Possession

by BWPR

They didn't really know what they were, an echo of something that had never been human. All they knew was hunger. There was no end to their greed, and they had no true malice, just a hole that they were desperate to try and fill. But they hadn't truly wanted possession of a person until they met the oldest Locke child.

They didn't really know what they were, an echo of something that had never been human. All they knew was hunger. They hungered for everything; food, alcohol, money, clothes, sex, pain, blood, death, power. There was no end to their greed, and they had no true malice, just a hole that they were desperate to try and fill. But they hadn't truly wanted possession of a person until they met the oldest Locke child. They had been in the form of Dodge at the time, not their favored form, but the most useful so far. They had just kissed the girl Locke, Kinsey, as Gabe, but it had been necessary to gain her affections, to gain entry into her personal life. They hadn't felt anything, it hadn't meant anything. But meeting Tyler, that had ignited their hunger. At first they thought it was just lust, the hunger for another's body, but even after having sex with the boy, they still hungered. They had come upon the realization that they hungered for more, that they hungered for more soft words and softer gazes, for more attention, for love, to feel truly human. It was inconvenient to say the least when there was already a plan unfolding with Sam, but it didn't matter. They were purely fueled by their hunger, so what was another possession, albeit another person?

And then the boy had come across the Anywhere key. Dodge had been willing to spend more time with the other, even planning a date of sorts to the lighthouse, but Tyler just had to ruin things. Not only did they mourn the loss of the key, but the loss of the other as well. They were furious, betrayed, hurt in a way they hadn't experienced before. It was awful, it was electrifying, and they craved the oldest Locke even more. They had come to realize that the best high the world had to offer was that of wanting what you couldn't have. But they would have the boy eventually, body, mind, and soul. He had already shown himself to be partial to them, though, to be fair, he hadn't truly known who they were at the time. So they jumped into their truck and raced over to Key house.

They stormed into the house as if they owned it, easily knocking the gun out of the incompetent mother's hands and then turning to Tyler. He was red in the face but otherwise unharmed, and all they could do was snarl and push him onto the ground. It was almost sweet the way he tried to save their pawn who was once his friend, but their patience ran out and they ended up stabbing Sam to finally gain access to the Head key. They managed to wink at the boy before using the Anywhere key to disappear.

The next time they see the boy, they are in the possession of the Crown of Shadows, the most devastating of the powers. It's laughably easy to separate the children and corner Tyler while the other two try to fend off their shadows. And even now the boy has trouble meeting their eye, even as his life is in danger.

"Hello, Tyler," they coo, shutting the door behind them to make sure they have some privacy.

"I don't have the Omega key," he sneers, trying to keep something in between them at all times. It doesn't help when all they have to do is shove his furniture out of the way easily with the shadows.

"Oh darling, I know that," they tease as they finally back him into a wall, using shadows to pin him against it.

"Then what do you want?" he yells, trying to free himself to no avail. It brings out the hunger in them, the lust, watching the boy struggle against the shadows that hold him. They want to touch him, to have him again right here and now, but it isn't the right time.

"I want to make a deal," they reveal, all seriousness now.

"Yeah, right," he scoffs, clearly not believing them for a second. It's frustrating but understandable given their previous actions.

"Tyler, if I wanted your family dead, you would already be dust in the wind," they point out casually, as if death threats, especially from them, weren't the same as a death sentence.

"What kind of deal?" he finally asks after a moment of thinking his options over and seeing the path of least bloodshed was to cooperate.

"Easy, if you don't get in my way, I won't hurt your family," they offered, simplifying the terms to end with a deal that was in their favor.

"I won't give you the Omega key," he asserts again, which should be annoying but is instead oddly adorable. They like his bravery, as stupid as it was in the current situation.

"For now, I don't want that key," they answer nonchalantly, even as they got closer and closer to the trapped boy.

"Then what do you want from me?" And ah yes, the golden question. What did they want from him?

"I don't want anything from you; I want you," they all but purr, gently pushing the other towards them with shadows until there isn't an inch between them.

"W-What?" he stuttered out, understanding what they meant but not why, not how, what that entailed for him.

"For some reason, out of all the little pea brained humans I could find myself interested in, I hunger for you," they all but hiss, continuing when they detect some confusion in the other, "I want to devour you, body, mind, and soul, over and over again." Something dark and possessive roars inside of them when they see how Tyler reacts to their words, eyes dilating and blushing deeply, human signs he wants them in some way too. It's fulfilling, satisfying one hunger while giving life to another.

