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Alastor was often busy.
That was the factual life of being tied to a man of his social standing and particular tastes in time-passing activities. So it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence that Clover was left to spend her time in his home as she wished, whether that may be lounging about his library, shuffling through his extensive collection of records, or wandering the many hallways that wound themselves around the radio tower. On this particular evening she’d rescued a dusty copy of a romance novel she wasn’t sure Alastor knew had taken up residence in his library from its place on the shelf and had sprawled herself across the fainting couch that faced the library’s wide windows to take advantage of the setting sun to consume the climax of a novel she’d never dare open in Alastor’s presence. Her shoes tumbled from her feet as she crossed them at the ankles, Clover smoothing her skirt as she tucked her knees beneath the book and allowed herself to become absorbed in the text.
“𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎. 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕. 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜-”
“Boo.”
“Holy shi-”
Clover squeaked, nearly jumping out of her own skin at the whisper that blew across her cheek. The book tumbled from her hands, falling onto her face with a heavy thunk that only further fueled the rasping laughter that had begun to fill the library. It was lifted to reveal her scowling face and Clover tilted her head upward to look at who had decided to disturb her.
“You can just say ‘hello’, you know.”
“No fun in that.”
The Shadow grinned down at her, casting its teal tint across her glasses as it settled itself against the curved back of her perch.
“How long have you been here? I thought you’d gone hunting with Alastor.” Clover sighed, stretching a hand out to take back possession of her book.
It said nothing as it pulled the book just out of her reach, and her heart sank into her stomach as it twisted the pages around to read them.
“Wait-” Clover scrambled to get it away from the shadow, twisting herself around in an attempt to reach the book. “Don’t read that, please.”
Clover was yanked back down into her seat just before she was able to catch hold of the book’s cover, and her attention turned to the cold force that pinned her to velvet cushions. A dark tendril, thrumming with a gentle pulse of energy as it pressed into her skin, had twisted its way around her ankle. It pulled sharply, dragging Clover down the length of the couch until her head rested just below where it had before the shadow’s interruption like she weighed little more than a ragdoll. She was helpless to stop the shadow from reading the embarrassing passage it had caught her in the middle of, its eyes widening with its smile as it turned the page. That possibly made it all worse, not knowing what it was seeing now as it read ahead of her in what was surely turning out to be an erotic tale. The laughing had stopped, replaced by a soft rumbling that filled the room and rattled the shade of the nearby lamp. Clover’s head turned towards the clinking of metal, worried that it would knock the polished iron fixture from its place on the side table. That rumbling deepened, slowly descending into a timbre that she would dare to call a purr as the room darkened.
Clover’s attention was turned back to the Shadow as the book dropped, passing through its dark claws as if it was nothing but smoke before it clattered to the floor. It was a confusing thing to watch when the Shadow’s other hand was so firmly wrapping its claws around her jaw, tilting her head back as it loomed over her.
“Curious little rabbit.”
It stepped towards her, phasing through the couch as it crowded into her space. Clover struggled to maintain her balance against its unstoppable force, rising up on her knees before she fell backward into a tangle of legs atop its lap. Her hands met the plush padding behind her, her elbows trembling in their attempt to keep her from collapsing completely beneath it. The Shadow stopped its advance short, its teal eyes narrowing in amusement as it looked over her. Something about its gaze was warm against the cool breath it blew across her lips, even as the windows beside them began to grow foggy from the chill.
“What are you doing?” Clover could have cursed at how small her voice sounded, trying her best to level its shaking as she stared up at the shadow. “I don’t-”
“Do you want It?”
“Do I want- What?”
The sudden materialization of it between her thighs drew a sharp breath from her as she fell onto her back, the Shadow shifting into solid form as it hovered over her. Its hand landed beside her head, dipping the cushion beneath its indescribable weight as it lowered its face to hers.
“Answer.”
