, holding the glasses for her to take one. She accepted it with both hands, holding the drink at chest-level.
"To new adventures," he stated plainly, holding his glass up in front of her.
Emma pulled her drink up, tapping it against his glass, enjoying the clink. "To new adventures," she repeated, taking a long sip at the same time he did. Her eyes squinted shut as the alcohol burned her throat, Killian chuckled lightly before leading her towards his couch.
"I must say, rum is not as good as it used to be back in my pirating days." He sat down on the end, giving her plenty of room to decide how close she wanted to sit next to him. She could see that he looked almost hopeful, his face growing relaxed as she sat by him closely, knees touching, hips farther apart.
"Of course you were a pirate," Emma laughed, taking another sip of rum. "Pillaging and plundering, what could possibly be more fun for your kind than that?" He knew she was joking with him by the smile on her face. He wasn't sure if she fully accepted him for what he was, or if she still had harsh feelings towards his nature.
"Very true," he agreed, leaning back and eyeing her slowly. He loved the way the sweater hugged her curves, the scoop neck giving a modest amount of cleavage for his eyes to take in. "I'm sure you were being helpful and holy, and all of that," he added, flourishing his hands to emphasize the holiness.
"Something like that," she agreed, smiling and turning a little to face him better. He silently leaned forward, opening the bottle of rum and pouring them another large glass.
He bit his index finger between his teeth as he watched her sip the drink gingerly. "I'm all for light conversation, but I feel that we should discuss what we talked about last night."
She had been too nervous to bring it up, secretly hoping that he would be the one to break the ice. "Good idea," she agreed, taking another sip of rum. "Before we have too many of these."
Killian raised an eyebrow and chuckled, polishing of the second glass in one gulp. He poured another, hell, he could hardly drink enough to get drunk anyways, and he mostly enjoyed the spice and flavor. "Did you have any ideas, Angel?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, swirling the rum around. She could hardly look him in the eye, suddenly feeling shy about the whole thing.
"I mean," he started, bending his head to get her attention. She brought her gaze up to meet his, understanding expressed on his handsome face. "Did you have any plans, or do you want just want to hear my suggestion?"
She sat there, her lips parted, trying to mask the sudden horror she felt. She didn't have an idea of what she should do to explore her darkening soul. She didn't know how to even begin to sin nonchalantly, to do vile things her kind would shudder at the thought of. She hadn't given it much thought, no more than her realization that she wanted to explore it. "What did you have in mind?"
Her words came out quietly, almost as if she was afraid. He knew it wouldn't be easy for her, no matter how angry at her kind she had seemed last night. He knew that this would be difficult, but he was willing to show her, if she wanted him to. "I thought we could start slow. Allow you to test the waters." He moved closer to her, slowly, his blue eyes darkening. She didn't move away from him, allowing him to press their thighs together, his arm wrapping round the top of the couch, fingers toying with her hair that dangled over the edge. "Give you a taste before the feast." The analogies rolled off his tongue seductively. She couldn't help but wiggle her hips slightly on the couch, to try and ease the ache inside of her delicate flesh. He noticed her movements, noticed the need in her eyes, a need for something she didn't even know about. It was a turn-on to know he could make someone so pure squirm with want, to make a divine being like her want his body.
"A taste?" she asked in a whisper, her voice failing to remain calm. She wasn't sure if she really was falling apart for him, or if he was producing this feeling with his powers of seduction.
"A small taste," he murmured, leaning forward until she was under his arm, his other hand moving to cup her face. His touch was hot, bordering burning, but she relished it. He kept distance between their faces, but pressed his body into hers, loving the way she tensed and relaxed next to him. "We'll work up to larger bites," he continued, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He tilted his head, taking his gaze back and forth between her eyes and lips. "I won't let you bite off more than you can chew."
His way of explaining did things to her she should have been embarrassed about, but she wasn't. She couldn't feel guilty about the things he did to her. "Portion control?" she asked, giving him a sly smile, hoping he appreciated her addition to his way with words.
"Precisely, love," he replied in a whisper, inching his face forward and then bringing his glass to his lips. He held it there for a few seconds, waiting for Emma to mirror his actions. They downed their drinks together, his third and her second, before placing the glasses on the coffee table.
She maneuvered her legs underneath her so that her knees and shins were resting in his lap. He licked his lips at her contact, smirking before placing a large hand on her knee, squeezing lightly. "Where do we begin?" she questioned, glancing at his hand on her leg, watching the way his fingers flexed over her knee, almost as if he wanted to run it up her leg.
A wicked expression spread across his face, blue eyes darkening, lips parting, and tongue teasing one corner of his mouth. He swallowed before leaning forward to hover his lips over her neck. "Ever hear of the Seven Deadly Sins, Angel?" he asked, hot breath dancing over the delicate skin of her neck. He could see the chills running over her body, felt her legs shudder in his lap.