"So what, you want me to be your slave?" he splits out at them, angry and disbelieving, eyes blazing.

"I'd say pet or possession," they teases, even as they can see this only riles him up more.

"And you won't hurt my family? What about my friends?"

"I won't hurt your family. And I'll try to minimize hurting your friends," they agree to the main reservations the other may have about entering to a deal with them, "Do we have a deal, Tyler?"

"Deal," he sighs out in defeat, making some part of them roar in victory.

"Good boy," they praise, sealing the deal with a kiss. Tyler doesn't kiss back, in fact he seems frozen, but that's okay, they don't need him to be willing yet. When they've had their fill of kissing the other for now, they pull back, removing the Crown and instead using the Identity key to turn into Gabe. Despite the fact that he's no longer pinned by shadows, he doesn't move away. There's something like horror in his expression as he puts things together, who Gabe really is, who his sister has really been kissing. But they assure him now that they no longer need Kinsey, not now that they have him.

"Remember our deal, don't be giving away any of my secrets," they tease as they drop from the window and onto the grass of the front lawn, just waiting for the call from Kinsey. As they transport the unconscious "Dodge" to the sea cave later, Tyler keeps a close eye on them. But they make no move to steal any keys or hurt anyone, they just simply pull their weight. When Kinsey almost calls off throwing the "monster" threw the black door, they are pleased when Tyler pushes forward anyway, clearly abiding by their deal. They make sure that no one gets hit by any of the bullets, no willing to deal with another one of them while trying to continue their plans. And after all, they aren't one for sharing, especially not with another who hungers as deeply as them.

Instead of truly leaving when the ordeal is over, they simply use the Anywhere key to get into Tyler's room, where they lie in wait for him. They use the Identity key to take on their original, and preferred form, Lucas. While they have no true form or gender, this is the closest to something they can call their own. And they've become quite attached to being Lucas. While being Dodge had perks, they ultimately preferred a male form, finding it more suitable for their hunger for strength. They take the time to be nosy, checking out everything in the other's room. From his books to his hockey gear, from his porn magazines to his pictures; they investigate it all, filing away everything for future reference as needed. They then make themselves comfy on his bed. While it isn't large by any means, it smells like Tyler, which only serves to make them crave him more. They wait in suspense as they hear footsteps coming up the stairs and then near the bedroom, something coiling tight in their gut as they wait for the other.

"Yeah, see you in the morning," he calls out to the rest of his family as he finally enters the room, shutting the door behind him. He takes a moment to lean against the door, his whole facade of being fine cracking the moment he didn't need to keep it up. He seems relaxed in a way that they've never seen him, which is probably because he thinks he's alone. It's only once he finally turns around that he sees them.

"Holy shit," he yelps unintentionally as he reflexively twitches towards the exit. Upon realizing that it's them, he seems wary but not afraid. His eyes trace over them carefully, and it occurs to them that he hasn't ever seen them in person as Lucas.

"Oh please, it's just me," they tease, monitoring his reaction as they move to get off the bed. In this form, they are taller than him in a way they didn't think about before. It's intoxicating, watching him step backwards with every step they make forwards.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, trying to distract them, his eyes darting around for an exit or a weapon. He finds none.

"What do you think?" they ask coyly, backing him into a wall yet again.

"I don't know," he lies, though he finally makes eye contact.

"Think harder," they urge as they loom over him, pressing a hand to the wall behind him on either side of his head, effectively boxing him in. They don't make any physical contact with him yet, drawing it out, savoring the blush on his face. They like being able to look down at him like this, especially from this distance. They can make out every detail of his face, and they again feel the urge to touch.

"Why are you in this form?" he tries to distract again, but at this point he seems resigned to the way they are clearly playing with him.

