Almost as long as he could remember, Raha felt watched. Observed.
...stalked.
The strange part was, also as long, the sensation that for someone else would be scary or aggravating, for him was comforting. Perhaps because of it he never felt lonely.
He didn't have a memory of his parents, only a picture of the young couple who died in a car accident when he was one year old. According to the file about it, he was allowed to see after reaching maturity, an accident caused by a driver of a truck who fell asleep behind the steer and crashed into their car. And – what police were stunned by arriving at the scene – an accident he miraculously survived.
Now, at twenty-five, he sometimes wondered if that sensation of being watched had something to do with that. He wasn't religious, but he also couldn't deny that his circumstances were extremely far from normal. He knew for a fact that somewhere out there someone entranced by the idea of the paranormal had a field day studying thick files of his diverse track record in the system.
Finding by police a toddler on the side of the road in safe distance from the massacred car, was only the beginning of the puzzle that followed him across the years. The first couple who adopted him after that – he also had no memory of – in said file stated while returning him to foster care as the reason - the unease with his 'shade.' Not in so many words, but being older, Raha could honestly read between the lines and even understand it.
Following him trail of houses he more or less remembered across his childhood was filled with similar notes, after all. That he was antisocial, was the most popular and normal out of it. That he had a tendency to talk at shadows, freaking out his caregivers, was even more common.
Above all else, bad things happened whenever he was upset. And they didn't even know the half of it.
Raha smiled involuntarily, taking the last box out of his car. He put it on the concrete of the underground garage, then again checked the interior to make sure he didn't forget anything. Reassured, he closed the trunk, locked the car, and then picked up the box, and headed toward the elevator. Throughout, like always, he experienced that familiar ghostly sensation – and was completely unbothered by it. He pressed the button to call the cabin down, then braced the box against his left hip, and pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his jacket. He swiped the screen on, grimaced involuntarily at the time, and didn't bother looking up when the automatic door slid open. He stepped inside only with a glance toward the suspicious character leaning heavily against the corner – more than likely a drunk or high guy, quite a bit taller than him who eyed his box while Raha sighed and pressed the button corresponding with the floor of his new apartment. Then he went back to check his email and let his crimson eyes drag over the conditions of the lease, with premeditation turning his back to the temporary companion.
He didn't consider himself a bad person, but he also believed that what happened to people who sometimes attempted to threaten him was their fault. Sort of instant karma, too, and to think logically – as he liked – would it be someone else in his place...? More often than not, his 'shade' was doing the world a favor.
„I wouldn't if I were you," he said without looking up sensing a different kind of awareness behind him. His tone was bored at most, as it was neither first nor last time he issued the very same warning. Not that they ever listened, Raha smiled involuntarily at the sound of a resounding crack and only then he looked up and back. The expression of stunned horror on the man's dirty face was both familiar and funny a second before the broken body crumbled into a heap in the same corner – now its mirror surface decorated by the web of shattered glass. He shook his head and went back to reading the lease until the door dinged and slid open.
Raha put the phone in his pocket again, tossed the last look toward the corpse, and then stepped out of the elevator, heading toward the door at the end of the long corridor.
„I almost regret moving," he sighed dramatically under his nose, stopping beside them and pulling the magnetic card out of another pocket of his leather jacket. He pressed it against the lock and stepped inside when the automatic door slid open, soon putting the box beside a pile of others, leaving unpacking for another day. He took out the phone again, then hung the jacket by the door, and headed deeper into the apartment. A short corridor opened into a pretty spacious living room shared with a kitchen counter separated by the aisle. Floor-to-ceiling windows around it showed a pretty cool vista of the city's shimmering lights – still, despite it being well past midnight.
The apartment building was one of the newer and more expensive, and this apartment – pretty high up – corresponded with it. Still mostly empty, the only furniture in sight was a massive black sofa he soon dropped on, lying down after he kicked off his boots. He put his left hand behind his head and read a few other messages, deleted spam then put the phone screen down on the floor and crossed his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling above him.