She could feel a heat hoving inches from her skin, and if she’d dared to look away from the shadow in front of her, she would have noticed the wavering warmth blurring the air around them. It curled against her skin, soothing the chills that she pretended were the true source of her shaking, but the pounding of her heart told a different story. It was a threat that hid just beyond the peripherals of her vision, twisting shapes that moved where she could not see and battered her flight instincts with adrenaline. Her attention couldn’t linger too long on any of it, because the claws that cupped her chin slid against the pale expanse of her throat as a reminder of what was waiting for her. The answer balanced on the tip of her tongue, leaning away from the edge of decency but ultimately tumbling over as the burning in the pit of her stomach turned to steam.
“Yes.”
The tension in the air snapped like a rubber band against her skin, pulling a gasping breath that was quickly silenced by the feeling of cool lips against her own. Darkness was instantly upon her, sucking the light from the room and stealing all sight from her. Did she even close her eyes for the kiss? If she did, she wouldn’t have been able to tell, and the shadow pulled away too quickly after contact for her to assess the situation herself. Teeth ghosted across her neck, pressing into it with the threat of piercing her tender skin but never pushing too far. Her pulse raced in response, its rapid rhythm blurring its beating into one solid vibration that thrummed beneath her skin. It wasn’t until the teeth shifted into the soft drag of lips against her, following after the claws that pressed into the hollows of her throat before they were replaced by warm breath and the feeling of lips sealing against her pulse, that Clover’s stunned silence was broken with a ragged whine. That single, unintended admission of desire drew it closer, a solid weight falling into her with a roll of hips against her own.
Maybe one day, you will see for yourself.
Its voice, so far away in the passage of time, came back to her as dark tendrils wrapped around her thighs. She did nothing to stop it as her knees were pushed aside, making space for the Shadow between them and keeping her right where it wanted her for the time being. Deft, dark fingers danced across the hem of her shirt, daring to slide cold palms across her stomach to revel in how it knocked the air from her lungs before it took advantage of her gasping lips and kissed her once again. In the darkness she sought comfort, the safety of unseeing soothing her anxious insecurities as its hands moved further, her shirt riding up her stomach and bunching at its wrists as it took advantage of her leisurely attire to grope at the bare expanse of her chest.
Where Alastor so often touched her with care, so aware of the sharpness of his claws and the strength of his grip, his shadow fell into the actions of a deeper, more primal part of him he only let thrive on occasion; Its claws didn’t shy away from scratching against her skin, echoing each whimper she gave in response with a rumbling growl that sank into her core, teeth caught her in the small breaks it allowed her to breathe and tugged at swollen lips. It was in those in-between moments that she recognized the waves of heat spreading across her skin, the burning of her nerves clashing against the warmth of embarrassment as she became aware of the slow rock of her hips against it. Her ears twitch backward in embarrassment, her hands dropping from where they had come to grip at the dark mass above her to press into the softness of her cheeks. Surely her fingerprints would disappear from the burn of her skin if she’d left them there long enough, but she’d barely begun to hide from the darkness when it took hold of her again.
“Don’t be shy.”
Its breath bathes her skin with warmth as it ducks down to press heated kisses against her sternum, new masses of dark energy twisting around her wrists and pinning them to the cushions on either side. Lips part as they ghost across the peaks of her breasts, and Clover’s spine arches towards it, desperately chasing the promised heat behind them. She is happily at the mercy of the Shadow, panting into the space between them as the building warmth of its palm slides beneath the fabric of her skirt. Its claws scrape against the decorative lace that adorns her hips and it growls against her, sharp teeth digging dangerously into the tender skin that covers her ribcage before it looms over her once again. In the darkness flickers two flames of teal that narrow as it moves in closer, the glow of a pointed tongue illuminating her beneath it briefly as it drags across dark lips. For a moment, nothing moves aside from the pulsing energy of the vines that had begun to crawl up her limbs washing over her with every beat of her racing heart, and she is frozen beneath the brilliant eyes of the beast. The slow drag of a claw across the soft swell of her stomach startles her, Clover lurching against her bindings at the sensation. It ghosts across the thin line of fabric between them like the pendulum of a clock, back and forth, ticking down the seconds that pass as it waits for her approval.