"It's my original form and is thus closest to being my true form," they explain easily before they finally given in and close the gap between them, bodies flush against each other, before they continue in a dark whisper, "This time, I get to claim you as myself." With that being said, they capture the other's lips. When he doesn't respond in kind, they roll their hips against his, gaining a gasp for their efforts. They use the opening to slide a knee between his own and grind again, Tyler moaning against their mouth as he finally started to kiss back. It was crude and messy, but they wouldn't have it, have him, any other way. Their hips fall into a rhythm, the other quickly adapting to match them. They could feel an answering bulge forming against their thigh, and it caused a wave of possessiveness to crash into them. They stepped away suddenly, taking in the glazed eyes, the red and swollen lips, the disappointed expression, before they grabbed the other and threw him onto his own bed across the room with an inhuman strength. He seemed taken aback by the action, and his eyes tracked them warily as they approached. They were the predator, and he was their prey, and they both knew it. When they reached the bed, they didn't hesitate to climb on top of him, easily forcing their way between his legs. They loved how much larger they were than him, how easy it was to cage him against the bed with just their body. They used this opportunity to attack his neck, biting hard enough to leave imprints of their teeth. Tyler keened at the harsh treatment, though his head tilted back to give them better access. Unbuttoning his shirt and pants was easy while he was distracted, and his hands ended up in their hair, pulling roughly in time with their bites.

"What should I call you?" he asked breathlessly when they finally relented in their attack to focus on removing their own clothes. It was thrilling, the way Tyler's eyes took them in appreciatively, gaze mapping out their form intensely. They wanted to devour him, to savor him, to own him. The only part of them he couldn't bring himself to gaze upon was their genitalia, not that they expected anything else from the high schooler.

"Lucas, Dodge, Echo, Gabe; I don't care which one you decide to moan, as long as you remember who's fucking you," they growl lowly, moving on to disrobe the debauched boy under them. For someone who was just holding up his side of the deal, he seemed rather willing. He lifted his hips for them to remove his pants and underwear, and there were hands in their hair dragging them down for another kiss, nails biting into their scalp deliciously.

"I don't think I can really forget," he sasses weakly in return, making them chuckle. Did Tyler know what he did to them? Did he know how interesting he was to them, with all his broken pieces and sharp edges? He was an echo of who he used to be, and they were like a moth to a flame. As much as they want to take him now, just like this, they don't want to hurt him (at least not in a fun way, not without him asking them for it). They knew the basics of human homosexual intercourse, and they knew that if they weren't careful, the other wouldn't find gratification in the events that were about to occur.

"Lube?" they asked quietly (gently), as to not embarrass the boy or ruin the mood, as they came to a complete halt. He needed a moment to process the request and put together an appropriate response, and they savored the effect they had on Tyler.

"Nightstand," he admitted with a whine, hips rolling up into theirs temptingly to regain some lost friction, to urge them to move again. It's easy for them to stretch over him and reach the nightstand drawer, though they are surprised when his legs wrap around their hips as if to hold them to place and a mouth places tentative kisses on their exposed throat, clearly tired of waiting on them. It sends a shutter down their spine and they grind down harshly, causing both of them to moan, giving the teen exactly what he wanted.

"Condom?" he asks vaguely when lube is all they grab, though he doesn't really seem concerned. His eyes are glassy as he gazes at them through his eyelashes, too busy feeling everything to focus.

"Don't need one, I can't get or transmit any diseases," they explain briefly, finally managing to get the lid off with one hand. They move quickly from there, teasingly tracing the other's hole before pushing a finger in to the first knuckle.

"Lucas!" he yelps as they begin to finger him without waiting for the lube to heat up, enjoying the way he arches up into them, the way he's trapped under them. They want to take him apart, make him cry for them for hours, but that can wait for another time. They wrap their hand around his swollen member, causing the other to whine again.

"You sound so pretty for me," they murmur into his ear, fingers thrusting in time with the hand moving on his cock. Tyler looks so overwhelmed, torn between riding their fingers or thrusting into their hand.

"Slow down, I've never-," he begins hoarsely, cutting off as they add another finger, before continuing, "At least, not with a guy." His admission makes them groan, burying their face into his neck as they try and hold themselves back. The thought that they're his first, at least like this, drives them crazy.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of you," they soothed before trailing wet kisses from his neck to his stomach. He surprises them again when suddenly a hand is hesitantly palming their cock, gaining confidence as he carefully watches their reaction. It makes their movements stutter for a moment before they pick up again. He looks up at them with something akin to wonder, the same way he had in the truck with Dodge. Even now he whispers encouragements, praises, begs for something that only they can give. And they'd give him anything right now, if only he would ask them. They'd burn the world to the ground if he wanted them to (they may end up doing it anyway). When the hand on their cock moves to lube them up, they take it as him saying he's ready for them. They remove their fingers from him and gently guide his hand off their cock. They line up, just pausing there a moment so the both of them can relish the feeling of their cock pressed against his fluttering hole. They slowly push in, peppering his face with kisses and running nails over his pecs as distractions. His arms wrap around them desperately and pull them to be flush against him, his own nails leaving angry trails down their back. It's perfect, the wet heat of him that pulls them in, the choked moans he makes as they bottom out, as if they've knocked the breath out of him.

