The Incubus and the Unicorn

Sen heard someone knocking on the front door of his cabin. Lifting his head, he wiped the back of his hand across his brow, ignoring the smear of dirt he left behind. Amber eyes narrowed as he contemplated whether or not to abandon his gardening and answer the door. It wasn’t often he had visitors, and most of them didn’t bother to knock.

Blowing a rebellious strand of hair out of his eyes, Sen snorted, then returned to tugging at the stubborn weed that was determined to choke the life out of his marigolds. He didn’t know how it had managed to sink its roots so quickly, but he would be damned if he would be out stubborned by a weed of all things. The plant was toast.

Using his hands to dig around the weed’s roots, Sen didn’t immediately look up when he felt eyes on him. Instead he took his time, making sure to clear away all the moist earth from the pale and stringy roots. Reaching down, he grabbed the main root and began tugging, scowling when the weed proved to have a firm grip in the earth. Becoming caught up in his silent tug of war with the weed, Sen forgot about his mystery watcher and threw himself whole heartedly into the task. It involved a lot of tugging and swearing, but Sen finally managed to excavate the tenacious plant, falling back on his rump in a shower of dirt, clutching the uprooted weed like a wayward trophy.

A muffled snort of laughter drew his attention up, and he met the laughing eyes of the young man resting his elbows on the white fence surrounding Sen’s yard. “Why do I have the feeling you were pretending that weed was a certain unicorn?”

Sen threw the weed at the newcomer. “Do me a favor and stuff that down your big mouth. If I’m lucky you’ll choke on it, and then the damn thing will have managed to serve a purpose.”

“Stop it or you’ll make me think you’re serious.” The man smiled, warm brown eyes dancing with unconcealed mischief. “You wouldn’t want the trees to get all clingy again, would you?”

Fingers just closing around a clump of dirt he’d pulled loose earlier, Sen paused, eyes narrowed to slits. “You wouldn’t.” The last time Ferik had stormed off in a snit when Sen had insulted him, he hadn’t been able to step outside his house for fear of becoming entangled in a tree’s branches, or tripping on a raised root that would mysteriously disappear shortly after.

Sen made a show of considering his options, then tossed the dirt clod away with a flick of his wrist. He got to his feet and dusted the loose dirt off his gardening trousers before pulling his mud flecked gloves off. “What brings you to my humble abode, Ferik?” He raised a hand to forestall the half-ling tree sprite’s response. “And if you even think about mentioning any of your recent affairs, I will castrate you here and now, vengeful trees or no. Are we clear?”

Ferik pouted, but seeing the look on Sen’s face, sighed in agreement. “Someone’s got you all twisted up. Did you finally make your run last night?”

The incubus’s lack of response was answer enough.

“I honestly don’t see why you don’t just sleep with him and get it over with.” Ferik vaulted neatly over the fence, absently patting the flowers as they twisted their faces up to him beseechingly. He endured Sen’s affronted glare with a sheepish smile. “Seriously, what could it hurt? Its obvious the guy is nuts for you, not to mention he may have a point.”

Sen tossed his hands up. “Oh not you too. Why can’t anyone just leave me alone and let me do what I want. I’m not hurting anybody, and it gives me what I need without forcing me to fuck every living creature I see. What is the down side of that?”

“It sounds nice,” Ferik hedged, shuffling his feet. “But it also sounds a little too easy.” He lifted his hands in surrender when Sen’s face clouded with signs of temper. “Just hear me out, okay. You don’t have to agree with me or anything, but I’ll feel better if you at least hear what I have to say and think about it. Please?”

The incubus took one look into Ferik’s pleading brown eyes and felt his temper dissipate like smoke on the wind. He sighed, reaching up to rub his fingers into the side of his temples. “Alright, I’ll listen. But I won’t make any promises. Got it?”

Ferik just nodded eagerly, making Sen think of a puppy he’d once seen in a human village whilst wandering. The creature had been sickeningly happy, leaping around like a drunken frog and yapping excitedly at every thing. Sen hadn’t been able to deny the puppy a few hesitant pats when it had spilled across his path in a tangle of furry limbs and lolling tongue, and he couldn’t deny the same innocence he saw shining in Ferik’s concerned gaze.

He needed to get some plugs for his bleeding heart.

“Come on, I think I’m going to need some tea.” Gesturing the younger man to follow, Sen picked his way along the narrow path towards his cabin. Tossing his gloves on a small side table, he set about getting the tea ready, nodding his head towards the kitchen table. “Take a seat while I set the water boiling.”

Ferik collapsed into the seat indicated, propping his narrow chin on the back of his hands. Watching the youth out of the corner of his eye, Sen had to admit that the young half-ling was quite beautiful, in a magical way. He looked human enough with his lean build and thin face, his skin somewhat pale but not enough to keep him from remaining unnoticed when among the mortals. No, what drew attention to Ferik was his hair. Never before had Sen seen such a vibrant shade of green, seeming to echo all the different shades possible in each individual strand until it shimmered and pulsed with a life of its own.

Sen pulled the tea pot off the stove as it began to shriek, quickly pouring two cups before moving to the table. Snagging a small box off the counter as he moved, he took his seat, setting one of the cups in front of Ferik. Sen opened the box he carried, taking a moment to frown before selecting a peppermint tea bag. He then pushed the box toward Ferik. “Choose one, and if you take the last blackberry this will be the last time I ever invite you to tea.”