“Please-”
Her whisper comes from within, echoing inside her own skull with its taunting desperation before it’s lost to the rolling thunder that follows. Every centimeter of her skin tingles as she’s surrounded, the Shadows liquid heat lapping at her skin as it pulls her down into the depths of its darkness. Where she cannot see, she feels; Every press against her a flame that furthers the heat that burns between her thighs. Among the unyielding static growl that vibrates against her, she can hear the faint tearing of thread as it nearly rips the fabric from her skin, moving back from her momentarily to pull the offending undergarment down her thighs. The moment of chill that falls back upon her in its absence pulls a whimper from her throat that melts into soft keening as it covers her with its heat once again, soothing the goosebumps on her skin with a desperate drag of claws up her trembling legs. Those pinpoints of light among the Shadow tilt in amusement as it drops between her knees, and its wicked tongue darts out again, a gentle reminder of what is yet to come before she’s robbed of that guiding light with a flutter of eyelids.
Clover squeaks as it drags her into place, those tendrils climbing farther up her thighs as they fall open, leaving her helpless against the desires of the darkness. A cool breeze against damp skin is the first feeling that comes to her, pulling another high-pitched hitch from her throat before it leaves sharp nips across her hips, it's purring sinking into her skin as it twists the nerves beneath it tighter with every breath.
And then its tongue comes like a hot wax dripping across her skin, sealing against her sensitive, soaked flesh, and all semblance of thought is lost.
“Sweet little thing.”
The growl that pushes its praise into the depths of her consciousness sinks into every twisted, taught nerve, vibrating against every roll of its tongue against her as it begins to devour her. Head falling back against the cushions, or whatever the darkness had become, Clover fights the urge to simply scream as it leaves no bit of her flesh untouched, that sinful slickness of its tongue lapping at her entrance and dragging across the bundle of nerves above with the fervor of a starving beast. Her wrists twist, winding her fingers around the solid masses that bind her and holding on for life itself as her body begins to burn with the promise of bliss. Her touch earns an immediate response as those twisting tendrils push further to curve beneath her breasts and curl against the soft skin between hip and thigh, the cool weight of them slipping against the sweat and slick that had begun to coat her skin. Swollen lips press together as The Shadow rips cry after mewling cry from her throat, the throb of broken skin bleeding into the heat of her flush as she further aggravates them between her teeth.
It leaves her with a final, long lick against the whole of her, Clover’s whining protest cut short by the gentle pressure of a palm against her pulse; Just enough to threaten, but not enough to silence her completely. Her eyes flutter, fighting to figure out the difference between her own darkness and the one she’d given in to but finding none. It looms above her, she can feel it in the gentle roll of its weight between her thighs and the panting breaths that blow across her lips, but it gives her no sign to guide her through the weaving path between illusion and truth.
“Silence receives no reward.”
“I’m sorry, I-”
“Let me listen, and you shall see.”
Clover nods, almost pathetic in her need, and the reward is immediate. Lips press against hers once again, parting them with its sinful tongue as it kisses her with the same passion it had shown while between her legs. Clover cannot help but trace the edges of sharp teeth as it opens up to her, pressing up into it when it dares to give space for breath. When it purrs in response, curling claws around her throat and crushing her beneath its weight, her heart flutters, and she can’t help but wonder for how long the Shadow had been left wanting. Its desperation is measured, but present, pushing against the backs of her knees to spread her wide for it as a familiar, heaving weight falls against her and grinds into the searing heat that had blossomed between them. Clover can feel the way her skin pulls as she squeezes her eyes shut, unable to keep herself fighting as something winds around the underside of her thigh and slides through the slick that had dripped down. Separate, cool weight curls against her entrance, seeming to wait until the exact movement she breathed to press into her with a single, smooth thrust. It knocks the air from her lungs and gives her no time to recover before it begins to move, twisting in a way too fluid to be the creature that continues to grind against the bundle of nerves that burns with desperation in a way that sends tremors across her thighs with every upward stroke.
“With another painfully precise thrust against that spot that made her see stars, the darkness revels in her screams.”
That voice echoes inside of her again, rasping against the last glimmers of thought that exist inside of her mind as the weight inside of her disappears with a soft, wet squish.
“We shall all return to darkness.” The Dark said. “And from darkness, we have come.”
“Don’t spoil the ending.”