„I like the silence," he commented toward the air, then sighed and closed his eyes. „They had to do some pretty impressive soundproofing, right? All I can hear is my heartbeat..." he grimaced and opened his eyes, then looked around. He closed them again, for a moment biting his lower lip at the emptiness surrounding his heart matching the interior. „I wish..." he breathed, despite knowing how hopeless and pointless it was. „...I knew what you are, my shadow. And why are you doing this? Not that I'm complaining, but..." he trailed off and sighed again, then shifted to the side, using his arms as a pillow while staring at the lights shimmering in the darkness.
He closed his eyes and smiled – grinned triumphantly really – when out of nowhere heavy, warm weight settled behind him and wrapped itself around his back. It felt male and one distinctively much bigger than him. Taught by experience, he didn't try to look, because if he as much as tried to open his eyes previous times it happened, he knew his 'shadow' would melt back into nonexistence. Instead, he focused all his other senses on the pressure of a taller, more muscular body. Hard in all the right places, and radiating heat like a furnace until he melted with happy little noise when something that felt like an arm wrapped around his shoulders. He still couldn't hear anything but the way his heart pounded, jumping in his throat. His hand slowly pulled back from under his cheek and gingerly brushed that limb, wrapping around it when it didn't pull back. It climbed until it reached hand, then his fingers shyly laced through man-like fingers but ones tipped by razor-sharp claws. „Thank you," he breathed, enjoying the heat before he drifted off to the only new sound – deep and raspy purring that vibrated against his back.
It wasn't the first – or likely last – time Raha started a day with a detective at his door. This one at least had the good sense to check his record beforehand as compared to his previous location. When he opened the door at dawn, yawning and running his fingers through his shoulder-length red hair, the slightly taller blonde woman in a long dark coat mostly stared. Between him as he leaned against the threshold and arched his eyebrows expectantly, and the screen of tablet in her hands – perhaps trying to connect his appearance to his story or similar nonsense.
They always do, he sighed internally, making an encouraging gesture with his free hand before crossing his arms over his chest.
„Ah," she finally caught up, cleared her throat, and attempted something she likely believed was her intimidating expression. Her green eyes narrowed when he smiled involuntarily. „Good morning, Mr. Redsun. My name is Clair Deveroix and I work for..."
„Mhmm," he sighed out loud now, rolling his eyes. „Can we, please, hurry it along? I didn't have coffee yet."
She blinked, stunned by his indifference, so maybe she wasn't as smart as he thought. Or – more likely – perhaps she was one of the skeptic ones, and that idea almost made him grimace. Instead, he smiled again, this time in a polite reassuring way, hoping that they avoid the fate of the last skeptic detective determined to solve a mystery of his shade.
„You're here about the body in the elevator, yes?" He asked wryly, then smirked. „I recommend watching the recording from the camera inside, Miss Deveroix. You'll see I never touched that man."
„I did watch it, sir," she replied, as her eyes gave him a completely flat once over. „And doing so I couldn't resist the thought that you didn't seem surprised, either. Or particularly caring that another person was murdered right beside you."
„Caring?" He snorted, then slowly shook his head. „Why should I care about an individual that – were I someone else – would try to rob or kill me, detective?"
„That doesn't explain..." she started and trailed off, flinching when the wall of windows in the corridor behind her gave a sound that made Raha's sensitive ears lay flat against his head. She turned and paled like a sheet at the sight of claw marks as they cut into the glass right behind her back. „What the...?!" she gawked, open-mouthed, when the noise ceased and her tablet dropped from her limp fingers.
„Last time I had this discussion, your predecessor had the bright idea to try to arrest me," Raha said, frowning as his eyes narrowed slightly toward the marked window over her shoulder. „I suppose it's your warning to be smarter," he added in a flat tone.
„So that's all..." he turned toward him, even paler as she swallowed convulsively and seemed torn between moving away from him and the idea of nearing the windows. „...true?"