Chuckling, Ferik selected the apple blossom and raspberry blend, settling the bag in his cup. “I’m surprised that you use tea bags. After all, they were created by humans.” Green brows lifted in question, waiting for an explanation.

Refusing to meet the half-ling’s gaze, Sen coughed. “Yes well, as irritating as they are, humans have proven to be useful for some things.” He took a delicate sip of his tea, grimacing when the taste proved still too bland. “One of which would be the existence of present company.”

Deciding to let the incubus off the hook, Ferik also took a sip of his tea. “That’s nice of you to say, Sen. However, I can’t blame you for your dislike of my other half. Humans can be....difficult to get a long with.” He smiled blandly, setting his teacup down. “But, enough about them, we’re supposed to be talking about you.”

Sen grunted, rolling his eyes. “I wait with baited breath.”

Ferik’s brow furrowed. “You said you would listen.”

Sen waved a hand at the half-ling, urging him to continue. “I am, you just can’t expect me to be thrilled about it. I still don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“But that’s just it, it is wrong. You’re an Incubus, Sen. Nothing you do is going to change that.”

Claws drumming on the table, Sen exhaled loudly. “I don’t mind being an Incubus. It’s the feeding by fucking that is the problem.”

“But that is what an Incubus does,” Ferik pointed out cautiously.

“Well I don’t want to,” Sen snapped. “I don’t know why it bothers me, but it does. I’m not like the others who go merrily on their way screwing anything that has a pulse. And even things that don’t,” he added as an after thought. There had been that one time....

“That’s the problem.” Ferik leaned forward earnestly. “No matter what happens, you’re an Incubus. You may not like sleeping with people to feed, but your nature still demands that you do. You may have found a way around it for now, but sooner or later, even the Magic Spring won’t be enough.”

Sen shifted in his seat, uncomfortable with the way Ferik seemed to echo Kalor’s warning from the night before. “In the end I’m reaching the same goal. My body is still feeding on magic. I’m just taking it directly instead of getting it through somebody else.”

Ferik paused, considering his choice of words for what he was going to say next. “Have you ever considered that maybe the sex serves another purpose?”

“Besides procreation you mean?” Sen laughed at the look Ferik gave him.

“Sen, be serious. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I found out what you were doing. I can’t help but wonder if maybe the sex serves another purpose besides feeding your magic.”

“What made you think that?” Sen asked warily, curious about where Ferik was going with this in spite of himself.

“Ever since I found out what you’ve been up to, I’ve been watching you.”

“Okay, that’s mildly creepy.” Sen sat back, arms crossed over his chest. “What have you learned while you were...watching me?”

Ferik flushed, scratching the back of his head as he discretely inched out of Sen’s reach. “It’s not like that, I was just testing a theory.” When Sen only stared at him, he coughed. “Right. Well, I’ve noticed that your visits to the well are slowly getting more frequent.”

The first touch of unease slid across Sen’s scalp, making his face and neck tingle. “What?”

Sensing the incubus’s distress, Ferik reached out, lightly touching the clawed hand that was gripping the tea cup hard enough that minuscule cracks had appeared. Keeping his touch light, Ferik gently coaxed Sen’s fingers off of the cup, eyes soft with sympathy. “I’ve noticed that, lately, the time between your visits to the Magic Spring has been getting shorter.” He covered Sen’s hand with his own. “I’m sorry Sen. I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”

Panic was a metal band around Sen’s ribs, and he fought to drag air into his lungs. With grim determination, he held onto his composure, fighting to keep his voice even. “Are you saying that soon the Magic Spring won’t work anymore?”

Ferik licked his lips, clearly grasping for time. “From what I’ve seen, some time soon, the water won’t be enough.”

Sen lowered his head, hiding his eyes from Ferik’s sympathetic gaze. He stared at the table with enough force that the half-ling could feel the weight of his eyes, the heat of it close to scorching the rough surface. Thinking desperately for more comforting words, Ferik jumped when Sen abruptly pushed away from the table, the chair’s scraping over the floor almost deafening in the stillness that had fallen upon them.

“I hate this!” Grabbing his tea cup from where Ferik had placed it, Sen hurled it against the wall with all his might, ignoring the small shards and drops of hot tea that landed in his hair and on his face. Ignoring the stinging pain from the hot tea, he whirled around, eyes wild as he searched for something else to throw. He threw himself on his chair, lifting the heavy wood furnishing with the strength his kind possessed.

Startled by his friend’s turn of violence, Ferik leapt out of his seat, racing around the table to grapple for control of the chair. Realizing his interference, Sen snarled at the younger man, “Let go!”

“I will not!” Ferik shot back with equal venom. “Destroying your things will not help. Stop acting like a child and face this!”

Sen was taken back by the half-ling’s harsh words, feeling like he’d been slapped.

Ferik took advantage of the incubus’s silence to press on, forcibly ripping the chair from the other man’s slack grasp. “You hate sex, I get it. It sucks that you have to do this when you so obviously loath it. But this is the way things are.” Taking a step forward, he took Sen’s face in his hands. “The Magic Spring isn’t going to work forever, you have proof of that now. What you need to do is to find out what you’re going to do now that you know.”

