Rooftop

Two Months Later


Ethan ran for his life.

Branches whipped at his face and he fought to quiet the thunderous gasps for breath as his legs pumped madly towards any kind of escape. The path was already lost, he'd gone off it some time ago, and now could only rely on the mountains in the distance for any semblance of location.

The spaces between the trees were growing smaller and Ethan knew he was far from the cabin. Though the air was chilly, sweat rolled down his temples and neck. He'd have to stop soon, but then he'd be giving up.

Ethan refused to give up.

A new burst of adrenaline had him sprinting faster, making his thighs and calves strain with the effort, and he caught sight of a small clearing up ahead. He'd have to cross it, but since there was no tree cover from the threat above, he'd need to take a moment to catch his breath for the race across the open field.

At a thick tree trunk, he came skidding to a halt, his shoes digging into the ground and scattering dead leaves and small rocks ahead of him. After a moment to catch his breath, he shifted his hips, completely aware of the oddness located in his backside.

Alright, he was ready to run, his breaths eased, and he stepped forward quickly before he could lose his nerve. As his hand left the tree, another hand crept over his and held it firm.

Whipping his head back, Ethan yelped as the hand covering his own tightened and enfolded his fingers, pulling his hand, and himself, away from the tree.

He looked back and glared behind him, but there was no one there. “Where...? Where are you?” Looking at the hand trapping his, he followed that black arm upwards to above his head. Fen was smiling down at him, his massive feet wrapped around a sturdy branch and holding him aloft.

{I have caught you, little deer.} The larger male leered, licking his lips suggestively.

“Oh no, I've been caught!” Ethan almost giggled, but he managed to keep a straight face. “What are you gonna do to me?”

His answer was to be turned and pushed chest-first against that nearby tree as rowdy hands pawed at his hips.

“Oh please, Sir, don't-” A giggle had him cutting off, but he thinned his lips again and made his eyes innocent. “Don't violate me! I'm just an innocent boy!”

Fen was chuckling lightly too, hands still roving and grabbing him. {An innocent? I think not. I think you are quite naughty. I think, you want this.}

Ethan's pants were shoved down to his ankles and a lusty gasping groan sounded from behind him. He smiled, knowing his efforts would be put to good use.

{My love...What is that?}

Ethan blushed hotly, panting slightly from the pleasure of having Fen see him like this. “It's a-” Another giggle made him stop, embarrassment warring with arousal, and he put his forehead to the tree bark, closing his eyes against the shame. “A...butt plug.”

Before this little cat-and-mouse game, Ethan had taken the time to stretch himself, lube up, and insert the medium sex toy into his ass, all because he knew that chasing tended to excite both him and Fen equally, and Ethan was sick of the waiting.

It had been quite embarrassing to get the little plug. Ethan had snuck into the nearby town, waiting til Fen was otherwise occupied, and he'd bought the plug from a discreet little sex shop, along with enough lube to last them a lifetime if Fen ever got tired of...slicking him up with his spit.

The only problem was that Ethan had forgotten to bring any extra cash, so he'd just used his bank card, which he always had with him.

{What does it do?} Fen asked in wonder, bringing Ethan back to the present, and careful fingers danced along his ass cheeks, lightly touching the rubber back of the plug.

It had him arching and grasping at the bark, moaning softly. “It...It stretches me, and makes me...Ahh! Makes me...r-ready for you.” He tilted his hips back and up, offering himself. “I'm wet already too, so you don't have to wait.” Glancing coyly out the corner of one eye, he licked his lips. “Please...fuck me?”

A harsh moan of approval was his only answer, and the hands on his ass left, only to return and grasp the plug, gently pulling it out.

“Ohhhh...god...” It felt so good, pulling on all his best muscles and making him whimper ecstatically. Some of the extra lube that had been trapped by the plug dripped out of him, down his balls and he wiggled uncomfortably at the sensation. He still didn't like that feeling. It was the things going in that he liked.