„I need coffee for this," he muttered, then backed inside the apartment, motioning toward her to follow. „Please, come in. Just stay at least two steps away from me and you'll be perfectly safe, detective."
Before she made up her mind, he had a mug of steaming drink sitting on the opposite side of the wide aisle. He sipped his carefully, leaning back against the counter at an appreciative distance when she finally walked in, obviously nervous but too intrigued to leave. Raha smiled, motioning toward the mug with his chin and with hesitation but still she took that invitation. Pale and watching him warily as she climbed on the tall barstool and set her tablet on the aisle. She ignored the coffee, pushing the mug away from herself, then crossed her forearms on the surface before her and leaned on them.
„I was ten the first time it happened," he said softly, setting his mug on the counter beside his hip. He looked straight into her eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest again and shrugged helplessly. „Daddy of the new foster family I was sent to was a pedophile and made the mistake of going into my room at night. His wife knew but pretended not to see or hear anything. And there wasn't much left of both by dawn. He never got to touch me," he added when Clair opened her mouth and she snapped them close, only motioning to continue. „Next was an older boy at school when I was twelve. A bully who had some things to say about my eyes," he waved toward his face, then crossed his arms again. „He survived, with only a few bones broken – quite artistically if I can say so. The first girl I dated wasn't so lucky, though all was fine until she cheated. That was when police finally caught on and started tailing me, detective, predictably thinking I killed her and her side piece."
„Yet... You were never interrogated or arrested?" She asked, absentmindedly touching the screen of her tablet to turn it on. He wasn't surprised to see a miniature image of his face on it, and only shrugged again.
„I don't go anywhere I don't want to go, Miss Deveroix," he remarked coldly. „I don't get touched if I don't want to be touched, and I answer only the questions I wish to answer. I learned that trying to accommodate others tends to have tragic consequences – for them. Making me uncomfortable, upset, or anxious – as I'm certain stands somewhere in that file – can be lethal. And – opposite to what your predecessors sometimes thought – no, I don't control it. I don't know what it is or why it picked me, or how it works. I can touch it only when it lets me, it provides for me anything I might want and it protects me – to extremes."
„But... why?" She asked, getting paler than snow when he shrugged. „I mean, why here?"
„I have to live somewhere," Raha deadpanned with another shrug and frowned darkly. „In our previous location, your counterpart refused to acknowledge the idea of a paranormal being standing behind the trail of bodies that tends to follow me. Not that I blamed him, but I thought it prudent to leave before his prodding grew... aggravating."
She sat there for a moment, immobile with skepticism written all over her face and Raha smiled wryly, picking up his coffee again.
„You can try to arrest me and see what happens," he said, sipping his drink and then holding the mug between both hands arched his eyebrows expectantly. „I honestly don't care, detective, if I would dislike being forced into calling a cleaning crew on my first day here."
„Is that a threat?" her back snapped straight and green eyes narrowed while his red rolled as he sighed.
„It's a statement of a fact, Miss Deveroix," he drawled. „My shadow never leaves me and the first time a cop tried to cuff me, every bone in both of his arms was broken in two. In an instant. Getting in arms reach of me with unpleasant intentions turns quite spectacularly deadly. I was desensitized to it by sixteen, okay?"
Clair mulled it over, then exhaled deeply and pulled back that mug, staring into it as she spoke up next.
„...don't you want to know what it is?" She asked. „Or how to get rid of...?"
„Pff," he snorted in his drink, then chuckled sheepishly, wiping his mouth as he set the cup aside. „Don't be ridiculous... Sorry," he sighed and shook his head when she looked up sharply. „You can't imagine how many times I had this conversation already, detective. No," he said firmly, crossing his arms again. „Would I like to know what it is and why it attached itself to me? Yes, I would love to. Would I want it gone? No," he replied slowly and shook his head again when an incredulous expression filled her features. „It was with me as long as I can remember, detective. It gives me freedom that very few people can claim. It protects me from all harm. He is my friend, confidante..." And more, if he only weren't so skittish.