Emma couldn't help the small noise that escaped her as his lips barely brushed against her pulse, feeling him smile against the skin there at her physical reaction to him. "Of course," she muttered, scooting closer to him on the couch. She placed her hand on the shoulder of the arm that was resting on her knee, feeling the heat and hardness of him through his shirt.
"Recite them for me," he demanded softly, this time applying enough pressure to her neck for her to know it wasn't by accident. She bit her lip, gripping his shoulder tighter, feeling as if she might implode next to him as a hand found its way into her hair.
"Vanity," she started, eyes squinting shut as he placed a chaste kiss on her jawline. "Envy," she almost moaned, his lips gliding along her ear.
"Keep going," he insisted, pulling on her hair slightly. He loved her like this, willing and wanting, not holding back, not afraid of what might happen.
"Gluttony," she continued, her hand sliding from his shoulder onto his chest, gripping at his shirt, trying to pull him onto her. He held his ground, grinning against the exposed skin of her neck.
"Next one," he commanded, running his nose along her neck until his lips rested on her collar bone, breathing heavily onto her flesh, inhaling her unique scent.
Emma groaned, subconsciously tilting her head to give him better access. "Lust." He growled at the word, tugging on her hair, licking a line along her collar bone, teeth grazing gently. She gasped, her hips rocking up on their own accord. Killian felt her movement, taking his free arm and wrapping it around her waist. "Wrath," she sighed, the heat of his body and seduction of his mouth doing wicked things inside her. "Covetousness."
"One more," he reminded her, his mouth working its way back up her neck, tongue tasting her skin occasionally. He felt her nod, one hand tightening in his shirt, the other gripping his arm.
"Sloth," she finished, exhaling loudly in relief. So much tension had built up during her recital of the sins that she hadn't even realized she had hardly been breathing. Before she could do anything, Killian was pressing her against him, lifting her slightly to place her back against on the seat of the couch, sliding forward to allow his body to hover of her own. His lips were covering hers in a heated kiss, as if they both needed it for survival. She wrapped her arms around his neck, loving the way his arm under her lower back was lifting her hips up into his, pressing them together.
"Those words sound so beautiful dancing off of your innocent tongue, Fallen one" he whispered against her ear before biting on the sensitive skin of the lobe. His body was burning above hers, the kind of heat that should frighten her. His dark energy was humming dangerously around them, making her skin tingle with a pinprick pain she welcomed. "You saw them so well," he continued, nudging at her jaw with his nose. He felt her gasp and writhe beneath him, a cool sensation radiated from her body, her light energy fighting to ignore the pull towards his. The crucifix on her chest was practically jumping off of her skin and he had to fight every urge to tear it from her body.
"More," she pleaded, moving her hands to the front of his shirt, clumsily fumbling with the buttons. He quickly released his arms from around her, moving her hands out of the way to undo his shirt faster. He held her eyes as he peeled the black fabric from his chest, shoulders, and arms, tossing the piece of clothing away from their position. Green eyes, accented with faint white glow in the pupils, grew wide at the site of his bare torso, and he couldn't help the smirk that spread across his lips.
Emma placed her hands on his chest, just below his collarbones. He was scorching beneath her touch, tanned skin, toned muscle, and black hair dusted his torso, disappearing into the waistband of his jeans. She licked her lips hungrily as his still-blue eyes fluttered at her touch, muscles twitching and contracting. He was stunning, absolutely beautiful, and she knew that his appearance only helped in his powers of seduction and deceit.
He couldn't take her touch or her explorative gaze anymore. He lunged forward, growling as his lowered himself on top of her, allowing his full weight to rest over her body. He buried his face in her chest, feeling her breasts hug around his nose and lips through the fabric of her sweater. She moaned as his hot breath danced over her sternum, wishing his lips were directly on her skin. He ran his hands down her body, tracing the side of her curves until his fingers tickled the skin at the hem of her sweater. "Please," she begged, nodding her head multiple times, giving him permission to touch her.
He groaned deeply into her chest, placing a kiss on the exposed skin before pushing the material over her body. She sat up enough to let him remove the clothing from her body, tossing it aside. Fire erupted in his eyes at the site of her naked torso only covered by her white bra. His hands ghosted around her stomach, giving her chills and heating her skin, leaving red marks behind. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, loving the way her closed eyes and parted lips looked in the dim light of the room. She placed her hands around his neck, fingers toying with the short hairs at the nape of his neck. She could feel him trying to keep the fire at bay, trying to keep from surrounding them in flames.
