Disclaimer: A silly little side-story set somewhere in the time line between RtI: Devotion and RtI: Love. Male/sort of male fluff that gets a little racy. And yeah, it's suppose to be that cheesy; someone rotted his brain with mushy romance books. Characters are mine, though the title and this entire piece of crap was inspired by the song Anggun - By the Moon.

By the Moon

Imite blinked into awareness, looking around. A chilled night breeze ran through his hair and fuzz, and he looked down, realizing he was nude. A blush came to his face, and he noticed he was in some type of wild garden, rich with the scent of rain and night.

He smiled slightly as he took in the sights, fanning his wings. His gaze wandered over the moonlit flowers and trees, before he noticed a break, opening out into a clearing. It lead out onto a grassy hill, the moon framing the pinnacle - in the center stood the silhouette of a tall figure. Imite blinked, lowering his antennae, and before he knew it, he was walking towards the sight.

The figure stood motionless, long hair swaying in the breeze. It - he - had his back turned to the moth. Imite swallowed, feeling his heart pounding a little faster with every step. Soon he had emerged from the safety of the wilderness, out onto the hill, but still, the silhouette remained unmoved.

As Imite approached, he could start to recognize some details. Moonlight clung to the curves of the figure's broad shoulders, and the arches of his musculature. He could see blue stripes hugging the black flesh here and there, and with another blush, observed that the figure seemed to be no more clothed than he was. A pair of long, elliptical wings were slightly spread, the light shining through the transparent membrane.

Imite stepped up behind the figure, about to say something, when the silhouette turned, revealing a brilliant set of sapphire eyes, dashed with a feline pupil. Imite's breath caught in his throat, pinned by the mantis's gaze. He swore he could feel his heart stop, his antennae wilting back against his head. He was captured by those eyes, and all he could do was stare back unsteadily.

The mantis turned slowly, and smiled at him. It was a warm smile, and his eyes lost some of their fierce intensity when his eyes partly closed. Imite felt himself smiling back, his face still warm with a blush. The mantis's smile was enough to make Imite feel the warmth emanating from it sink into every inch of his body and soul, far past his face. But the smile was more than warm.

It was loving.

Imite's heart felt like it swelled, then skipped a beat when a broad hand had settled on his face, the touch causing him to freeze. The fingers gently caressed his face, gliding downwards. The tips of the dull claws didn't even touch his flesh, merely gliding through his fuzz. Down his cheek, across his jaw, along his throat, sliding over his shoulder. Imite's heart rate increased with every inch southward the hand traveled.

The claws found his spine after it had taken a path beneath his wings, and gently traced it downwards, following the convex curve of his back and finally coming to a stop in the heart of the depression. Imite felt another hand on his face; this one moved upwards, trailing through the moth's hair, the claws teasing his scalp. It stroked over his antennae, sending shivers down his spine, his breathing becoming audible. The northbound hand finally reached the apex of his crown and moved downwards, the arm it was attached to eventually coming to rest around his shoulders.

Imite looked up at the mantis, who was still smiling. Together, the arms pulled him forward gently, and Imite accepted, stepping forward and into the mantis's chest. He closed his eyes and set his cheek against the smooth, warm flesh, tucking his own arms up. He heard the deep, rumbling purr that came from within; he inhaled the mantis' musky scent; he felt the strong heart beating just beneath.

The heart that was beating for him.

He shivered at the sensation of their bodies in full contact, unhindered by clothing. The mantis held him tightly, breathing deeply. After a moment, Imite felt the embrace tightening, and before he knew it, the mantis was lifting him up, pulling him along his body. The moth's feet soon left the ground, and he wrapped his arms around the mantis's neck, clinging to him and nestling his face against the nearby throat. The musky scent was even stronger here, and it seemed to constrict around Imite's mind slowly, until he moved his head long enough to look up at the mantis.

Those eyes were even more intense now, when only a scant number of inches separated them from his own lavender eyes. They stared at each other steadily as the dark figure held him aloft. The few inches that remained in between them slowly vanished as the mantis dipped his head forward.

Their lips met, settling together as warmly as the rest of them had. Imite closed his eyes, feeling the more northern hand move up along his neck, and cradling the back of his head. It held him in the kiss gently, even when the mantis tilted his head to one side, then another. He could feel their hair mingling, and a foreign tongue slip into his mouth.

With heated breath, the mantis finally pulled his head back, allowing Imite open his eyes once again. Imite gazed at him sleepily. The moth had been left panting. But the mantis wasn't done.

Imite saw him crane his head forward through bleary eyes, before feeling his warm breath on his throat. He arched his back as his neck was given the same oral caressing as his lips, in one place, then another, and another. He was faintly aware of being moved, slowly lowered onto his back. Soon enough, his wings and hair made contact with the ground, spreading out lazily. His back soon followed, and the mantis was hovering over top him on his hands and knees.

The wandering mouth found a sensitive piece of flesh hidden amongst the plume of fuzz that covered Imite's chest, and he let out a groaning gasp involuntarily. His face reddened slightly at the sound he'd made, but it couldn't become much warmer than it already was. The mantis's hands had moved to his sides, running down along his stomach and his hips, through the crystalline fuzz. His front was not left neglected, a long tongue doing the same job as the hands.

Imite's stomach rose off the ground, his chest shuddering with ragged breaths, punctuated by frustrated bursts of exhaled air tinted with a whine. He drew his legs up into bent positions, squirming slightly.

The mantis stopped and stared up at him. He lifted his face away from Imite's stomach, concentrating on the moth gravely. Imite focused as best he could. It was almost as if the mantis was seeking permission.

Imite granted it by spreading his legs.

The dark shaded creature - lover - above him brought himself forward, aligning his body with Imite's. The moth was shaking with anticipation, clinging again to the mantis's shoulders. The hands slid beneath him, and Imite was reassured with a kiss. He felt the mantis's knees sliding up against the outside of his hips, and their chests meeting. Both hearts were pounding furiously, as though they wanted to escape their confines and join together as one.

With another breath, the bodies housing them did just that, with only the moon as their audience...

Vesper stared at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep. Not with the sounds coming from his bunk mate, at least.

He flicked his eyes over at Imite, all he dared do. The moth was shifting his weight around, rocking slightly, with a look of ecstasy plastered onto his sleeping face. He'd awoken Vesper up with his breathless panting; at first, he was afraid Imite was having a spontaneous asthma attack, but it was pretty obvious that wasn't the case now. Not with the way he was rocking, the way he was gasping. Or the way he smelled.

All of this combined to make a very uncomfortable Vesper. His body was rigid, but only most of it voluntarily so. He turned his eyes back to the ceiling, staring at it almost fearfully. He flinched when he heard a low groan escape his roommate. That was it.

Forcefully and mechanically, Vesper turned away from Imite, setting his jaw and fixing his wide-eyed gaze on the wall. He sat up slowly, stuffing his pillow under his arm and walking stiffly towards the door. He was sleeping on the couch tonight.

Lucky bastard, whoever he's dreaming about.

The mantis grumbled and buried his head into his relocated pillow.