Clover doesn’t know where she finds the energy to speak, her voice wavering with want as the blunt head of something far thicker presses against her, spreading her open with a gentleness that is starkly contradictory to the tightening grip on her thighs. She did not need to see to know that its words were taken from a page, the taunting lilt of its voice deepening the flush that surely paints her skin scarlett as it recites what she assumes is the climax of her paperback romance. Its laugh rustles the bangs that had begun to stick to her forehead, the Shadow bumping against her affectionately as it grinds the heaviness of its length against her, each breath that blows across her lips more ragged than the last. The anticipation buzzes against her skin, and she’s unable to stop herself from squirming beneath it as it draws out the moment to its furthest edge.
“Darkness falls upon her with a depth that fills her, consuming her consciousness through every thrust. As she reaches her p-”
“Please, I need It, just- Please.”
The heat of embarrassment she could have felt for her pathetic plea never comes as it sinks into her, the smooth press of its length almost agonizing against the tension of her nerves. The Shadows sighs as the thickening swell of its base bumps against her, the sound a melody of contentment against her burning ears. Her limbs tremble at the equally slow pullout, its length resting shallowly inside of her as those teal flames flicker before her once again, indecently casting their cool light across the point at which they’ve connected. More heat, more touch, comes as her back arches at the desperate pace that begins with a rattling groan from her heart’s dark counterpart, dipping into the curve of her waist and splaying across her sternum. Unable to gather the strength to move against the vines that bind her, it’s all Clover can do to remind herself to breathe between gasping cries as it continues to twist the threads within her tighter with every thrust. Its manner is primal, The Shadow pounding into her with little regard for the messy sounds it makes between them, the sound of flesh dulled by the overwhelming fog of its being as it bears down upon her and drowned by its satisfied growl as Clover’s grip on control slips under its treatment.
“Fuck-”
There is nothing but the overwhelming feeling of It as the darkness drops over her, its depth even greater than before as those twin teal flames narrow before they’re snuffed out entirely, her only light the flash of tongue that slips between its teeth to drag against her pulse. Among the sinful sounds of sex is the tearing of upholstery, the cushions beneath her shoulders dipping with the weight of it as it grips into their pedestal with a feral howl. The leverage it gains from the new positions is used to pound into that tender place inside of her, the Shadow drinking in the cries it pulls from her throat with a searing kiss. Her fingers slide against the cool surface of the tendrils as their grip on her falters, pulling her hands from their bindings to grip at the dark mass that pushes deeper into her with every roll of heavy hips, filling her in a way she can only describe as possession. It’s inside her very soul, its panting breath keeping time with her own, the numbing static that it’s sunk into her skin blurring the borders between body and black magic. The Shadow keens at the nails dig into the caging limbs of the being above her, the arch of her back pressing the soft flesh of her front against the hard lines of its imperceptible form as she grips at wide shoulders. Bruises begin to ache beneath her skin as the sharp points of boney hips dig into her thighs, and the ache only adds to the pressure that pools in the pit of her stomach.
She nearly sobs when cold fire laps across her clit, twisting circles in time with the Shadow’s thrusts as it drags her deeper into depravity. Fingers grip at the back of its neck, sliding through the soft mass of hair to wrap around the curving velvet-coated bone atop its head and pull; Her risk earns reward, sharp teeth parting to reveal the roll of a glistening teal tongue as the Shadow snarls. Her forehead presses against its own as those unearthly eyes stare down at her, nearly blinding as they burn brighter when faced with the vision of sin she’s become.
The beginning of the end comes suddenly, crashing down upon her with its full weight before she’d even felt it truly begin to build. When she would usually teeter just on the edge, she falls fully into bliss with a cry that she’s sure echoes beyond the limits of this dimension of desire the darkness had created for the two of them. It pays no mind to her swiftly overstimulating nerves as she unravels. Shadows swirl around her, their maelstrom pulling her under and drowning her in a sea of pleasure she gladly swallows down. The constant push and pull against her fluttering nerves does not slow as it ripples above her, Its groan as she tightens around it driving the burn in her gut to a heat that blisters. With no end to her orgasm in sight, Clover surrenders further, unable to fight against the shockwaves of sensuality that helplessly twist her hips and spine. Her toes curl as they hook behind its back, her nails piercing whatever dark matter makes up the being that continues to pound into her with selfish ferocity, seeking its own pleasure now that it had achieved its goal of breaking her beneath It.
