I’ve very sorry this last chapter took so long to get put up. I hope it was worth the wait.

            Elwyn hadn’t been there. Luke had been in the cell when the slayers and demons had made a combined effort of eliminating the crazy Nathair and his following, making sure to slay his necromancer this time. Unfortunately Elwyn hadn’t been with the angel, nor had he been with the Nathair. There was only one other place the white-haired half-demon could be, and that was somewhere Durriken didn’t want any other to see his friend. So he’d left them to finish off the rest of the ‘bad guys’ and headed up the old stone steps, his heart beating madly in his chest as he tried not to imagine what he would find behind the heavy oak door at the top.

            He’d never been to the room himself but his friend had once confessed to him what went on there. He had been hoping dearly that his grandfather wouldn’t have gone so far, he’d wanted to go slow with Elwyn, see if the other demon did feel the same as he now suspected. Durriken really had been a fool to think his friend had been in love with Sal when he’d only ever shown the ancient demon contempt. It had been a foolish fantasy of his, that he would be with Zack and Elwyn would be with Sal, but now he realised it for what it was and he was extremely glad he had been wrong. He wanted the elegant Faol, all his unintentionally possessive gestures in the past had been leading to this.

            Reaching the door he paused, regaining his breath and trying very hard to compose himself, lord knows he wouldn’t be able to once inside. When he could wait no longer he swung the door open, entering the warm, sunlit room he closed and locked the door behind himself before he even let himself look towards the massive bed which was by the back wall, strategically placed so the light from the only window fell on its occupant, making his golden skin glisten enticingly. Amethyst eyes gazed at him pleadingly, one fine-boned hand reaching out towards him. He didn’t want to see Elwyn like this, he didn’t, yet… it was the most beautiful and tantalizing thing he had ever witnessed.

            He was drawn to the bed without even realising it, climbing upon the soft surface before crushing the scantily dressed figure to him, breathing in the gorgeously fresh scent. Stroking back silky ringlets he studied his friend’s elfin features, checking that there was no damage there. The pale gold skin was smooth and flawless, lips soft rosy and glistening in the afternoon light. The potion must have done that; Elwyn had told him that was what it did, healed his body of the wounds careless others had inflicted, but that was not all. It made him like he was; soft, warm and plaint… eager to please with his nimble fingers removing Durriken’s clothes, gentle lips suckling at his neck until he groaned, succumbing to the white-haired beauty. It was after all what he had known would happen the moment he had started up those cold stairs.

            “Wait…” his protest was breathless as he tried to halt the wandering hands, ending up having to pin his friend’s warm body beneath his to keep Elwyn still, “You don’t have to do this, Elly, it’s me.”

            Elwyn wasn’t soothed by his words, long fingers trying to grasp the hands that held him, one slender thigh rising to press wantonly against Durriken’s growing arousal. It was too much. What flesh and blood being could refuse such an exotic and sensual creature? Releasing the golden-skinned wrists he let his hands travel down the perfect body, claiming his friend’s luscious lips, engaging him in a passionate battle of tongues and warmth that neither wanted to end. Only now that Durriken was experiencing everything the other’s fair body had to offer did he realise what had been right in front of him all along. They were meant for each other.

            “I love you,” the declaration caused the white-haired beauty to give him a patient smile, lips nicely bruised from their frantic kiss. He had the feeling his words weren’t believed, at least not the way he meant them, “I really love you, Elly.”

            “Me and half the male population,” hands gripped his shoulders, long legs around his waist making it clear what the older half-demon wanted, his need a burning warmth trapped between them, “Can’t you shut up for ten minutes and fuck me?”

            “Is… is that really what you want?” Elwyn was trembling underneath him, his fingers pressing almost painfully into his skin.

            “Yes!” It almost came out as a sob and as he watched the pleading eyes started filling with tears, “Please, Dur, it hurts… just take me…please.”

            Swallowing heavily his eyes searched the room frantically, looking for something to use. He wasn’t sure what Elwyn meant but he hated seeing his friend this way, he really hadn’t wanted their first time to be like this but it seemed he didn’t have a choice. He was so distracted, trying to look for something that would ease their coupling that he barely even registered what had happened, as his back hit the soft mattress, a wanton body poised over him. “No, Elly, you’re not re-”

            “No time.” And that was it, his arousal was encased in a tight warmth like nothing he had ever felt before. It left him breathless, senseless and all he could do was lose himself in the sensual caresses and heated touches, as he was ridden, an eager mouth nipping at his lips before smothering him with a deep ravaging kiss. He was in pure heaven, or hell, depending on who’s version you believed. But like all such things it had to end, not that it wasn’t a spectacular end, the best he had ever had but he had a painful feeling in his heart that nothing good would come of it.

            “Elwyn?” he stroked the damp and tangled hair, not made uncomfortable by the fine-boned body collapsed on his, but the warmth coming from it worried him, as did the shivering. Sliding his hands down his friend’s back his fingers encountered silk and he realised they hadn’t even bothered to remove the thin robe during… It was then the fullness of what he had done hit him. Elwyn wasn’t his friend anymore, he was his lover. He’d taken the Faol, something he had promised a scared fair-haired teenager only a couple of short years older than himself that he would never do. Would he ever be forgiven? “Elwyn, please, say something?”