Answering his silent need, Fen was lining up behind him, aiming for the tight ring of his ass and then sliding in, so so easily. Like Ethan had been made for him.

“Oh, ugghhhn! Yeah, sooo good...Fen...”

Two hands settled on waist, sliding down and cupping the front ridges of his hip bones and pulling him back as Fen thrust forward.

“Uhhhah god!” Ethan cried, shoving his hips back even as Fen pulled back to thrust forward again. “Yes, like that!”

One of the hands cupping his hip bones trailed up towards his chest and a lone finger circled his nipple, rubbing lightly and brushing against the erect bud as Fen settled into a deep and quick rhythm, leaving Ethan absolutely breathless.

It was times likes this, when they were having sex with such abandon, that Ethan treasured most. Out in the middle of the woods, only half undressed and Fen already running around naked like a child, and both of them so hungry for each other, that even the ever-present sounds of the birds faded out.

Tilting his head back to the side, Ethan parted his lips and waited. In seconds, Fen's mouth was covering his own, tongue delving in possessively and claiming his own. The angle was odd, and more spit ended up outside their mouths than in, but it was still hot, and Ethan moaned again, after a particularly deep thrust.

He got one sharp twist of his thoroughly teased nipple, then that hand slipped down again, but instead of going to his hip again, it descended on his cock, fingers encircling it and pumping a few times. Ethan was leaking profusely, his precum spilling down the sides of his cock and making Fen's hand slide easier.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Ethan chanted, mouth breaking away and hips thrusting back in time with Fen's forward movements. “Oh god, I'm gonna cum!” Even as he warned, Fen squeezed him once, then pushed particularly hard, striking his swollen prostate roughly. It sent him over the edge, and he shuddered on a moan, spurting thickly onto the tree in front of him and Fen's fingers.

As if waiting for Ethan to finish, Fen immediately tensed up behind him, panting hoarsely and releasing inside Ethan and making him twitch from the heat of it. His body shuddered and leaned up against Ethan's back, petting his sides lovingly.

“God, that was good.” Ethan panted, not able to let go of the tree just yet. Fen groaned in agreement by his ear, and then carefully eased out of him, making Ethan hiss slightly as he felt Fen's seed drip out of him. Then he straightened up and allowed himself to lean back into Fen's waiting arms. “And I'm exhausted.”

{You?} Fen laughed, hooking one arm beneath Ethan's knees and picking him up, pants still around his ankles. {I am the one who did all the work. All you had to do was stand there!}

“No, I mean from the running and hiding. Carry me home?”

They were already moving. {I intended on doing that regardless. Rest, and I will take us home, where we can nap.}


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


For the second time that day, Ethan woke. The room was beginning to darken as the afternoon grew old, and he sat up, stretching. It was so peaceful here. So tranquil and quiet and...

Silent?

What had happened to the birds?

No matter what time of day it was, there were always the sounds of birds. Sweetly chirping and serenading him and his mate as they relaxed in their home. But at the moment, Ethan could hear nothing.

He frowned. Maybe there were hunters in the area? Not often, but at least once, there had been hunters nearby and Ethan had awoken from one of his afternoon naps to the sounds of gunfire. He'd had a panic attack at the bellowing of those weapons, but Fen had been nearby and had held him until he'd calmed. Then, Fen had gone off to, as he put it, 'take care of it'. When he'd returned an hour later, he'd been giddy and laughing. Ethan had been able to gather that Fen had had some fun with the hunters, playing tricks on them and setting off their traps to mess with their minds.

Ethan had approved. Very much.

“Fen?” He called, stepping onto the floor and shivering at the feel of the cold wood. They definitely needed some wall-to-wall carpets. When Fen was around, Ethan didn't really feel the cold, which he didn't quite understand why, but he didn't complain. It was when Fen wasn't around that he could feel every bite of that chilly April weather.