With a final, unhinged snarl it buries itself inside of her, finding its end in her body and chasing the feeling with a rough grind of hips against her own. The pressure snaps the final tether that had held her on the edge of madness, rolling against her over sensitive, beaten nerves as that searing heat between her thighs blends with the warmth that spills into her until there is nothing but the blinding, white-hot pleasure that ignites a new fire within her. Her throat stings, but she cannot hear her own screams as the oppressive static reaches a new height, depriving her of all sound as it merges into a single, sharp tone that sets an ache in her bones. A sharp flash behind closed eyelids turns her vision red, that dull dark scarlet bleeding across her existence as she collapses into the comfort of unconsciousness.
“Darling?”
Her nerves buzz beneath the weight of a hand on her shoulder, the only tether between where she still hovers in the lucid land of dreams and the waking world beyond. Gentle fingers against her skin help to pull her from the depths of sleep, brushing across heated skin and pushing hair from her face as the world dips beside her. Clover hums as those fingers scrape against her scalp, pressing weakly into the familiar touch as her heavy eyes fight to open.
When they do, she finds Alastor sitting beside her, taking her hand in his as he allows her hair to slip from between his claws with an amused smile. The room beyond him is dim, it’s only light coming from the flickering fire that burns in the hearth and the cool light of the city skyline beyond frosted windows. He waits patiently as she stretches, allowing her to slowly come back to herself while he rubs gentle circles into the back of her hand with his thumb. Clover’s voice is hoarse as she whispers in the unprecedented silence, thick with a sleep that she struggles to clear.
“What time is it?”
“Nearly the witching hour, I thought it best to let you rest for a while.”
Something tumbles to the floor as Clover sits up, her joints straining against the movement with a throbbing that knocks the air from her lungs. Her body aches as she leans over to peer at what exactly had dropped to the floor at Alastor’s feet, and the crack of her spine straightening nearly eclipses the embarrassed squeak that she lets out when she realizes what it was.
“Oh.”
The book lays face up beside shiny black shoes, half opened across Alastor’s toes. Its page corner is folded to mark where she’d left off, pointed towards the title of the novel pivotal chapter like an arrow at the crossroads. In her mind it flashes fluorescent, turning red alongside her flushing cheeks as she scrambled to retrieve the book and slam it closed before Alastor can read the explicit nature of the page’s text and further mortify her by questioning its meaning; But he only regards her with the slightest furrow of his brow, his eyes flickering between her and the book clutched against her chest.
“What the devil were you reading?”
Knowing she was surely an impressive shade of pink by now, Clover tried her best to gracefully get to her feet. It’s a sad attempt, her legs wobbling beneath her as she stands and quickly places the book back in its proper place on the library's shelves before turning back to the man who watches her with an amused tilt of his head. Her voice is still soft against the static he creates as she returns to him, her fingers outstretched as she waits for him to fill the space in between.
“Just a book I found.”
“Well!” Alastor stands with a clap of hands against his knees, smiling brightly down at her as he takes her waiting hands. “It must not have been all that interesting then!”
Clover can’t help the embarrassed twitch of her fingers against his palms as her mind swims with images she can only assume exist in dreams, the fainting couch she’d been curled up on unmarred by claws, and her clothes in their rightful place. Clover’s gaze drifts to the window, taking in the way the light blurs in the fog that collects on cold glass and wondering what the weather outside must be like to create such a thing, but then her eyes land on the sole disruption- A heart, drawn at equal height to where she’d been sitting moments before. It smears as the room warms, droplets rolling down the window’s foggy interior in a way that churns Clover’s stomach and quickens her pulse. Alastor doesn’t argue as she tugs him to her, letting her tuck herself beneath his arm and curl into his side as she steers them towards the library’s open door; Why would he, when it allows her whisper to brush against the open collar of his shirt and hides her from the knowing twist that widens his smile as they step into the darkened hallway?
“It was- Enlightening, to say the least.”
And in the darkness, the Shadow smiled back.