His expression growing shuttered, Sen stepped out of the half-ling’s grasp, reaching up to rub at his temples with one hand. His tail, tucked away down one of his pant legs, twitched to lash back and forth. Ferik’s throat tightened with emotion when the proud incubus’s shoulders fell, his head bowed under the weight of his nature. “I...I don’t know what I’m going to do, Ferik.”

“Well if you don’t remember, you have a very hot unicorn lusting after you.” Ferik leaned against the counter smirking, determined to inject some humor into the dour atmosphere. “I’m sure if you ask nicely he’d give you a suggestion.” Eyebrows bobbed up and down. “Or a position.”

Sen’s glare was less than appreciative for the attempt at humor. “I’m serious, Ferik,” the incubus ground out from between his clenched teeth.

The tree sprite sobered, his mischievous expression turning to one of contemplation. “So am I. If there is anyone I think you should go to with this, its Kalor.” He rolled his eyes at the glare Sen gave him. “I didn’t say you had to take him up on his offer, although I think you should. As much as he wants you, he is honorable. I think if you ask him, he’ll help you.”

Sen opened his mouth to deny ever wanting the herd leader’s help, then closed it with a click, remembering all too clearly the way the moonlight played over the unicorn’s hair. Instead he sniffed. “I’ll think about it.”

Ferik smiled. “Thank you.”

Clapping the incubus on the shoulder, the tree sprite turned to leave when he was halted by Sen. “What? That’s it? No irritatingly descriptive repeat of all the juicy gossip you’ve managed to pick up from your little friends?”

Turning, the half-ling smiled impishly. “Nope, not today. I only came here to see if I could talk some sense into you.” Then his smile melted away, eyes uncommonly serious. “Though now that you mention it, I should warn you. I’ve heard word from the trees that a human has been seen entering the Black Wood several times.”

Sen looked up from his contemplation of the mess he’d made of his tea, considering the best way to clean it up so the stain wouldn’t remain. “Well that’s hardly new. The little buggers have been sneaking into the Black Wood for years. I doubt the little nuisance will be able to keep it up for long. Something is bound to make him a tasty morsel at one point.”

Ferik shook his head, the green of his hair shimmering as the sunlight caressed his hair. “No, its different. This man isn’t like other men. He does not fear the trees like the others.” He shrugged. “I’ve heard rumors that the human has been searching for something, and that he think its in the Black Wood.”

Sen snorted, grabbing up a small kitchen towel and tossing it over the puddle of tea in the corner. “Humans are such idiots. I doubt its anything we need to worry about Ferik. After a few unsuccessful trips, he’ll figure out that he has more to lose than gain by coming in here.”

“If you say so. Well, I’ll see you around Sen. Try to keep in mind what I’ve said. Kalor can be a nice guy, if you just give him the chance.” Giving a jaunty wave, Ferik strode out the back door, crossing the narrow garden path in a few quick strides before leaping the fence and disappearing into the trees.

Snorting again, Sen rolled his eyes. He doubted that he would ever get desperate enough to actually ask the unicorn for help.

He had standards after all.

“I have no standards,” Sen moaned, tripping over what must have been the third rock that afternoon. Whirling around, he glared at the offending stone, considering what he could do to make it’s life more miserable. In the end he decided to leave it alone. There wasn’t anything else he could do to make it more miserable. It was a rock.

Punishment of the rock aside, Sen continued to wend his way through the trees, scowl set firmly in place. His tail whipped back and forth beneath his travel cloak, his frustration too great for him to care that others might see it.

Two weeks had passed since his and Ferik’s discussion. And what a miserable two weeks they had been. In typical Sen fashion barely a day had passed before he’d convinced himself that Ferik was wrong. It had been ridiculously easy to convince himself that there was nothing wrong with using the Magic Spring water. He supposed acute desperation had a hand in his persuasive skills, or he was just a gullible sap when it came to himself.

Sen was more inclined to believe in his skills of persuasion.

For a week he’d managed to convince himself that the Magic Spring water was working flawlessly. And it did, until at one point Sen began to feel the familiar hunger pangs that doubled as a severe lust for sex. After drinking an entire cup of the water turned magic. Fuck.

It wasn’t long before he found himself taking a careful sip from the bottle every few hours, desperate to make the burning hunger go away. It didn’t, big surprise there, and Sen found himself in something of a predicament. Did he go back to the Magic Spring and get more water, or did he take Ferik’s advice and go to Kalor for help?

There was the third option; run around screwing random travelers to ease his hunger. Sen didn’t like that one much. So Kalor it was. Hence the reason Sen was making his way through the gnarled trees that formed the deeper, darker section of the Black Wood.

Sen eyed a particularly gnarled tree warily as he passed it, unable to resist the urge to glance over his shoulder and see if it turned to follow his passage. He didn’t know how it was possible, but the forest was just as dark during the day as it was in the dead of night. Which was probably one of the reasons it was called the Black Wood. Another of the reasons being because the trees themselves were black. Sen didn’t know how it happened, only that the trees yielded only bark as black as pitch, and that no human hands could cut one of the trees down without being cursed.

Sen’s favorite so far was the man who tasted only rotten eggs, no matter what he ate.