He shivered again and picked his jeans up off the floor, sliding them up his legs and also grabbing a thick sweatshirt to wear as well. As he walked to the door, he slipped his feet into a pair of thick boots, grabbing a light jacket. The hallway was empty and so was the kitchen and living room. The silence was so heavy, Ethan felt the air on his arms sticking up, goosebumps making him shiver.

He wasn't afraid though. If anything were wrong, Fen would be there for him.

The front door was ajar, and Ethan shook his head, stepping outside and closing it behind him. Fen was so forgetful sometimes. He'd left the door open on more than one occasion. Sure, it wasn't that chilly outside, thanks to the bright sun, but it was growing late and would only get colder as the sun waned. Ethan didn't want to wake up with frost-bitten toes in the middle of the night.

The front yard was void of Fen as well, and the birds still weren't singing. A small prickle of worry wormed it's way into his head, which he didn't like, since Fen wouldn't just take off. Sometimes his insecurities really pissed him off. Fen wasn't going anywhere, Fen wouldn't get hurt. Accidents happened, yes, but Fen was strong and sure and smart. And they were alone. There were no threats out here in the middle of nowhere.

He grabbed a small machete from beside the door and walked towards the main path, holding the large knife in front of him in case he came across any wayward branches or brush. It was pretty clear because they always took walks here, to the meadow and the small river about 20 minutes away. Once it was warmer, Ethan hoped to go swimming in it.

“Fen?” He called calmly, wrinkling his brow when there was no answer. Maybe his mate was asleep somewhere? Hanging out in trees again? That made Ethan smile. Fen was truly a tree-lover. He'd perch in trees, climb, jump from one to the next, like a child playing with no cares in the world. To see Fen so carefree made Ethan's heart lighter and each loving laugh he had, another piece of himself fixed itself.

Perhaps, if his parent's and brother had never been killed, then this is who he would have become? He was more serious, more mature than he'd have been without the deaths. But, this maturity and self-realization of identity was...him. He felt like he was almost completely healed.

Sometimes he still had nightmares, but they weren't violent or pain-filled. They merely filled him with sorrow and he often woke already sobbing. But Fen held him til it subsided, and sometimes, his arms would tighten in silent question.

Ethan always said yes. He couldn't deny Fen. He didn't want to. It always felt so good, so right, and his body-

Something cracked to his left, and he didn't even finish turning his head before pain exploded in his temple and everything went black.


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Voices.

Voices?

What...were they...saying?

Something...throbbing in his head, something...pounding and pulsing. And wet, dripping down the side of his face, but...already drying.

Ethan groaned as his eyes protested being opened, and the voices abruptly stopped.

{Ethan?! Are you alright?!} A nearly frantic voice asked, desperation thick in the words.

Fen...was talking? No...that was in his head...but his head hurt so much and the words hurt too now...

{Ethan! Run! Get away! Quick! Go!}

Ethan felt his body jerk, but he stubbornly fought it. Who was Fen to tell him what to do? Though, it was very hard to fight those demanding strings, and he lifted onto his feet like a puppet.

A sudden growl sounded and then there was a loud crack, and Fen suddenly screamed, deep and pained. Ethan felt the string cut, and he dropped back to the ground limply, knocking his head against the hardness of the dirt.

Those screams continued, and Ethan felt his heart lurch in sympathy, enough so to open his eyes slightly. Fen was in front of him, bound at the wrists and leaning on them in front of him. He was on his knees and his head hung forward, hidden by the ragged curtain of thick black hair.

There was talking from near him, and Ethan raised his line of sight to see someone standing behind Fen, holding one of his wings in two hands, and it was broken. Ethan could see bone sticking out and the wing was at a not right angle. Fen was hurt.

Fen was hurt!

Ethan struggled to get up, but he was so dizzy, and the world spun, but he managed to get into his knees, like Fen, and he tried to crawl over.