„...he?" She repeated and her eyes narrowed intently. „You kept calling it 'it' till now and now it's a 'he'?"
He cursed the way his face heated as he looked away and cleared his throat awkwardly.
„And you said it 'let's' you touch it," she continued and he cringed, swearing in thought at his big mouth – especially when his face grew hotter. „Do you... Are you in a sexual relationship with it?" she snapped and it was his turn to toss her an incredulous glare.
„No," he replied clearly. I wish, he added only in thought. „I only know it's... He's a male and a big one... but it's a new development," he admitted reluctantly, beginning his stupid blush to go away and even dumber tail to stop flicking with enthusiasm.
„New...?" Clair muttered under her breath, watching him, while Raha tightened his jaw and looked away. He did not plan to tell her – or anyone else for that matter – that only lately his shadow would sometimes accommodate his craving for physical comfort. „Mister...?"
„We're done," he announced and sent her a hard stare. „You're free to think or do whatever you want, detective, as long as you do it away from here. I have plans, so..." he lied, then motioned toward the corridor and exit, putting his mug in the sink before going around the aisle and heading toward the still-empty bedroom to take a shower before heading out to order missing furniture. „Have a good day," he tossed over his shoulder, hearing the shriek of the barstool over the tiles.
„Wait, Mister..." she started but he ignored her and snapped the door of the bedroom behind him, hoping – for her sake – she was clever enough to be gone by the time he was out of the shower.
She was and the rest of the day was pretty uneventful. Raha spent a few hours picking furniture he liked plus any necessary electronics and gadgets. He never really needed to worry about money, the same way he wasn't concerned about his safety. Sure, he was stunned – at first – when the day of his eighteen birthday he woke up to a bank card – in his name – lying beside his head on the pillow. Checking it out of nothing but curiosity, he learned that it was perfectly legit – including the signatures he never gave – and the sum on the connected account looked incredulously long.
It was a relief, considering the same day he was required to leave the latest foster home and system in general. He didn't mind that – tired of people watching him warily and more often than not suspiciously.
Anyway, he was careful with his spending at first, until he realized that no matter how much he did spent, that number on his account never changed. Or rather, it was topped right back to the same amount the same day – from a source said bank and its employees were unable to track or explain. He asked, but they seemed as stunned – if definitely, the director he was brought to didn't mind that anomaly. He could only guess the institution was getting a hefty sum alongside that situation so they did try to investigate it only when he sternly requested that.
Raha moved often, which wasn't much change from his experience in the system. He had a few friends, but only online and he never motioned to them his unique situation. It's not like it was a secret, considering he did amuse himself on occasion reading articles written about him – but all things considered, they did have the good sense to never mention his credentials. A few months back he even watched a documentary about his case – a study attempting to explain following him phenomenon – and after that, he started to wonder if perhaps their idea wasn't far off.
...which seemed confirmed when the very same night was the first time his shadow grew to do more than watch and protect.
Raha sighed, setting aside the box with takeout, and sitting deeper on the sofa, he reached for the remote of the new TV. He turned it on and instantly switched it to Netflix, put in his e-mail and password, then logged in. The same documentary was on his list, so he put it on then skipped to the conclusion he had pretty much memorized by now.
„...after a prolonged study of all available material," the voice of the narrator sounded from the device, echoing about the still mostly empty room. „Our conclusion would be that subject A experiences a very curious case of demonic possession. Across a multitude of stories about it in various religions, his history seems quite distinctive. His 'shadow' as he describes it since it manifested in the first gruesome murder it committed, seems very determined to guard its host. Suggestions that it could be an alter ego of the subject – something like the nasty case of Jekyll and Hyde – were, however, debunked by the multiple recordings of him being perfectly aware during attacks. In the earlier ones – where he was recorded attempting to either reason or stop the 'shadow' – it's easy to see he's a rational individual but doesn't have sway over that manifestation whenever it concerns his safety. According to witnesses, subject A fully cooperated with scientists attempting to resolve the mystery, but to no avail. All information about the creature achieved during that study suggested it was supernaturally strong, impervious to damage, soundless, and invisible – if claw marks it left as a way of a warning made them conclude it could be at least mostly humanoid. And while the study was stopped once subject A resigned, our team summed up its results as a possession..."