Stumbling on a rather large root that seemed to miraculously appear out of no where, Sen swore and rubbed the abused appendage, leaning against the tree of the offending root. Once his foot had been soothed, Sen found that he didn’t have the will to continue. Instead his golden gaze surveyed the maze of shadows and trees with a deep resignation that echoed in his bones.

What was he doing?

Sighing, Sen seated himself on the root he’d tripped over, figuring that serving as his seat was a decent enough apology. Resting his elbow on one knee, he propped his chin on one palm, the other arm resting on the neglected knee. Comfortable, he allowed his gaze to glaze over as he considered just what exactly he was doing.

He was stumbling through the Black Wood in the middle of the afternoon. That alone was irritating, considering he’d simply dropped what he was doing to come out here. Of course there wasn’t much he could do when his body had made it clear early on that if he wasn’t fucking, there would be no working. When Sen had tried to ignore his body, it had staged a rebellion with his mind, who had begun supplying him with erotic images of what exactly his body wanted.

Sen sighed again, a deeper sound that echoed his misery.

It didn’t help that he wasn’t even sure what he expected Kalor to do. As much as Sen wanted to believe they would find a solution that didn’t evolve having sex, he was also realistic. Sex was what his body wanted, and it wasn’t gong to take no for an answer much longer. He could already feel the gnawing hunger, his chest tightening gradually. It was easy to push aside now, but Sen knew with awful clarity that soon it would not be so easy to ignore.

Leaning back against the solid tree trunk, Sen reached up to run a hand through his loose lavender hair. He’d left in quite a hurry and hadn’t had the patience to pull it back in its traditional braid. Closing his eyes, he simply allowed himself to enjoy the feel of the cool strands sliding over his skin.

He wanted to be angry. In his mind’s eye he could see himself yelling and screaming, throwing things in a fit of fury as he expressed his rage and anguish over his lot in life. It had been easy earlier, but now he could hardly stir even the faintest twinge of anger. Instead apathy had taken a hold of him, and he was simply resigned to his fate.

It had to come to an end eventually. Sen supposed he’d known from the beginning that the Magic Spring wouldnt’ last forever, but he’d hoped that maybe his search for a solution had been at an end. Still, apathy aside, it didn’t stop him from feeling affronted that after spending so much time turning the unicorn down, he was going to throw himself down and beg for his help.

Deep down Sen refused to admit that one of the reasons he was so miffed about having to ask the unicorn for help was because he had been attracted to the stupid unicorn from the beginning. Oh yes, he could certainly think of worse outcomes than sleeping with Kalor. The unicorn might be a pain in Sen’s ass, but the incubus had to admit that the man was certainly appealing, in a ‘please throw me up against the nearest wall and fuck me’ kind of way. So technically he was still going to be a pain in the ass....just a different kind.

Sen quickly derailed his current train of thought, feeling his body respond to the mental imagery his mind brought up with malicious pleasure. Cursing his imagination, Sen willed his erection to fade, knowing he was fighting a losing battle when the ache remained. His throat tight with the urge to scream his frustration, Sen shot to his feet. Scowling, he set off once again, face set with grim determination.

If he was going to do this then he was going to hurry up and do it. Not sit around and wait for his body to decide what to do for him. He’d had enough of that. It was his turn to start calling the shots.

It didn’t take him long to reach the unicorn’s meadow. He’d practically worn a path into the forest floor from all his trips to the Magic Spring. As he approached the familiar break in the trees, he slowed his pace, knowing better than to approach at too quick a pace. He didn’t want to startle any of the unicorns, especially since those horns they sported were far from just decoration.

Just like always, he stopped at the tree line. Even with such a dire situation pressing down on him, he couldn’t help but allow himself a moment to simply take in the sight. Beneath the moonlight the unicorns were extraordinary creatures. Sunlight did not diminish their beauty, only accenting it in a different way. With the moonlight, their coats shimmered, like a mirage that would vanish at the first attempt to get closer. Sunlight made them glow.

Hiding in the shadows, Sen remained where he was, instead searching the meadow with his gaze. He knew from experience that a demon, even one as peaceful as himself had no place amongst the unicorns.

There was no familiar flash of sunlight on gleaming black. Sen frowned, irritated when he didn’t immediately see the Herd Master. It was taking effort to remain where he was, instinct and experience telling him to get the hell out of there before Kalor returned and noticed his presence. After avoiding the man for so long, Sen figured the habit was going to be harder to break than he originally thought. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember ever actually seeking out the other man’s presence.

His eyes traveled over gleaming white and grey coats with a hint of melancholy, the herd grouped near the center as they fed on the sweet stalks that grew clumped around a small white flower Sen couldn’t name. Yet as much as he searched, he could not spot any familiar black.

In spite of his unease about actually talking to one of the unicorns, Kalor didn’t count, Sen was about to wave one over when he felt a warm presence at his back. “Looking for me?” Warm breath gusted over the sensitive tip of his ear, sending him rocketing forward with a startled yelp.

“What the!” His scowl firmly in place, Sen glared at Kalor, who was smirking happily, clearly pleased with himself. “I thought unicorns were sweet, peaceful creatures. Not immature brats that sneak up on unsuspecting people.”