Another voice, nasally and speaking words Ethan couldn't understand, spoke then. It sounded surprised, and Ethan glanced up to see Fen standing over him. A white Fen. With short white hair and black eyes, and dressed in gray clothing. It looked like some sort of uniform and there were medals and tassels adorning white-Fen's jacket.

“Fen?” Why was Fen white? And wearing those strange clothes? Ethan had never seen him in anything other than a loincloth or towel as his original self.

Then white-Fen kicked him in the stomach.

{Ethan!}

His abdomen was in agony and he fell to his side, eyes automatically spinning up to see who had called him. Oh, it was Fen. Fen...not white. After one painful deep breath, he turned back to the Fen who had kicked him.

They were different. Two Fens. One on his knees with a broken wing, and the other standing above him...in different colors and not right hair. And different eyes...

Oh fuck! These must be the people chasing Fen! They'd been caught!

He struggled again, but white-Fen laughed in amusement, speaking something in Fen's language, and then Ethan was being picked up, and made to stand on his feet, even as his stomach muscles clenched painfully.

White-Fen smirked at him, one hand moving to grip his neck. Then he switched his gaze to behind Ethan's head and said something, a question, perhaps to Fen, and Ethan tensed cautiously. Those horrible black eyes turned back to him, and narrowed. The hand on his throat tightened.

{Ethan-} Rang out the urgent voice of Fen in his head. {I am sorry.}

Ethan didn't even have time to wonder for what, because then his body was locking up again as his own control left him. He watched as his arm shot up and caught white-Fen right under the jaw, whipping the stranger's head back violently and sending him flying. There was a crack in his wrist from the force of it.

His neck was released and he jumped back, not of his own volition. Then, he spun and kicked out at a brown-Fen who had been behind him. His heel connected with groin, and the winged stranger went down with a high-pitched groan, hands covering his struck genitals.

Ethan saw another of Fen's kind coming at him, also brown and wearing those odd clothes. The only difference was that there weren't any adornments, no medals or tassels. He turned then, his legs making him run away from that winged male, and Ethan tried as hard as he could to turn himself back and get to Fen, but he couldn't fight the power making him flee.

A thick meaty arm came flying sideways into his line of vision and then grabbed his face, yanking him back even as his legs kept running. There was a nervous gasp behind him, and Ethan was spun around and pushed back towards where the white-Fen was sitting on the ground and rubbing his jaw. A look to Fen showed his mate to be staring at him, anger in those normally docile eyes.

The rage there was suddenly coursing through Ethan's body and he opened his teeth, suddenly biting down hard into the arm near his mouth. Blood exploded into his mouth and he gagged, spilling it down his chin as a sharp yelp sounded and the arm fought to shove him away.

But his jaw wouldn't release and then Ethan was reaching back and he couldn't even feel or see what he was doing, but his hands gripped something and jerked it to the side, and there was a snap.

The male holding him went limp and dropped to the ground, his body jerking and then stilling.

It took Ethan a second to realize what he'd just been made to do.

He'd snapped the stranger's neck.

{Ethan! Run!} Fen was suddenly standing at his side, his broken wing sticking out at an odd angle, and shoving him towards the cover of the forest.

They knew these woods well, like the back of their hands.

But Ethan wasn't even paying attention, and Fen corralled them into the thick tree line. A furious snarl sounded behind them, and two voices started calling them.

But they kept running, Fen bound and bleeding, Ethan covered in blood all down his front and his eyes unseeing where they were going.

Then, Fen almost tripped him, and they were tumbling into a hole. It was a hollow space between a large boulder and a grouping of several small trees.

Ethan's body shook as he fought to catch his breath. While fighting, he'd felt nothing. But now, with his control returning, he was positive he had several broken fingers, and most likely a sprained ankle. The muscles of his calves and forearms felt like they were torn, but all he could focus on was the fact that he'd killed a man. Well, a Luftleutian man. The pain disappeared as he centered on that one pivotal realization. He felt sick.

Never in his life had he ever wanted to kill. Not even when he'd been in foster care. Not even those boys who'd...