He muted the TV and tossed the remote in the corner of the sofa before leaning back against the backrest and closing his eyes.
„Is that it, shade?" He asked wryly. „Are you a demon?"
Then his breath caught when something warm, slick, and of a texture of his tongue slid over his cheek. He shut his eyes tighter, then opened his mouth with a gasp and turned his head toward it. His whole goddamn body vibrated with nagging – pleading – purring when a big clawed hand wrapped around his jaw, making him climb up to the seat until the back of his head rested over the top of the wide backrest. Then the pull stopped and all froze – Raha didn't even dare to breathe, listening only to his wild heartbeat – before the darkness under his eyelids exploded into a storm of colors when something that felt very much like a mouth covered his own and that sandpaper tongue swiped against his own.
He whined at the taste, digging his fingers in the leather of the seat around his hips as he arched his back to follow the pressure of the kiss. Mostly because the flavor that invaded his mouth was divine – like chocolate, liquor, and pure aphrodisiac rolled into the definition of addiction. He felt drugged when fangs – as sharp as those claws resting over his cheek – nicked his lower lip but the spike of pain shot his arousal to a wholly new level, by proving he wasn't dreaming this time. It also felt like a sizzle of electricity that nearly made his whole body shaky and weak. Venom?
Dizzy and breathless when pleased rumble filled his mouth, Raha put up no resistance – why would he when all his senses drowned in a most divine high? – letting himself be arranged along the seat. He only grinned drunkenly when his clothes were carefully cut by those claws. And, fuck, he wanted – no, craved – to open his eyes and see when heavy, overheated weight pinned him down. Still, he didn't dare, only shyly pushing his shaky hands up the muscular arms braced around his sides. Up and over wide shoulders when that sandpaper tongue made his head turn with a long lick over his throat. When a knee pressed up against his inner thigh, he obediently spread his legs and simultaneously gasped with wonder when his nervous fingers found the base of wings.
A growl – loud and inhumane – made him freeze, panting nervously but when he tried to pull his hands back, honestly fucking terrified that would make him pull back and never let him touch again... The sound changed into that noisy, raspy purring, and his 'shadow' pressed closer, full-body rubbing against him. Making his fingers again brush nervously that new discovery that felt covered in smooth and leather-like scales.
„You are," he breathed, honestly fucking stunned that he didn't figure it out earlier.
Then he lost it when without any warning other than that raspy purring getting louder, those seemingly venomous fangs sank in his shoulder. He might have screamed – he didn't know or cared – because the moment later his very being sizzled with that god-tier pleasure and he passed out. He had to, at least for a moment, because before his brain reconnected with awareness again, he was lying face-first on the sofa. And perhaps he would be tempted to believe it was an especially vivid fantasy if his overstimulated senses didn't sizzle again with a hard bite – on the same spot – at the same time as those clawed hands locked around his hips and pulled him back to his knees – hard – and this time he did hear his yowl when his shadow took him.
Why doesn't it hurt...? Was his only clear thought when something hard and scalding pushed inside him with shocking ease. He had sex – casual few times and with both men and women – but this felt like nothing he could find a comparison to. Especially when a long, scaly tail wrapped around his abdomen, side and back to end in a collar around his throat and Raha choked on a breathy moan, hanging his head as he lifted on his trembling arms. A resounding purr sounded like a reward that made him shudder when his tail somewhat nervously wrapped around his lover's hips.
