A World Like That

Chapter XXI

-Dantalion-

When Ariel landed in the forest the next morning, he hugged him tightly, rocking from side to side as he wrapped his arms all the way around Ariel. He immediately felt more calm and would have been content to hold Ariel like this all day.

"I missed you," Ariel said, his voice a tickle against Dante's ear. "I hope that's not weird to say."

"It's not. I always miss you after we have to say goodbye for the night." He loosened his hold on Ariel so that he could look at his face. "I was scared yesterday when I saw you being attacked, and it made me realize that I can't lose you. You mean too much to me."

Ariel glanced up at him, and something in his eyes was different. There was a yearning there that Dante hadn't seen before. Even so, he was caught off guard by Ariel's next words.

"I love you."

He stared at Ariel, not knowing what to say. Love was a foreign concept to him. But at the same time, the pieces began to fall into place. Love must be what he had been feeling all along. He cared about Ariel more than he cared about anyone else. He wanted to spend all of his time with Ariel. He'd do anything he could to protect Ariel, because the thought of life without him was unbearable. If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was.

He put a hand on Ariel's cheek and gently stroked it with his thumb. Leaning in, he kissed Ariel softly before pulling back, his nose still brushing Ariel's.

"I love you too," he said quietly.

Ariel's eyes widened with surprise. "You do?"

He nodded and kissed Ariel again.

"I thought demons couldn't love," Ariel murmured against his lips.

"It looks like I can. I think anyone could love you."

Ariel pulled away. "How do you know? Tell me."

He smiled and took Ariel's hand in his, gently playing with his fingers. "I can't see my life without you in it. I miss you every second we're apart. I want to see you happy, but I want to protect you too. When you're not with me, I worry about something happening to you. You make me feel things I've never felt before - good and bad. It's never been like this with anyone else."

Ariel was smiling widely, tears in his eyes. He took Ariel in his arms again, feeling closer to him than ever before.

-Ariel-

Dante loved him. 

He almost couldn't believe it. All his life he had been told that demons were evil creatures who couldn't love, but Dante had proven that notion wrong.

He felt like he was floating. They stood there with their arms around each other and rocked from side to side, taking comfort in the presence of the other. Now that he knew Dante loved him, he felt even more sure about what he wanted to do. He squeezed Dante tightly before pulling back and looking straight into his eyes.

"I want you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"I want to be with you completely."

Dante raised an eyebrow. "You mean...?"

"Sex. I don't want something to happen to either of us without having experienced that with you."

Dante's face was a mixture of emotions. "Ari...you know I want that with you more than I can put into words, but I'm not sure it's the best thing for you. If God and your friends find out you slept with a demon, what will happen to you?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it'll be worth it."

"But you told me that angels wait to have sex until they find their soulmate."

"Most of the time, but not all of the time. And Dante," he said softly, "what if you're my soulmate?"

"I don't think that's possible."

"I do. I love you, and you're not supposed to be able to love, but you love me."

Dante smiled. "This is really what you want?"

"Yes. I want you. I'm more sure of it than anything else."

-Dantalion-

He led Ariel to a clearing in the forest with soft grass covering the ground. Big, beautiful white flowers at the edge of the clearing swayed gently in the breeze and filled the air with a sweet, musky scent. The setting was perfect, and he wanted nothing less than perfect for Ariel.

The soft glow of the late afternoon light lit up Ariel's gorgeous face. For a moment, all he could do was stare. He was infatuated with the angel. He stepped close to Ariel and kissed him, nuzzling his nose against Ariel's. His fingers traced Ariel's toned sides and came to rest on his hips. He'd longed to touch him this way for ages, and now it was finally going to happen.

"Can I?" he asked, tucking his fingers into the white cloth wrapped around Ariel's hips.

"Yes," Ariel whispered, closing his eyes.

He gently undid the cloth and pulled it away from Ariel, letting it drop to the ground. Ariel was exquisite.

Reaching down, he took the soft, velvet skin in his hand. He watched Ariel open his eyes as he gasped softly. After a few movements of his hand, Ariel reached out and grasped the black cloth around Dante's hips. He helped Ariel remove it and then pressed his body against Ariel's, feeling the desire between them.

He and Ariel kissed under the warm sun, and he moaned when Ariel bit his bottom lip and tugged. His hips moved against Ariel's as if they were made to fit together. He broke the kiss long enough to take Ariel's hand and pull him to the ground.

Ariel lay on his back and looked up at him with those beautiful blue eyes, and it was almost more than Dante could take. He positioned himself over Ariel, but hesitated.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," Ariel insisted softly.

"I've been with a lot of others. And I'm a demon. Are you sure I'm the one?"

"I know it."

Ariel reached up and kissed him, and he melted into Ariel, wanting to be closer. He breathed deeply, taking in the scent of Ariel's hair and skin. They continued to kiss, slowly and sensually, and their hips began moving together. Ariel looked up at him, his eyes softly pleading for more. Dante gave it to him, keeping everything slow and gentle. He watched Ariel's face, soaking in all the reactions - the soft moans, the quick inhalations, the rhythmic movements of Ariel's body underneath his, fitting perfectly together. The trust in Ariel's eyes made him feel worthy of being the one with this privilege.

Even though he'd done this many times before, he wasn't prepared for the end. He felt like he saw Heaven itself as waves of pleasure rolled over him and Ariel's body trembled beneath his.

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever done.