“And I thought demons were vicious, man-eating monsters. Not cute and temperamental young men.” Reaching out, Kalor pushed aside a strand of hair that fallen against Sen’s cheek, slipping it back behind one pointed ear. He smiled. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Sen flushed, stepping away to evade the hand when it came back for another soft caress. “Stop doing that!” he hissed, mortified to feel his cheeks heating.

“Why?” Kalor followed him step for step. “I like touching you.”

Dodging an attempt to grab him, Sen darted around a tree. “Is this how you treat everyone who comes to you for help?”

Kalor froze, straightening slowly. The humor and mischief faded from his eyes, replaced with a solemnity that startled Sen. The unicorn offered him a half bow, long hair sliding over his shoulder in an inky wave. “I apologize, Sen. What can I do to assist you?”

Startled by the swift change in Kalor’s attitude, Sen could only gape. His eyes followed the way the thin streams of sunlight glinted off the blue black hair. His fingers twitched to trace the solemn line of Kalor’s lips, seized by the implacable urge to see them shift into that familiar, irritating smile that normally adorned the unicorn’s full mouth.

With a sharp jerk of his head, Sen tore himself out of the vision, shaking as he realized how close he had come to actually acting out his thoughts. His erection twinged painfully, followed by a mild cramp in his stomach. Hissing he clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he sought to beat his body into submission.

So involved in his inner struggle, he’d forgotten completely about Kalor until he felt a warm hand against his cheek. Startled, Sen’s eyes flew open, only to find himself caught and held by an intent silver gaze. As much as he wanted to pull away, Sen was drawn to the heat of that lone hand like a moth to the flame. Just the thought of separating himself from its intoxicating heat was enough to make his heart bleed. His eyes slid closed once more, and he nuzzled into the hand at his cheek.

“The Spring water isn’t working any more, is it?” Kalor’s voice was whisper soft, but it still seemed to echo in Sen’s mind.

“Yes,” came the equally soft reply. “I don’t know what to do.” Sen was unable to keep his voice from breaking, his breath hitching as his chest grew painfully tight.

He nearly whimpered when the hand was removed from his cheek, mourning the loss of heat. He jumped when he felt his hand taken, pulling back instinctively. “Shh, Sen. Come with me.”

His mind rapidly clearing from the fog of want that had clouded his reasoning, Sen set his heels. “Why? Where are we going?”

Kalor rolled his eyes. “Somewhere more private.” He stopped tugging. “Unless you want the rest of the herd to hear this?” He nodded his head towards the meadow, where several unicorns had lifted their heads to watch them, ears flicking back and forth.

Seeing them, Sen flushed, then frowned. “Fine.” He pulled his hand out of Kalor’s grasp. “Just don’t touch me.” Realizing that his voice was sharp enough to cut, he sighed, fingering the point of one of his horns. “Please,” he said softly, softening the harsh demand.

Kalor met his eyes and held for a few moments, the sounds of the forest surrounding them as the unicorn searched for something. He seemed to find it, since he broke their stare and jerked his head in the direction of the forest. “Come on then.”

Irritated by his gratefulness, Sen trailed after the unicorn. Now free from his body’s influence for the time being, the small voice in the back of his mind screamed at him. It told him that he was being stupid and that he didn’t need the unicorn’s help. The Spring water would come through in the end and he wouldn’t need to screw anyone to get what he needed.

And Sen was tempted to believe it. That would make things easier, to just go back to his cabin and pretend that his problems didn’t exist. But pretending they didn’t exist wouldn’t actually make them go away, something he’d found out the hard way. Kalor being exhibit A. Ignoring the man sure as hell hadn’t made him go away.

When Kalor finally came to a halt, Sen stopped a few feet from him, staring warily at the unicorn’s lean back. His hair had been tied up out of the way, letting a single tail fall down his back. Each strand shimmered, and once again Sen was seized with the urge to sink his fingers into the silky mass. Sen clenched his hands into tight fists and hid them behind his back when Kalor turned to face him. The unicorn’s face was set into an unreadable mask.

“So, the Spring Water isn’t working any more.”

“You already said that,” Sen snapped, then took a deep breath. The heat in his lower belly was becoming more insistent. It burned into the marrow of his bones and slowed his thoughts, making it hard to concentrate on anything besides the warmth of Kalor’s skin, which he could feel from where he stood. Reaching up he massaged his temples, staring at his feet. “I’m sorry,” he bit out. “I’m a little testy right now.”

Kalor blinked, then his lips twitched into a smile. “It’s fine.” Then he smirked. “Its not like I’m not used to it.”

Sen opened his mouth to snap out another retort, then changed his mind, shutting his mouth with a sharp click. “You are an ass.”

“Mmm.” Kalor mused, silver eyes gleaming with dry humor. “As much as I’d love to continue trading insults with you, Sen.” He inclined his head. “You did want my help, didn’t you?”

Sen’s face began to burn. “Yes, I did.” He muttered, clearly unhappy with his situation. “The only reason I’m here is because Ferik said that you would help me.”

“Its nice to know I have his vote of confidence.”

Sen scowled. “I bet you’re just loving this.”

It was Kalor’s turn to frown. “Actually I’m not. I don’t take pleasure in your misery Sen.”