He felt so stuffed he could barely breathe, only daring to peek through his lashes left when something scratched the edge of the sofa. The reality of the leathery wing didn't have the time to sink in before the tip of the tail tightened around his throat slightly and then the male pulled back, purring like a raspy chainsaw against his shoulder when he whimpered at the dizzying sensation. Then he arched with another harsh stroke, whining desperately when his shadow ground into him. His body caved into the stimulation before he realized he was coming, whimpering and gasping until his senses fizzled out again.
Nothing about this feels normal, was his first thought when he regained consciousness again – if it didn't last more than a minute or two before another unnaturally strong orgasm took it before he could even realize the press of the sofa's leather against his damp cheek. Again and again, he came to just to pass out in an overload of pleasure – completely overcharged and simultaneously numb.
Finally, he came to his senses pinned down, with sandpaper tongue lapping on his shoulder lazily – that purring deafening – and still feeling quite literally stuffed beyond anything natural. His whole body shook and throbbed, his every muscle trembled despite dizzying high and heat. His lover's body covered him completely – immobile – while his dick felt off – thicker than before and nearly... anchored?
What the...?! He blinked rapidly, trying to focus his scattered senses, and involuntarily again he wondered if it wasn't a fantasy. His insides buzzed and blood rushed as if it couldn't decide where to go, putting ringing between his ears and making thinking impossible. Then, perhaps realizing he was aware again, the male climbed off his back, making Raha moan brokenly as he was pulled along to his knees still with that thick, scaly tail wrapped around his upper body like a very deliberate leash. The back of his head fell limply to a broad shoulder, and he blinked slowly toward the ceiling when both pairs of arms and leathery wings wrapped around him into a pitch-black cocoon.
„Mine," purred right in his ear as the clawed hand with matching the deep hissing voice possession wrapped over his abdomen. And Raha froze, honestly fucking freaking out internally, groaning despite the completely raw and sore throat when that made that scorching hot spear inside him lock. And his back arched by itself as inhumanely high noise climbed out of his throat with the spill of something far too fucking hot to be cum. „...mate..." tore through the bearings between his ears, on repeat – in and out – while that hand massaged his skin, keeping him still at the same during the mind-numbing onslaught.
He lost consciousness again, or at least that was his conclusion when he woke up an unknown time later, again face-first on the sofa and seemingly alone. Even that sensation of being watched was gone when he blinked slowly, then narrowed his eyes against the glare of sunlight behind the windows.
Raha felt too sore to move if he still had to wonder what the fuck was that – precisely – when he finally managed to climb to all fours. Numbly looking down at himself, the 'dream' option felt less likely with torn remains of his clothes covering the surface of the sofa. Not to mention that he was caked in dry cum, and covered by scratch marks. Shallow but throbbing surprisingly pleasantly. He heaved to his knees wobbly and turned his head trying to focus his eyes on the biggest source of that sensation. His fingertips gingerly brushed the skin – raised and thick scar now in the distinctive shape of a bite mark. He exhaled deeply if shakily, then blinked slowly and looked down, staring more than a little incredulously at his dick – for which that barest touch was enough to swell.
...then he blinked rapidly again and gingerly touched his abdomen, and his eyes widened like saucers when at the touch something inside him moved.
„...the fuck?!" he gasped, barely recognizing his voice it was so raw, then more fell than stood off the couch. Stumbling on trembling legs and slowly, he headed toward the bathroom and froze at the threshold of the bedroom when – by sensation alone – his shade returned. He closed his eyes and took a deep gulp of steadying breath, then exhaled deeply. „What... What did you do to me? I know I didn't dream it up, my shade."