He was covered in blood. His own and the blood of that man. The taste of it was on his tongue too. In his mouth, coppery and bitter, and a wave of nausea rose up in him, making him tilt to the side as he dry heaved. Nothing would come up.

Beside him, Fen was fumbling with his binds, trying to break free, but it was apparently useless, and Fen huffed in horrified frustration. Then he turned to Ethan, his eyes wild and cloudy. {Ethan, you must Bond with me. You must do what I did to you on the roof. If you do not, then those men will kill you without realizing that we have a partial bond already. There is no scent or anything that would tell them otherwise. We are doomed if you do not bite me.}

Kill...them? Ethan's head felt thick, like it were full of molasses and Fen's words didn't make sense. “They'll...kill us? But...”

{Ethan!} Fen huffed fiercely, kneeling closer and doing something with his bound hands. {There is no time left! If you do not bite me, we will die!} He offered up his wrists then, and Ethan saw he had cut his wrist, just a prick, but the sight had Ethan sobering.

Bad memories. Confused, he shook his head. “I don't have to...bite your...butt?”

Fen half-laughed, but it was choked. {No. Anywhere is fine, as long as the blood is imbibed.}

That made sense, but then why...? He frowned. “Why did you bite my ass, then?” He asked, slightly angry that he'd been bitten in a very tender area.

Fen snorted and silver eyes glanced worriedly around them before returning to Ethan. {I bit you there because I figured, had things not all gone to shit so suddenly, you would have preferred the mark somewhere others could not see it. Somewhere private. Please,} Imploringly, he offered his bleeding wrist again. {Hurry.}

“Well, why couldn't you just have bitten me somewhere not as sensitive to pain? Why not-”

{Ethan, for fucks sake! Just bite me!} That punctured wound was jutted forward, to Ethan's lips, and he automatically closed his lips around it.

It was hot, and salty, and then, it was burning.

His teeth tightened unwillingly and he grabbed at Fen's arm, yanking it close and swallowing the tang of life fluid that spilled into his mouth like a molten river. At once, his body began to hum, like it were made of millions of insects, crawling and biting and infesting him, and he whimpered even though his hands wouldn't let Fen's arm go.

The forest around them grew silent as his ears stopped working and his vision intensified. Everything got brighter and though he wanted to close his eyes, they would not listen, and he screamed silently as something quaked inside of him.

All he could hear was the pounding of his heart, and then...that stopped too.

The whiteness of his vision turned silver, and then black.

But in a millisecond, all of it was rushing back, flooding him with the ultra-loud shrieks of the birds and the too vivid colors of the sunset. Even as he pried his teeth off of Fen's wound in horror, he wanted to return, but the pain stopped him.

The forgotten bruises and broken bones in his body healed all at once, making his arch in surprise at how painful it was. His limbs all jerked outward and spasmed as they healed, then, as it stopped, he sobbed once and fell to the ground, limp and terrified. “What...What...Help...me...?”

Fen was picking him up, enfolding him in warm arms that soothed the ache away. Hadn't he been wearing chains?

A blurry glance to the ground showed them to be shattered in pieces.

“Shhh, my love, it'll be okay. It's always hardest the first time. It will never feel like that again, I promise.”

Ethan blinked in surprise at Fen's words. He was using...contractions. When before, he'd only spoken proper language without them. Looking up, he saw the larger male staring down at him, brows drawn together in worry, and his lips were moving.

“It's okay, it'll be okay, just relax, we're gonna be okay.”

And Ethan understood what he was saying. And...there was something in his mind. Some presence he could feel, like, not intruding, but there. Like a new part of him come to stay.

“That's my mind-link. I have felt yours, but now you feel mine. We are completely Bonded now, and I think it'll be okay-”

“Hello, hello, is this where you've been hiding?” Came a throaty voice that Ethan could now understand.

The voice was familiar, and Ethan whirling back as Fen did too, gaped up at the white Luftleutian from before. The one who'd hit Fen.