His straight forward words startled Sen. He flushed, then dismissed the unicorn’s words with a flick of his hand. “Yeah well...” Sen fell silent, unsure where to go from there. It might have helped if he had considered what he wanted Kalor to do. Instead he’d rushed off just after deciding that he would ask for help in an attempt to forestall any attempts of talking himself out of it. That had worked at least, but now he was stuck.

The silence drew out, stretching and twirling around them until it was physical presence. As the awkwardness grew, Sen could almost feel it pushing at his back, urging him closer to Kalor. Scowling, he set his heels in against the invisible push, then felt stupid as he realized it was all in his imagination. Hands shaking, Sen pushed his hair away from his face. “This is so stupid.”

“Its not wrong to need help, Sen.” Kalor sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he contemplated the incubus. “I know sleeping with me wasn’t the kind of help you were looking for, so stop looking like I’m going to jump you.”

Sen barely contained his flinch, embarrassed heat climbing his cheeks and neck. He coughed, eyes darting back and forth as he looked every but at Kalor’s handsome face. At that moment Sen was praising the loose fit of his tunic and trousers, otherwise Kalor would have seen just how appealing he thought that idea was. Or at least Sen’s body’s opinion on the matter. Sen’s mind was more along the lines of smashing his head through a wall just to knock himself out.

Kalor continued as Sen remained silent. “Have you any family to go to with this?”

His question was met with mocking laughter. “The idea of family is a very different concept to Incubi, Kalor.” He lifted his head defiantly, voice stilted. “Once my search for an alternate source of....food was made known, my ‘family’ made it clear that I was no longer welcome amongst them.” Then he shook his head. “But as I said, Incubi do not consider families the way unicorns do. We are a more..,” Sen searched for the words he needed to adequately explain. “Independent people.”

In other words, if it walks, screw it. Sharing blood didn’t have much impact.

Kalor did not allow the sympathy he felt to color his eyes or touch his face. He knew better than most how touchy Sen was. If the other man saw his feelings, he would only bridle and snarl, scorning the unicorn’s sympathy for pity. Instead, he allowed himself to feel the frustration that had been riding him hard ever since he had realized his attraction for the lavender haired incubus.

From the beginning Sen had made it clear he did not appreciate Kalor’s advances, even as his cheeks flushed with embarrassed arousal, or his eyes hinted at the want that he kept chained out of sheer stubbornness. And even now, in spite of Sen’s attempts to hide it, Kalor could see how hungry the incubus was for physical contact.

Kalor decided that enough was enough.

Sen didn’t see any visible sign of a change. One moment he was struggling to find the words to ask for help, the next he was watching the unicorn warily, some sixth sense telling him to run. Gold eyes met silver in a clash of color and awareness, and Sen could almost feel Kalor come to a decision. He was seized with the realisation that something had changed, shifted the balance of their stand-off. Sen doubted that it was in his favor.

Taking a cautious step back he suppressed a flinch as he stepped on a dry twig, but did not take his eyes off of Kalor. “I...I don’t,” He inwardly cursed as his tongue tangled with his teeth. Instead his whole being was focused on the way Kalor stood, strong arms falling to dangle by his side. The other man’s head had tilted to the side, eyes watching him as intently as he was being watched. Sen’s heart skipped a beat as he saw the hungry menace reflected in those vivid eyes. Then Kalor took a step forward.

“What...what are you doing?” Disbelief flickered across startled gold as the incubus stumbled back, unnerved by the unicorn’s decidedly predatory movements.

Kalor simply smiled, a soft smile that seemed out of place next to the dark intent glittering in silver eyes. “I’m tired of watching you rip yourself apart, Sen.” The unicorn’s voice had dropped, a rough caress that set tingles chasing one another down Sen’s spine. “What your body desires is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m going to show you that.”

Huffing at Kalor’s bold declaration, Sen stamped his foot and held his ground. “I am not ashamed!” He tried to keep a strong front, but when Kalor continued to stalk towards him, Sen’s nerve failed and he skittered backwards. To his horror, a darker part of his mind whispered for him to stop running. To let Kalor show him that sex didn’t have to be about feeding. Pushing the voice away, Sen was then confronted by his own body.

It approved heartily of the way Kalor was stalking towards him.

Now perilously close to tears at the way his body and supposed ally were conspiring against him, Sen was considering how to make a run for it when he misplaced his foot and tripped.

Over another tree root gods curse them. One day he was going to take an axe to this forest, see if he didn’t.

Sen squeaked as his butt collided with the hard ground, choking as the air was knocked out of his lungs. Leaning back, he gasped for breath. Then gasped again as he saw Kalor standing over him. Sen held his breath in anticipation as he wondered what the unicorn would do next. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed when the other man only reached out a hand to help him up.

Sen decided he was relieved, misbehaving body not withstanding.

For a brief moment he considered refusing the hand, but then he looked up and met Kalor’s eyes. As if by a will of its own his hand reached up and clasped the other man’s. Sen fought not to allow his eyes to slide closed in pleasure, the heat from the unicorn’s hand soaking into his bones. He was pulled from his light trance when he was abruptly hoisted to his feet. Disgruntled by his reaction, Sen tried to jerk his hand free, scowling when his hand was only gripped tighter. “Kalor, let me go.”

To Sen’s shock and frustration, Kalor smiled widely. “No. I don’t think so.”