„Mate," clawed hand almost tenderly swiped down his back then stayed after moving around his hip to splay over his abdomen as he was tugged back against the hard body. He took another breath – deeper – then finally dared to look over his shoulder. A wide and fanged grin answered his gasp of surprise when Raha's jaw dropped. Set in an inhumanly beautiful face alongside similar to his feline but pale blue eyes. Surrounded by longish dark hair topped with as cat-like ears as his own, but that's where their similarities ended. Humanoid, yes, and as tall and muscular as he guessed. Claws as sharp and black as talons, in combination with those massive leathery wings and tail that was very far from being feline. Covered in those delicate scales that felt like silk when it wrapped around him into a leash pulling him back tight against his shadow's front. „Mine," he was told with another possessive rub over his abdomen and Raha's mouth snapped open and closed a few times without sound as the most incredulous thought formed in the back of his head. Especially when that sensation of something moving inside him repeated and his tall shadow purred like a fucking chainsaw, nuzzling against his scarred shoulder happily.
„What..." he cleared his throat and tried again. „What are you?"
„Mate," he repeated with something that sounded like a hoarse chuckle, while those bat-like wings wrapped around him and he lost track of thought at the mind-numbingly sweet scent reminiscent of apple and scorching heat that surrounded him. Then he arched his back and moaned through his teeth when shadow bit his shoulder, purring louder when his hand automatically shot up and tangled in the dark hair at the back of his lover's head. Pulling him closer instead of pushing as his senses drowned in the sizzle of instant high.
„...gods..." he groaned loudly, shaking all over by the time the male pulled back and then licked his skin. Numbly looking sideways he didn't have enough sanity to care when the wound closed before his eyes. He sagged in the overheated cocoon, only blinking lazily as he was picked up and carried right back to the sofa. Before his brain reconnected, he was flat on his back, with his shadow almost dutifully licking any leftover scratches. Then he could only blink toward the ceiling in a daze while the apparent demon settled down into nuzzling against his abdomen which made that ridiculous idea somewhat more nagging.
„Why me?" it wasn't what he intended to ask when he tangled his fingers in the dark hair again and pulled. Those pale eyes reluctantly rose toward him with a delicate – warning – growl and Raha frowned, narrowing his eyes. Surprisingly, the demon caved – almost whining apologetically as he climbed up his body and nuzzled against his shoulder.
„Mine," he heard and frowned deeper.
„I set myself up with this one, hm?" He sighed and shook his head when his shadow looked up. „Are those the only words you know? 'Mate' and 'mine'?"
He lifted on his elbows, forcing the demon slightly back.
„Now I feel stupid for talking at you if you couldn't understand," he muttered, wincing while his shadow blinked slowly and cocked his head. „Can you? Understand?"
Raha almost fell back when the male narrowed his pale eyes slightly and then deliberately nodded.
„So speaking is the issue?" He asked incredulously and was answered with another nod. „How does that even...?" He trailed off and sighed, then shook his head, nudging his shadow back into sitting as he pulled back and curled against the corner of the sofa. He narrowed his eyes at the male intently, mulling it over before he asked another question. „So... you were protecting me?" another nod, brisk and followed by an almost funny wave of that long tail. „Why... Damn. How do I even...? Do you have a name?"
„Sssenri," the creature answered eagerly, touching his chest, before gingerly brushing that clawed hand against Raha's knee. „Raha. Mate?" He frowned when the redhead flinched, pulling his legs tighter against his chest. „Mine," the shadow growled at him, and something vicious filled those pale eyes. Raha felt blood drain from his face and he curled in... and his demon jumped back, so fast it was a blur before Raha blinked rapidly and the male was on the other side of the room, watching him warily.
He opened his mouth, closed them then sighed heavily.
„Why... Are you scared of me?" He asked incredulously and blinked with surprise when the male nodded, then crouched, and wrapped his tail around his body, noticeably shivering. „Why... Why would you be scared of me?" He asked, running his fingers through his hair with frustration as he unfurled and put his feet on the ground.
„Mate," the shadow nearly barked, then growled under his breath and shook up his wings – as if equally frustrated by the apparent language barrier. Then he looked at him for a moment and shook his head before melting in the time air.