"Talk to me," they order as they begin to move shallowly, slowly, in and out of the body under them.

"Lucas. Lucas, it feels like so much, so good, please, please, please-" he tries to comply, trailing off in a litany of pleases. They give him what he begs for, speeding up, roughly using him as he seems to like. It's brutal and filthy and they give him everything they can, take everything he gives. There's no warning when he finally comes; he simply groans into their mouth as their stomach is covered in white. They change the angle, seeking their own completion, intoxicated by Tyler and the idea of marking him from the inside out. He keens under them, babbling nonsense as he becomes overstimulated but helpless to stop them. He looks so beautiful like this, neck covered in bite marks that were sure to bruise so nicely, with their cock moving in and out of his ass. When they come, they bite down so hard on his shoulder that they're sure they draw blood, but from the way he comes again, they don't think he really minds.

"I've got you, I've got you," they coo as they easily manhandle the Locke, turning him onto his side and plastering themselves to his back, half-hard cock still inside the other. He whimpers, even more overstimulated, but they just shush him, covering them both up. They curl around the other, his head tucked under their chin, their legs slotting between his, arms wrapped possessively around his middle. He weakly nuzzles back into them, causing them to hum softly, pleased.

"Lucas," he murmurs as if it's the beginning of a question before sleep takes him. As they don't need to sleep, they lay there for hours, memorizing every inch of the other, how his hair smells, how even now his hole clenches around them. Whenever he begins to stir in his sleep, nightmares obvious from his whimpers, they hum and hold him tight until he settles again. It's disturbing to know they're the core reason he has those nightmares. But what's done is done, and they don't regret anything; otherwise they would have never met the other, never been freed from the Well house, never been able to try and be anything other than an echo. They aren't inherently evil, they know this, but they also know that they chose to hurt and even kill people for their own gain. They could be considered good, if only humans would stop getting in the way of their fulfillment. The hunger was an addiction, their only motivation in their life, the guiding force behind all their actions; they were as helpless to deny it as the humans.

They wake him at some point in the morning when they can't hold themselves back any longer, rocking gently into the body next to them. He weakly pushes back on them, matching their rhythm. It's slow and leisurely, no words spoken, something intimate. This time they come first, still inside him, before reaching around and finishing him off with their hand. They don't enjoy having to finally pull out, the feeling of separation weighing on them. Tyler gasps when they do, body now trying to adjust to being empty. He remains in bed even as they get up, using the restroom and turning the water on, beginning to fill the tub. They add in some lavender Epsom salt for soaking aching muscles before going back into the bedroom. They pick Tyler up bridal style and carry the half-asleep teenager into the bath. They slowly sit down in the large tub, the boy coming to rest in their lap. He leans back into them and sighs as the hot mineral water washes his aches away. They admire their handiwork as they gently wash his hair, the dark purple bruises that outline his jawline and then follow his jugular vein down his neck. He just lays there without a care, mind clearly off elsewhere as they take care of him.

"No, let me," he murmurs in a daze when they go to wash their own hair. Instead, he reaches over his head until he finds their hair, massaging the shampoo in. They then use a cup to rinse the shampoo out of both of their hair, it being significantly easier with Tyler due to the length of his hair.

"This may sting a bit," they warn before washing their seed out of him, the boy hissing as the hot water follows their fingers.

"Such a good boy for me," they coo as they take the boy back into their arms and stand, getting out of the tub. They dry him off as much as they can like this before setting him down and helping him into a robe. His knees quake slightly as he stands on his own, muscles still worn out from their activities the night before. As satisfying as it knowing that they did this to him, they quickly help him to the bay window bed, not wanting to ruin all their efforts by putting him back in his dirty sheets. He blinks at them slowly, as if nothing is really registering with him. They hope that he'll sleep some more while they get a few things taken care of. He's a sight, curling up on the window seat, the sun turning his hair and stubble into gold. He's the polar opposite of them, especially when they're in this form. They dress in some of Tyler's loosest clothes before using the Identity key to change their appearance into him. They gather his sheets and pillow cases before heading downstairs to the laundry area. They manage to get the washer going when they are discovered in the kitchen.

