A Bloom of Darkness

After a spell of us cuddling, me gently tweaking his nipples every so often because I knew he secretly loved it, he cleared his throat. It was obvious, he was anxious about something. "Lucia, I... I don't know how to do this. Would you, um... fucking hell! Will you go to dinner with me tonight?!" It was his turn to tense up as he waited for my answer. How could he think I wouldn't?!

"Of course, Arthur! What on earth are you so nervous about?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I could tell you. But it's been so long, and we never actually dated back then. We fucked mostly, occasionally made love, and—"

"And spent hours and hours simply talking about everything and nothing. My husband couldn't even bother doing that." As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. "Ex-husband, that is. But you know that."

"I do. And I'm sorry about him. You deserved so much better, every step of the way."

"It's strange, but I'm starting to feel inclined to agree with you. And... thanks."

My team was slowly trickling in now. Laying naked on top of their CEO, I had a brief moment of panic before I remembered the one-way glass. Of course, that wouldn't do anything for the noise. Something that was going to be an issue sooner rather than later as his cock continued to harden even more against me. I grumbled looking out at them, and his eyes followed my line of sight.

"Would you like me to go out and order them all to leave for a while?" It amused me how easily he fell into this leadership role when he'd been so adamant back in high school about avoiding it.

"Don't be silly. They're working and that would just...."

"Are you afraid they'll hear us and think less of you? Why should you care?"

"They're my team! If they think their position here is dependent on whether or not you and I are bonking I don't think they'd feel as assured of their positions. That insecurity isn't good, especially if it becomes distracting. You can imagine how your primal animal grunts and groans might distract them. Never mind the sounds you pull out of me." His chuckled as his chest puffed with pride under me and his hands began wandering to somewhat more hidden and adventurous places.

"Well then, I need to convince you to just take off with me. We'll drive across the country, see the world, and never look back."

"Hmm, maybe later," I mused.

"Fair enough. For now I'll just have to help you be quiet by having complete control. I should be able to control myself as well that way."

"Can you really do that?" I was skeptical, and sore, but now that I'd caught my breath, there was no way I was going to miss out another round with him after I'd missed more than a decade's worth.

Picking me up he headed to the meeting table. On the other side of the windows, just past the table, my team was working away, chatting about this or that, likely their weekend or plans for the rest of summer. They had no idea their immediate boss and the head of the corporation were fucking each other's brains out in here.

Kissing me hard as he put me down, he then twirled me around and bent me over the table. I giggled like a schoolgirl as he manhandled me about, until I felt a firm hand cover my mouth. Rolling my eyes despite him not being able to appreciate it, I bucked my ass back against him slightly in a vain attempt to convey my contempt for his lazy fix. In all fairness though, I don't know what I expected. His other hand grabbed my ass, clutching it firmly, almost painfully in the best way. He knew I was loving this as I moaned into his palm.

Pushing me down against the table, he positioned himself behind me. Slowly, maddeningly so, he pressed at my entrance and slid his entire length into me. My body shook with delight as he again stretched me out, filling me perfectly. I was surprised at how quiet he was managing to be. Surprised, and a little... annoyed? One hand was still over my mouth, the other grabbing tightly onto my hip when he started his slow thrusts. Every time he was fully sheathed, I'd tighten myself down there.

The first time my slick walls squeezed down on his cock, he had to quickly clamp his jaw shut to prevent any lewder sounds. I was pushing his ability to stay quiet, and he loved that. I was trying to stay silent, but those slow thrusts quickly sped up, making it harder and harder. I quickly gave up, instead trusting him to keep the noises down for the both of us.

Before long he was fucking me up onto the table. I perked my ass up and laid my head against the coolness of the wood. His hand slightly slipped from its hold and purpose, letting a single audible moan escape. That pushed him to tighten his grip again and bring his other hand up to my throat, forcing me to either look out at my team or shut my eyes. We'd only cursorily tried choking in our youth. I'm sure he'd seen it in some porno or other and wanted to see how I'd react and how it'd feel for him. It was just okay back then, but now it set my mind and my pussy on fire.