“What do you mean-aah!” Sen squeaked in surprise when a hand wrapped around his forearm. He flailed wildly when he was pushed off balance, his free hand reaching up to clutch at Kalor’s sleeve as his back was shoved up against the rough bark of a nearby tree. He swallowed hard as Kalor pressed up close, pinning him to the tree with his body. “Kalor, stop!”

Not once in the years the unicorn had been pursuing him had Kalor ever manhandled him in such a way. Even worse, pressed together like they were, it would be impossible for Kalor to miss just how aroused Sen was. Need sliced through him with flame tipped claws, making fire race through him until his cock was hard and swollen.

Kalor’s strong hands held his wrists pinned on either side of his head, one knee forcing its way between Sen’s legs to better hold him in place. At the feel of the unicorn’s muscled thigh pushing up against his aching erection, Sen was unable to hold back a guttural moan. Pressing his head back against the rough bark, Sen panted for breath, pleasure and need spiraling through him near to the point of pain.

“I have said it before and I will say it again. You are an Incubus, Sen. Sex is a part of what you are.” In spite of the firm grip he had on the smaller man, Kalor’s voice was oddly gentle. “Denying that part of yourself isn’t going to change anything.”

“Why are you doing this!” Sen tried to struggle against the unicorn’s grip, only to fall back with a low keen when his throbbing erection was pushed against Kalor’s firm body. “What the fuck do you see in me that makes you do this!” he yelled, ignoring the way his voice hitched alarmingly. He lowered his head till his bangs shaded his face, fixing his eyes on the triangle of flesh revealed by Kalor’s tunic of choice. Almost immediately he jerked his eyes away as a wave of longing swept through him, followed by a fierce urge to lean forward and have a taste.

At first all Kalor did was gently trace the graceful curve of one of Sen’s horns with his free hand. Sen closed his eyes, unsure whether he found the soft touch soothing or making everything worse. “There’s something about you.” Kalor’s voice was whisper soft, his breath brushing against the top of Sen’s head. “A purity of self that draws me closer.”

Sen shook his head violently, trying to tug away. His attempts this time were half-hearted at best since he didn’t want to make too much contact with Kalor’s all ready way too close body. “That’s bullshit! I’m a fucking incubus! There’s nothing pure about me and there never has been.”

Kalor pressed closer, earning a hiss as Sen’s aroused cock was caught between them. “As you like to point out every time we talk, I am a unicorn. If anything can detect purity in another person, it’s me.” Then he sighed, pressing warm lips against Sen’s forehead. The contact made the other man stiffen, his bangs doing little to shield him from the skin to skin contact. “And I’m not talking about purity of the body, Sen. That’s not the kind of purity that my kind is attracted to.”

Curiousity prodded Sen to lift his head, the movement taking effort when his neck was going limp. “What?”

Taking advantage of the moment, Kalor buried his face in the crook of Sen’s neck, inhaling deeply. Sen didn’t even have the will to protest, moaning low in his throat and pushing up against Kalor’s hard body. Eyes rolling up into his head as he felt the scrape of teeth over his sensitive skin, Sen leaned his head to the side in order to give the unicorn easier access. Kalor rumbled his approval with the move, nibbling and kissing his way up the smooth column until he was sucking on the skin right behind Sen’s ear.

As Kalor finally pulled away Sen struggled to string two thoughts together. Breathing hard with passion and want, Sen let his head fall back against the tree. “Please let me go,” Sen begged, shuddering and twitching in the unicorn’s grasp as need twisted through him. “I can’t do this. Don’t make me do this.”

“You have to understand, Sen.” Kalor lowered his head until their lips were touching, breaths mingling in a moment of intimacy. “It is not purity of the body that my kind seek, but purity of the soul.” Lowering his head, he pressed a chaste kiss against the soft fabric just over Sen’s heart. “Instead of being consumed by the conflict that rages within you, your soul glows with a strength of will and purpose that undoes me.” Lifting his head back up, he brushed a feather light kiss against Sen’s lips.

Sen closed his eyes against Kalor’s soft words, feeling his resolve crumbling beneath him. “The others don’t seem to share your opinion of the status of my soul.” Words laced with bitterness, he could not stop himself from relaxing into Kalor’s soft caress of his cheek.

“They are fools.” The soothing touches slid from Sen’s cheek to the vulnerable line of his throat. “They judge with their eyes instead of their heart.”

“Maybe the rest of your herd is smarter than you are.” Sen sighed as Kalor pressed closer, following the trail of his fingers with warm lips and soft kisses. “At least they act like proper unicorns.”

Instead of being offended Kalor chuckled, biting the side of Sen’s neck in punishment. He rumbled in approval when Sen yelped, then moaned, writhing against him. “As a matter of fact, I am acting like a proper unicorn.” He pressed his hips up against Sen’s, grinding their straining erections together through their pants. “Now,” he panted, his own voice gone rough with desire. “Are you going to let me help you, or am I going to have to torture you into compliance?”

Sen bit his lip to hold back the pleading words that danced on the tip of his tongue, wanting to spill from his lips in a torrent of need and desperation. Seeing the flash of defiance in the incubus’s golden eyes, Kalor lowered his mouth to nip at Sen’s kiss swollen lips. “I wonder how long you can fight yourself as well as me?” Quick fingers slid beneath his tunic to press against feverish skin.