„Hey!" Raha snapped, looking around but the sensation of being watched disappeared as well. He pulled on his hair and growled a string of invectives under his breath, then flinched and nearly jumped at the thrilling sound of his ringtone. He blinked owlishly at the completely weird symbols on the screen when he picked the device from the table beside the sofa. Unsure, he frowned at it for a moment before he finally sighed and swiped the green symbol sideways before gingerly putting the device against his cheek. „...yes?"
Buzzing filled his head with the noise coming from the speaker that gradually turned into something he could understand.
„...ha Redsun?"
„Yes," he said, rubbing his ear as his vision cleared. „Who is this?" the voice sounded vaguely familiar, female, but he didn't recognize it.
„Ah... I'm Senri's friend," whomever it was chuckled when Raha gasped. „Nice to finally meet you, honestly. In a way at least. I've been handling your account, if you wondered about that."
„Who are you?" He asked incredulously.
„You can call me Alisaie," she replied cheerfully. „And you should be able to understand Senri now that I tuned your brain back to his frequency. Sorry, I can only imagine how confusing it had to be without it."
„I don't..." he started with frustration and trailed off when his shadow reappeared, sulking toward him in a previous spot. „Ah..."
„You're welcome!" he heard and the call was disconnected.
Raha pulled it away from his face and stared at it incredulously for a moment before he took a deep breath and put it back on the table. He looked at his shadow and opened his mouth, then closed them and cleared his throat.
„What... What the fuck is going on?!" he gasped, throwing his hands in the air.
„You're mine mate," his exasperated gaze snapped toward the male at the sound of the full sentence and Senri bared at him fangs in a humorless grimace. „Finally."
„...huh?" He muttered, frowning. „What... Who are you? And Why were you stalking me whole my life?"
„I'm Senri, your mate," his shadow scowled and sat back, fluttering his wings slightly as he crossed his legs and pouted. „You are like me. And we are Incubi."
„Huh?" He frowned and looked himself over before shaking his head. „Think you got something wrong, pal."
Another humorless fanged grin was his answer.
„We were born as set," the demon articulated carefully, putting his clawed hands together in front of his set. „All Incubi are, but you were stolen and tweaked. By magic. So... you look like they do," he waved at him and scowled deeper. „Fucking traitors."
„Who?" He frowned but Senri sighed and shook his head.
„People you thought were your parents," he answered and Raha blinked, opening his mouth. „They weren't. But by the time I found you, you were like... this. You couldn't see, hear, or feel my touch. So fucking long before it started to wear off," he pouted, dropping his hands in between his legs. „Can you imagine how lonely I was? Watching you grow as slowly as they do? Be as weak?"
„But... I thought...?" he stammered.
„I know what you thought," Senri chuckled, then curled in, wrapping his arms around his knees and pulling them against his chest. „I could understand you and I never left your side, Raha. Even for a moment... but it was painful. When you started to feel me, I thought we'd finally be together."
„...more than that?" he drawled wryly, flushing involuntarily as he pointed toward himself. „Last night... I mean..." he dropped his gaze, blushing hotter when the demon looked at him without understanding. „You..." he waved his hand, then touched his abdomen and curled his hands together in his lap.
„We mated," Senri stated very matter-of-fact and Raha froze, then looked up hesitantly when his face grew only hotter. The demon growled under his breath and then looked at him for a moment before finally making some sort of a decision. He crawled toward him a moment later and soon gingerly took hold of his hands, curling in until his cheek rested against the redhead's abdomen when he leaned back. „We're a set. I protect and you carry our young. At least inside you're not like them," he sagged, wrapping his arms around Raha's legs and purring noisily.
He blinked slowly then paled as Senri's meaning – and his earlier suspicions – sank in.
„The fuck?!" he screeched. „I can't... I'm a male!"
And he never saw a more hilariously deadpan expression on anyone's face than when Senri snorted and looked up.
„Incubi always are male," he stated as if it was obvious and Raha opened his mouth and then snapped them shut, trying to wrap his head around that.
And – honestly – he was completely and utterly failing.