There was something different this time as he leaned onto my back, using the full range and power of his hips and ass to roughly, yet quietly, fuck me. Maybe it was his grip, or how unyielding he was, hell, maybe it was the table, but most likely it was my impishness rejoicing as his cock filled me in my office, making me watch my team at work. A few more hard thrusts, his fingers tightening around my throat, and I was cumming even harder than I had an hour ago.

It must have set some things on fire for him, too. Or possibly it was my pussy, swollen from a sudden upsurge of use along with the sensation of it clenching around his aching cock. I'd always been able to tell when he was near his peak. I looked around outside my office, my team was finally actually getting to work. Now's when the challenge to remain silent was going to come for Arthur.

Swiftly both of his hands retreated. As he grabbed for my hips, pushing and pulling as he fucked me, sliding me off and back onto his cock- this bastard let loose the lewdest roar, as if he was the fucking King of Pride Rock as he, too, came incredibly hard.

I was beyond mortified as my pussy kept quivering and contracting as he again coated my insides. Looking around outside of my office, not one person seemed to have noticed. Or was acting any differently. I couldn't believe it. And I had no idea what was going on. He kissed the nape of my neck, his hands running all over my worn body as he panted freely.

"Relax, Love. I had your office sound-proofed."

"What?! Why?! Were you so sure this would happen?" My voice was full of incredulity, and a touch of indictment.

"Even darkness dreams, Lucia."

A shiver ran through me as he picked me up and carried me back to my sofa. Laying down himself and careful to place me gently back on top of him. I was thankful I'd gone with the leather. Easier to clean up all of our messes later on. For now, I just wanted this.

Unaware of how much time had passed, sure that I'd fallen asleep, I was startled when one of my researchers knocked loudly enough to wake me. "I need to get out there," I grumbled against his chest.

"I'm not telling you your life or business or how to run your lab, but maybe you can take today off? I don't want to leave you."

"You're not leaving me. You never were the one to leave. I'll see you for dinner tonight. I need to shower and whatnot, so I'll be taking off slightly earlier than usual anyway."

"Are you kicking me out now?"

"I mean, kinda."

He played wounded, trying to make me laugh. It didn't work, I was too overcome with everything that had happened so far. And it was only Monday morning. We dressed slowly, teasing, caressing, enjoying one another. I walked out with him, trying to keep a stern face. Hopefully they'd assume the worst, that I'd gotten in trouble for something or other. Arthur played his role perfectly. Enjoying it far too much.

Mid-afternoon I realized I should have just taken the day. I couldn't stop thinking about him. And I couldn't stop feeling more and more of his cum leaking out of me. I told my assistant I was heading out early. She seemed worried; I'd never done that before. I was usually in before anyone else and didn't leave until they'd all long gone. Assuring her I was fine, merely distracted and needing to deal with something, I worked very hard to not practically skip out of the building.

Showered, shaved, and my whole body smelling like gardenias (his favorite), I donned a little black dress with somewhat sheer black fabric going from the low bodice to my neck as well as the sleeves, accentuated with adorable polka dots. They popped against my light skin, and I'd been waiting years to wear this dress.

My heart raced when I heard the doorbell ring, even though it was early, very early. I was rushing to the door when I felt it before I heard it. A wave of an explosion, followed by a sizzling blast low and deep as the shreds of my door blew into my apartment, debris and blue flames flying everywhere. A tall woman wearing sunglasses stepped precariously over the wreckage. She was flanked by four, for lack of a better word, gremlins. Hunchbacked, grotesquely muscular creatures, no taller than three feet when they did stand upright, and blue flames swirling around their bodies. They used their long arms and hands to walk and scuttle as much as their short, stubby legs and feet. Tails like fiery whips crashed into and slashed through everything they came into contact with. Speaking in a series of grumbles and hoots, they seemed to address the tall woman.

"Come along, your Brilliance," trilled the woman with the oddly familiar sunglasses as she vaguely nodded towards me with mock veneration.