"Hey, you're gonna be late for school," the mother, Nina, chides as she catches sight of "Tyler". It occurs to them quickly that the woman, the adult, has no clue that anything happened the night before, let alone involving life, death, and magic. She looks concerned, but they don't why.

"If it's okay with you, Mom, I think I'd just like to skip today. I didn't sleep very well last night," they make up on the spot, trying their best to talk like the real Tyler. And to be fair, Tyler was in no shape to go anywhere today, let alone school. They knew how miserable the place made him, it was one of their conversation topics when they were sharing a bottle of whiskey.

"Well, okay," she concedes, worried features softening with affection, "But don't let it happen again! Kinsey and Bode have already left for school, and I'll be gone all day helping with the search for Ellie. I'm worried about her, what could've happen for her to leave Rufus behind like this?"

"Mom, it's okay. I'm sure nothing bad happened, she'll turn up soon," they soothed as Tyler, though they knew there was no way that Ellie would be returning anytime soon or at all.

"Breakfast is on the counter if you want anything, I'll see you later," she rushes out as she gathers up her coat and purse, pausing to give them a peck on the cheek.

"See ya," they weakly call out as the door closes behind the whirlwind of a woman. Interest peaked, they head over to the counter to investigate the culinary options for them to consume.

After seeing the poor excuse for breakfast that was on the counter, some overcooked scrambled eggs and soggy toast, they decided to treat themselves to a better meal. And if it happened that serving Tyler breakfast in bed gained them some ground, that was just an accident. They totally didn't have some desperate and pathetic plan of courting the boy to try and win him over. They used the Anywhere key to go to their favorite diner, the first one they visited after being freed from the Well house, ordering themselves a huge spread to go. When they pick up the order and sneak out using the key, they arrive back at Key house. They pour themselves a glass of juice before deciding to pour another for Tyler, grabbing two forks and heading upstairs. Tyler was still on the window seat, now with earbuds in and his phone in hand. He must've caught their movement as they entered the room, as he turned to them quickly, something like confusion mixed with disgust on his face.

"What's that? Why do you look like me?" he ground out, clearly on guard around them now, all the afterglow gone. They can understand why seeing them in disguise as him would be concerning and upsetting.

"Relax. This is breakfast from the best diner in Massachusetts. And I can't exactly walk around looking like Dodge or Lucas, now can I?" they teased before using the Identity key to turn back into Lucas, "Now, pick your poison." They sat down on the opposite side of the seat as they began to pull out container after container of food, everything neatly labeled in the waitress's handwriting.

"Got any french toast in there?" he quietly asked, finally giving into temptation when he saw them begin to dig into a container of biscuits and gravy.

"Plain or stuffed?"

"Stuffed," he decided on. They set aside their food and searched through the containers, the stuffed french toast obviously being the last one they check in the bag. The corner of his mouth quirked up as if to smile, but he smothered his approval when they presented him with the container and a fork. They even nudged the extra juice his way when they saw him slowing down. They ate together in silence, but it wasn't awkward, just a bit tense. They finished off the biscuits and gravy before moving onto an omelet, Tyler setting aside the remains of his french toast in order to get some hash browns and bacon. It is only once the food is gone, and they're sitting there with no more distractions that things get awkward. They don't really have anything to say, and they don't really know what to talk about now while truly being themselves.

"What are you doing back here?" Tyler surprisingly breaks the silence, the question coming out suddenly like he'd been wanting to ask it since he woke up.

"Well, my previous plans have been put on hold, so I really don't have anything else I'd rather be doing. Or anyone else I'd rather be doing," they answer honestly, trying to lighten the mood with a jest, but it falls flat when the other flinches in response. They look out the window and wonder if he chose this room for a reason, if the view from here was anything special. They search, but there are no answers.

"I had to keep up my end of our deal," he asserts after a moment, and they don't really like what he's trying to say.