Her soul was burning, a sweet, slow burn that felt all too much and not enough at the same time. She wanted more, she needed more of him, and it terrified her. She felt his scruff scratch along her chest, his lips kissing the swells of her breasts, licking at her cleavage, sucking and soothing the skin with his tongue. Pressing his hips harder into hers, she brought both hands up, cupping and kneading her breasts in both hands, relishing in her squirms and moans. "Fuck," he grunted, squeezing the swells a little harder, loving how they fit perfectly in his large hands. She pulled harder at his hair, dragging his face towards her, capturing his lips in a needy kiss.
He broke the kiss quickly, leaning back on his knees, grasping at her waist and he kissed a hot path down her body, teeth scraping along her rips, tongue dipping into her navel and swirling around each hip bone. He kept his hands tight around her waist, keeping her planted firmly in place. She sucked in a breath as his mouth hovered over the skin directly above the button of her jeans. Her hands, as if by their own accord, shot to his wrists, grabbing him tightly, enough to draw his attention back to her face. He could see the fear, the nervousness, in her eyes, the shock written clearly on her face. He silently cursed himself for going too far as he smiled at her, moving back up her body. He kissed her lips lightly once, then twice, before standing, searching for their discarded shirts.
"Killian, you-" she began, moving to sit up on the couch, the leather was cold against her heated skin, making her miss his warmth and comfort. He walked back over to the couch, holding her sweater out, a conflicted smile on his face. "You didn't do anything wrong," she blurted, pulling the sweater on, tugging the sides down to cover her stomach.
"No, I did," he corrected, sliding his arms into the soft material of his shirt, buttoning the bottom three buttons before sitting back down, keeping a few feet between them. "I find it hard to control myself around you."
"It's okay," she assured him, moving a little closer. She watched him tense up, but he didn't try to move away from her.
"I went too far, and I shouldn't have."
"I practically pleaded you to," Emma said with a huff, running her hand through her hair. He smiled at that, giving her a wink before his face returned to a more stoic state. "I don't know why I stopped you."
"You're innocent," he answered, looking at her intently. The flames in his eyes had died down to red embers, the heat trying to stay alive as long as it could. "You have every right to be anxious."
Emma shook her head in confusion, seeking out his hand, placing her fingers into his larger palm. "I don't want to be nervous," she started, scooting even closer to him. She leaned against his body, resting her head on his shoulder. Instead of needy passion, he felt affection towards her and allowed himself to wrap and around her shoulders. "Will this plan of yours, with the Seven Sins, help with this?"
"I have a feeling it will," he whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head and squeezing her body closer to his. She had meant it when she had said that she didn't know why she stopped him. She was loving all of the new sensations he was making her feel. Loved the way her skin felt close to bursting in flames, how the heaviness of his body on top of hers only fueled her desire for him, how his hot mouth and wicked tongue made her shiver and ache for him.
She didn't know what she was doing, but he seemed to bring out a primal side that she didn't know she had. She followed his lead, allowed her body to feel pleasure and pain, allowed what was left of her pure soul to accept the darkness he was pressing into her body. She wasn't entirely sure how his plan involving the Sins was going to work, how she wasn't going to actually enact them, but she trusted him. She was giving up a lot of herself, a lot of what she believed in, to explore this side of her that David, so gallantly, exposed to her.
She guessed, in a way, David was responsible for her change in attitude. The archangel she once called a brother had accepted her banishment and denounced her as holy. He had made her feel completely worthless in his eyes and in the eyes of the Lord, their Father. So, yeah, she would have her fun before deciding what path would do her the most good. She had a pull towards the darkness now that she had Fallen, but the light side of her, the holy, righteous side, still existed, and wouldn't give up without a fight. She only hoped that, with the demon that cared for her by her side, she could find her true self, find what side she was, ultimately, destined to be on.
She leaned into his touch while thoughts swam around in her head like sharks hunting their prey. Her intimacy with the demon was a sacrilege, a wonderful, passionate sacrilege that left her breathless and wanting. As she sat with him, holding onto his arms, resting her eyes and warming her abandoned soul, she could feel holiness seeping out. She could feel light oozing out of her pores, into the atmosphere where it rose and made its way back to its home. She watched the wisps disappear and found that she felt nothing as a small amount of her divine energy escaped, allowing a little more darkness to take its place.
A/N: I hope that the shortness was made up for by the ending of the chapter! Like I said above, I really just wanted to get this out here for you guys, and I figured that was a decent enough stopping point. I promise, the next chapter will be longer! Anyways, again, please forgive me for making you wait! It was killing me, but this chapter... was difficult for me to get through. I have no idea why. Please, your reviews and comments mean EVERYTHING! PM me with any questions or suggestions! I love hearing from you all! Until next time, my dark ones... -Bailey