            “Was this a mistake too?” The sad, quiet question caught him off-guard and his arms instinctively held the hurting demon tighter.

            “Yes, Elly, but not for the reason you think.” Elwyn trembled and tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let him, though he did help him sit up enough so that he could see the richly coloured eyes and the flushed face. Was that from what they had recently done or did Elwyn have a fever? He was very warm but perhaps that was an after-effect of the potion.

            “Please don’t look at me like that,” when Elwyn went to turn his head Durriken again halted the movement, gripping his chin gently, forcing the most important person  in his life, to face him.

            “I can’t help it, Elly, I worry about you, I care about you. I love you.”

            “No you don’t. Shouldn’t you be off chasing that slayer?”

            “Must you always be so damn infuriating?” he sighed deeply, this was turning out to be much harder than he’d imagined it would be. “For once can’t you just stop with all your defensive shit and trust me? So I made a mistake, I can’t change that but if you love me like I think you do then you can forgive me. You can forgive me and trust me enough to believe me when I tell you that I love you and only you, that I want to be with you for the rest of our lives. I can’t stand the thought of not being with you.” He paused, brushing away quiet tears with a tenderness he only wanted to show his lover. “The only reason why I said what we just did was a mistake was because I didn’t want our first time to be like that. I wanted so much to be slow and gentle with you, and… and I thought it would be you… to take me.”

            “You’re blushing.”

            “You’re crying.”

            Durriken grinned in answer to his friend’s smirk, “Then I guess we’re even. So do you love me?”

            The smirk faded a little, “What about Zack?”

            “Well, you see I was given a choice,” he twirled a damp curl around his finger, using his other hand to feel the smooth skin of the older half-demon’s elegant neck, “I could have had him but that would have meant losing you. It was then I realised just how much you mean to me. There are others I want but it’s only you that I need.”

            He wasn’t sure what effect his words would have but it made his heart fill with joy as he saw how truly touched Elwyn was by his words. The older demon opened his mouth to say something but then closed it, settling for a brilliant if somewhat shy smile instead. They were soon kissing again, though this time it was slower, more tender but deeper, like their first kiss had been; perfect.

            “So…” Durriken murmured into a delicately pointed ear once the kiss had ended, almost moaning at the sensations Elwyn’s skilled fingers were causing as they drifted through his hair and down his neck, “Do you love me?”

            “What do you think?”

            “I think you do but I want to hear you say it.”

            “Fine,” the Faol sighed but his eyes were loving, “I love you, Durriken Nathair. Now about me taking you…”

            “You didn’t run away then.” It was the day after they had rescued Luke and Elwyn and killed the Nathair permanently. He had put off talking to Luke, not because he was still angry with the angel but because he wasn’t sure if they could continue being together. He wanted them to be together because despite the recent problems the past three years had been the happiest of his life. But there was so much that needed sorting out. Luke still hadn’t told him what was wrong and he had to confess his meeting with Durriken. He had the horrible feeling Luke already suspected something had happened between them and trying to hide it would definitely only make things worse.

            “No, I did not.” The angel moved closer to him on the sun-warmed bench, glad they were alone in the garden. It was a beautiful day and the calm vegetation helped sooth some of the angel’s nerves. “There is something I must tell you.”

            “Let me go first, please.” Luke nodded and he took a deep breath, capturing the delicate hands and looking deeply into violet eyes. “I was so angry the other night… It was a mistake and I swear to you I will never do it again… I never meant for it to happen but I…”

            “Slept with Durriken? I know, Zackery and right now I do not really care. We’ve both made mistakes but I love you and I think you still love me. That is the most important thing.”

            “Of course I still love you, I’ll never stop… You really forgive me then? Just like that?”

            “Yes, love, just like that,” Luke leaned forward, placing a soft affectionate kiss to his lips before continuing, “I have made too many mistakes in the past to live in it, as long as you are with me now I do not care about what you have done. Besides I can understand why you did it, I should never have kept what I have from you, you have every right to know.” It was his turn to take a deep breath and Zack felt the fingers in his tremble nervously, “I am pregnant.”

            Zack blinked, “What?”

            “I am pregnant… with your child. I have not been sick, just with child.”

            “You are joking, aren’t you?”

            “No, Zackery,” this was harder than he thought it would be, “Angels are not entirely like humans. Mithra is my daughter but she was also Vincent’s. I carried her to term, just like I will carry our child… if you want it?”

            “I… what… We are having a child?” It was still very hard for the slayer to grasp but the idea was certainly appealing to him. “A child that will be ours? Yours and mine? Of our blood?”

            “Yes.”

            Zack suddenly pulled him close, enveloping him in a warm and loving hug, pleased laughter making his chest rumble as Luke was pressed against him. It felt good, wonderfully good. Zack still wanted him, and even more wanted the little being growing inside of him. Everything would be alright… they were going to have a son, and he would grow up in a happy loving home as every child should.

THE END