Sen moaned as Kalor traced complicated patterns across his rib cage. “Fucking unicorn.” But they both knew that his words were more capitulation than insult. With a groan Sen pushed up to seal their mouths together in a fierce kiss, teeth pressing against kiss swollen lips with no mercy. Hunger slamming through him with the raw force of a wild fire, Sen’s tongue pushed at the sensitive crease of Kalor’s lips, demanding rather than asking for entrance.

Making a low sound in the back of his throat that seemed far too predatory for a unicorn, Kalor complied, opening his lips and drawing Sen’s tongue into the scorching heat of his mouth. Their tongues dueled in a slick, wet battle for dominance that echoed the conflict they had danced time after time.

But now the battle had changed, had chosen a new, more pleasurable field of combat.

Sen tugged at his still pinned wrists, wanting to feel hard muscle shift beneath velvet soft skin. Kalor complied with his silent plea and released his wrists. Now that he was free to use both of his hands, the unicorn sank his fingers into the silky lavender mass that had so enchanted him. Tugging Sen’s head back he took control of the kiss, lips hungry as they devoured. The taste of the incubus had gone straight to his head, a heady combination of warm honey and sex.

Sen’s claws tore at Kalor’s tunic as he sought a glimpse of the gleaming pale skin that was just out of reach. At last he caught sight of his goal and lunged forward sharply, mouth latching onto the collarbone that peeked out through the torn fabric. Kalor groaned as sharp teeth marked his flesh, forced to brace his hands against the rough bark, trapping Sen between him and the tree.

The smaller man didn’t seem to notice. Instead he was intent on tasting the unicorn’s flesh with complete abandon, clawed hands dragging down the muscled back with relish. Head thrown back, Kalor arched into the painful caress, silver eyes wide and unseeing. Chuckling, Sen let his mouth travel down the muscled chest to the pale nipples. Eyes rolling up to watch Kalor’s reactions, he let his tongue dart out and taste the small nub. He smiled when the unicorn’s breath hitched in his chest, then gasped himself when hands shoved under his own tunic and down the back of his trousers to cup his ass. Their erections grinding together, they once again resumed kissing.

Sen was just reaching for the ties of Kalor’s trousers when the unicorn stiffened. By that time Sen was too far gone to care, and snarled when his hands were yanked away from the delectably loose strings. He snarled when his hands were not released. “Great time to change your mind, Kalor.” He glared up at the taller man to see that the unicorn was staring off into the distance, eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you doing!” When he didn’t answer Sen tugged on his sleeve. “Hello! What are-”

A warm hand pressed over his mouth and Sen choked on his angry words. “Quiet,” Kalor cautioned. He didn’t even look down, his gaze firmly fixated back in the direction of the unicorn meadow. “Something is wrong.” The words had barely left his mouth when he took off, running through the trees in a flat out sprint.

Gaping after him, Sen was caught between embarrassed fury and needy desperation. “What the fuck!” Then he whirled around and kicked the nearest tree, flinching when the pain collided with his rampant desire. The resulting surge of feeling was enough to make his eyes roll back and his knees to weaken. Slumping to the ground Sen fought the urge to cry at the unfairness of it all.

If he’d been sporting an ordinary erection he would have been pissed, but this was not a normal form of arousal. This was a supernatural ‘must have sex or will starve to death’ kind of erection. Which left Sen with the homicidal urge to chase down and murder a certain black haired unicorn with silver eyes who ran around feeling up already painfully aroused incubi....only to abandon said painfully aroused incubi when things were just getting good!

Sen was going to kill him.

Growling under his breath he dragged himself to his feet, his determination to castrate Kalor giving him the strength of will to ignore the seething hunger. His hand itched to ‘handle’ the problem, but experience had taught him that it was useless. He wouldn’t be able to bring himself off.

For a moment Sen considered simply screaming his head off out of pure frustration. In the end he decided against it. As tempting as the idea was, if somebody was nearby they would come and ask what was wrong. Being the blunt, angry person that he was, Sen would tell the stranger that he was pissed because he was sexually starved and his chosen relief had just up and run off in the middle of things. Better to just skip all that and find out what was wrong with Kalor.

Then he’d kill him.

Content with the plan Sen followed the direction Kalor had disappeared in. His pace was slow, since running with a raging hard on would lower the rating of his day from shitty to an outright nightmare. As he walked he tried to convince himself he wasn’t doing this because he cared or anything. All he wanted to do was wring whatever part of Kalor he got his hand’s on first, be it his neck or his dick, and then leave. And if the brief glimpse of fear he’d seen in the unicorn’s silver eyes had pulled at his non-existent heart strings, that was fine. He was good at denial.

After an agonizingly long walk, Sen saw the meadow in the distance. Slowing, he began cautiously threading his way through the trees. Hearing a sound he paused, then frowned when he recognized it as someone shouting, interlaced with the frantic neighing of unicorns. Heart pounding his forgot his caution and raced toward the edge of the meadow. Throwing himself behind one of the trees bordering the meadow, he took a moment to catch his breath and convince himself that collapsing was a bad idea. Once he was sure his feet would hold him he peered around the tree into the meadow. Sen was unable to hold back a strangled gasp at the sight that was waiting for him.

Men had found the unicorn meadow.