No words would come, none would have made any sense. My heart was racing, my stomach had dropped, and I knew I needed to flee. I ran to the other end of my apartment, hoping to escape through my bedroom window. Before I could even slam that door shut, it too was obliterated in short order. Wooden shrapnel cut through me as the force threw me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me. Though perhaps it would be more accurate to say the wind was pulled out of me. I found myself unable to breathe as the tall woman entered my bedroom with her hand raised and clutching some invisible thing, followed closely by her demonic blue minions.

"All I need is your light. Bless me with it, rescind it from yourself, and no one need perish." I had no idea what the fuck this insane woman was talking about. I still couldn't breathe and had begun instinctively scratching at my throat. The woman seemed annoyed and with a flick of her raised hand I was able to breathe again.

"Now, about your light...." Standing slowly, my eyes darting between her and her cerulean servants, somehow I managed to hear him again. Greg- scratching, tapping frantically on his terrarium. How could I have forgotten Greg?! He'd been with me through so much, gotten me through it all- if I was going to make another escape attempt, I needed to grab him first.

Nodding to her as if I understood, I moved towards Greg. She raised her chin to stare down at me and as she did I saw whisps of demonic blue flames from behind her sunglasses. A flash of a memory from a lifetime ago and I recognized her as the woman who had rear ended me that summer all those years ago. For a moment I was stunned, dumbfounded, frozen in place. And again Greg started tapping feverishly. His taps stirred me, and I started towards him once more.

Busying myself with his terrarium, scooping him up quickly as she started to ask what I was doing, I barely noticed Greg's unusual behavior. Giant African millipedes have a fairly pathetic repertoire of defense mechanisms and no attack mechanism. Their defense consists of balling themselves up as much as their long bodies will allow, thus somewhat protecting their heads, legs, and underside. They can also secrete a fluid that stinks and, apparently, tastes terrible. Their attack consists of nothing more than creeping some people out.

Normally when I'd pick up Greg, he'd initially coil up in his defensive ball. Today when I went to pick him up, he scurried to me, twisting himself up and around my hand. Beginning to turn, I readied myself for a final, all out lunge towards that large window. (For whatever reason I thought if I could get out of this building I could be safe.)

And then there she was, inches away from me. She was so close; I could feel the heat of her flames. And yet, what stood out to me the most was that she had absolutely no scent. This closeness also brought my attention back to her sunglasses. From here I could see the flames dancing behind the lenses. Flames, and nothing else. Her minions were surrounding me now, hooting and cawing like savage little beasts. The woman grabbed hold of my wrist (thankfully not the one Greg was on) and squeezed tightly. Her touch seared into me and smoke rose from my burning flesh.

I wanted to scream, I needed to! But something inside me told me not to. Without thinking I grabbed for her hand, needing to tear it away. Greg scurried from me to her and almost instantly she let go, screaming. I'd never seen someone so fearful of my tiny buddy before. Then I saw it, and smelled it. Greg's secretions were apparently eating away at her flesh.

While she was preoccupied, her blue blazed creatures hopping about her hysterically, I dashed for the window. She shrieked and as I opened the window I saw her pull Greg off of her and slam him to the ground. I was gutted. Some part of me knew when I sprinted away that this would be how it would end for Greg, at this horrible thing's lack of mercy. Knowing it, and having it register with you on an emotional level are two very different things.

It came out as a long whisper, "No!" as I saw her creatures grabbing for parts of my pet, ripping his small, fragile body apart. Fragile is a funny word. Fragile- easily destroyed, vulnerable, delicate. People are like that. Dreams too. But it's rarer than you think for fragility to remain a constant companion. Watching Greg be ripped to shreds and devoured, some frail part of me crumbled. Destroyed, my escape intentions faltered.

"Your light, your Brilliance. Or your other little pet will suffer the same."

That made even less sense to me. I didn't get the light and brilliance bit; I wasn't even sure if I was hearing those words correctly. But other pet? That had been clear. And I'd never had another pet in my life.

"Other?" I mumbled as I stared numbly, vacantly at the spot where Greg had ended.