"And you have," they agreed before making eye contact with the other, "But that doesn't mean I'm done yet. I won't be satisfied until I've had everything you have to give."

"What about Jackie?" he asks petulantly, and they remember the girl from the party that had come storming up to him with murder in her eyes.

"The girl you skipped out on?" they ask harshly, cruelly, watching as the guilt settled on his face, "Well, unfortunately for you, I don't share. And you're mine, just take a look in the mirror." The words are possessive, venomous, ugly. This isn't how they wanted things to go, but they were approaching mania, the idea of losing the boy to another making them hunger for bloodshed, making them want to do something drastic. His eyes widened, something like fear passing through them at their words, at their snarl.

"You're a monster," he hisses, anger plain on his face. They take offense to his words. They strike, as quick as a snake, grabbing his chin harshly and pulling his face towards their's. He startles at the harsh treatment but doesn't dare try and fight back, knowing which of them had all the leverage.

"You knew who I was when you made the deal with me, when you let me fuck you," they say darkly. He looks as if their words slapped him, his offense being replaced by hate towards both them and himself. Tears of frustration filled his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. They wanted to make them go away, wanted to watch them fall, wanted to lick his tears from his cheeks. They let go of his face as if the touch had burned them.

"What else was I supposed to do, Lucas, let you kill my family?" he asked rhetorically, quickly retreating from the window seat and putting some distance between them, rubbing his sore jaw where they had grabbed him. They let him pace, the other throwing glares their way with every pass. And maybe they deserved it, his anger and hurt. They reclined on the now vacant window seat after throwing the empty breakfast containers back into the bag, watching him as a predator watches their prey. They saw the moment he finally caught sight of himself in a mirror, the way he froze mid-step as he took in the unmistakable bruises that would be impossible to cover up or hide. There was something like horror in his gaze, which then eventually turned into denial as he came to realize just how they had claimed him. He scratched at the hickeys as if that would do anything, only serving to aggravate his already raw skin. They sat up quickly, becoming concerned when he seemed intent on hurting himself.

"Don't be so melodramatic, come here," they urged gently, reaching out a hand towards the other. He looked at them with contempt and mistrust that faded slowly the longer they just sat there patiently, arm outstretched. When he tentatively placed a hand in their's, they used the opportunity to slowly pull him towards them, as if not to panic a spooked animal. They took his other hand as well, gently running a thumb over the back of his hand soothingly. They pulled him to stand between their legs, looking up at him to get a closer look.

"Did you hurt yourself?" they murmured, checking for any broken skin. He shook his head slightly, but they still reached up and trailed their fingers lightly over the bruised skin, getting a shiver in return. All the previous bitterness and cruelty had drained out of them as fast as it had come on, leaving only a dull hunger. They let go of him completely but he remained there, looking down on them thoughtfully, appraising them in some way.

"I know this isn't ideal for you, but it isn't exactly great for me either. I want you, yes. I want to devour you until there's nothing left, until I don't hunger anymore. But I also want you to want me too," they explained, finally answering his original question of why they were still here.

"And when you no longer hunger for me? What will you do then?" There was no feeling in his voice, to him it was just an honest question. But it wasn't something that they had even considered, had ever thought of as a possibility.

"You make me feel real, like I'm actually human. And that's something that I'll never stop hungering for, the ultimate thing that I can never have,"

"I thought you hated humans," he pointed out, making them pause for a moment to think of how to explain how they felt.

"I don't hate humans, per say. It's complicated, I can't really explain it as anything other than envy. All my power and strength, it makes me better than humans in some way, but it doesn't fill the void of just being an echo."

"And if I never want you?" he asked curiously, not meaning to be cruel, but the possibility scared them, the idea that they would never be satisfied in regards to Tyler.

"Then I'll have you anyway I can," they answered quietly, not meeting his eyes, unable to deal with whatever they would see in them at the admission.

"It won't count as me not upholding my end of the deal?"

"There are some things that I can't reasonably expect you to be able to just give me, some things I'll have to earn-" they are cut off when the boy sighs, reaching out to them to pull them forward gently until their head rested on his stomach. They don't really know what's going on, but they take the opportunity to wrap their arms around him as well, only loosely so that he could easily break their hold if he wanted to. There are fingers carding through their hair, the feeling relaxing them until they're putty in his hands.

"If it helps, you feel pretty real to me."