A righteous anger welled up inside him and he jerked in his mate's grip, trying to leap at the snowy monster, but Fen stopped him.

“Oh, wanna fight, little runt? By all means, don't let this brute stop you.”

A colorless arm snaked in and claws sharper than Fen's dug into his shoulder, and he was yanked out of Fen's protective grip like he were no more than a rag doll. From where the nails were sunk in his skin, blood began to flow, staining his shirt along with the stains from earlier. He screamed in fear, kicking and struggling as much as the pain would allow him to.

“You cease your futile efforts this instant, little bug, or I will gut you here and now.” The white winged male stopped suddenly and threw Ethan ahead of him, tearing out some of his shoulder in the process.

“Oh god!” He shrieked, clutching at his wounded arm in agony. It wouldn't heal like his earlier wounds had, and he was pretty sure that had been a one-time thing. Something to do with the Bonding ritual. But, god, he wished he could do it again. White-hot flashes had him shuddering and his hand grew slick as blood spilled past his fingers and flowed down his arm.

“Gevi! Leave him alone!”

Ethan looked up to see Fen being dragged from the hollow by the two remaining soldiers, or hitmen, or whatever they were, and he was growling at the white Luftleutian.

“Oh?” The cruel male he had addressed replied carelessly. “Is this thing important to you? Well, if he's so important to you, maybe I should just kill him now. You've given us so much trouble, when all you had to do was come back with us.” The one called Gevi approached Ethan, his eyes angry. “You've killed some of my men, so why shouldn't I kill one of yours?”

“Gevi, please! You can't!”

Gevi dropped to one knee before Ethan, reaching out and stretching out one claw, placing it on the pulse of Ethan's neck. It traced against his vein lightly. “Oh? Can't I? I think you remember me well enough to know I most certainly can.”

Ethan's eyes widened in abject fear as that claw pierced his skin and he felt immediate wetness on his neck.

“Gevi!” Fen screamed. “He's my bonded! If you kill him, I die too!”

That claw stopped, and Gevi blinked at Ethan, smirking and raising one thin eyebrow. “Oh really?” He made a strange humming sound in his throat. “How...interesting.” Then he leaned close and sniffed at Ethan's chest, a cold tongue wisping out and running along his sternum. “I guess you're actually telling the truth for once.” Gevi leaned back and spat on the ground. “He even tastes like your scent now.”

Fen was snarling, his thick muscles flexing and tensing impressively as he strained at his manacles. “He can't stay behind! If you separate us, we'll both die, and you'll never take me back!”

Gevi frowned and glanced down at Ethan. “I can't believe you actually Bonded with this little thing. And here I had thought you were merely keeping him a sex slave. Though, he's not to my tastes exactly, but I suppose he is sort of cute, in a mutated way.” The white Luftleutian chuckled darkly. “And he has to go with us, you say? Hmmm...Well, I don't know if he'll survive the flip, but if we have to take him with us...” Gevi swung a sudden fist down and punched Ethan square in the gut, knocking every semblance of breath from his lungs and making his vision spin as he gasped. “-he'll have to be asleep. No need to thank me, Urure, I'm just helping the little guy out.” He sent a gleeful look down to Ethan. “Better than risking a sedative to put him to sleep.” His sight lifted back to Fen. “Right?”

Ethan heard Fen struggle then, his chains rattling dangerously. “Bastard!”

Ethan trembled on the edge of unconsciousness, and he was rapidly tipping over that edge, his mind staring down into the dark void. It felt like he was falling, though he was still on the ground. His lungs wouldn't fill back up with air and everything ached so. He needed to close his eyes. As his lids fluttered shut and his eyes rolled back to say hello to his brain, he heard one last thing, spoken by Gevi.

“Well well, my dear prince, I hope you're excited about going back home. Your father has missed you so.”

It all went dark again as Ethan passed out.


END OF ARC ONE

AN: To be continued in the Second Arc.