"What is he called this time? Rosy, Whorey, Rory! That's the one!" she beamed, proud of herself for recalling the name of the man I loved. Realizing that I did love him forced memories of pain to flood back through me. My childhood, my marriage, that night when I was eighteen, the spring peepers singing in the background as this woman scared me shitless and how he'd helped me. And then I'd left him. Arthur had always been there, in one way or another. And so had Greg.

Something in my brain flicked.

I've heard of people seeing red. I saw darkness. I became darkness. An ancient dread bubbling up as Arthur's safety became my priority. I screamed then. Letting my dread out to play. I have no idea for how long or how I even managed to find the strength to do so, but I screamed.

Her minions evaporated into nothing but handfuls of those blue flames that twirled towards her and seemingly absorbed into her eyes. She lunged for me, trying desperately to cover my mouth. I wasn't going to let that happen. I pulled at the darkness, the dread within me, and I let it out. I let out all the anger and hurt and frustration as I screamed in her face. Just as Greg's secretions had been melting her hand and arm, my scream now melted the flesh and bones from her face. Her blue flames went out in a glimmering flicker. The rest of her burst, black gunk spraying out and all over me as I faced her. Whatever she was, she'd been inhabiting a vessel that wasn't her own and couldn't withstand her for long.

I wish I'd had the time or energy or give-a-shitness to try and figure out who she was when she wasn't this blue demon bitch. But I didn't. All I knew in that moment was that these people were after something, of what I wasn't sure. But me being here was putting Arthur in danger. Unsure of what to do, panicking, I ran. Covered in that thing's fetid body goo, I ran from my apartment and into the woods behind the complex. He'd be here soon, and I needed to not be. Maybe if he thought I was gone, maybe that would save him.

Fleeing until I could no longer breathe, my dress torn and tattered and matted with her sludge, I forced myself to keep going. Running, walking, crawling. Until I found a decrepit building somewhere amidst the miles and miles of wilderness. It was nearly pitch black, but everything was plainly visible now. Once inside the place was larger than I thought. Likely some kind of old and now abandoned hunting lodge. There was a large chunk of missing ceiling that made the grueling summer heat almost bearable, given the decent breeze coming in as the outside temperature started to quickly drop. As the starlight danced off of the cold, polished rock of the fireplace's mantle, I felt as though I could finally breathe.

That was where I stopped. Collapsing, I let everything go. All my hurt and pain that I hadn't used to eviscerate that awful, awful thing that had killed my Greg and threatened my Love. That's probably why I didn't hear him. I was bawling too loudly. My sobs reddening my eyes and swelling my sinuses as I ugly cried over more years of my life than not that I'd allowed myself to be mistreated.

An especially chilly breeze of the summer night blew about the room. Shivering, more from shock than the literal cold, I didn't notice him at first. My guard was all but gone now. If someone wished to harm me, let them try. But pain wasn't what found me.

Arthur found me.

He wrapped his arms around me as he, too, cried. I wanted to send him away. To tell him I didn't have the strength to keep going, and that he needed to leave here, and leave me for his own safety and well-being. I wanted to, but I didn't. I let him hold me as we purifyingly cried out our pains and fears and losses. The pain settled and our breathing started to regulate. The wind picked up and again I shivered against the cold.

As though he hadn't been holding me, he asked, "Are you cold?" Of course I was, but I didn't have the strength to speak. "Of course you are!" he rebuked himself. Moving from me for no more than a minute, he built up a raging fire in the stone fireplace. The heat instantly soothed me. It was as if the warmth or the light itself from the fire was slowly bringing me back to life, comforting me, just like he was.

"Arthur...." I managed to squeak.

"It's okay, Lucia. You're safe now."

"I don't care about me! What about you?! You should have stayed away and let me go."

"There is nothing in this world, or any other, that could keep you from me." His dark eyes shone with a veracity that prickled at my heart.

"What... what are you talking about?"

"You have a dread within you, my light. It's from the binding you performed for us. You gave so much of yourself, I had to give something. You hadn't planned for that, and so you took in the extra instead of letting it loose into this world.

"I tell you now- there is no dread, no darkness, no fairytale nor nightmare that will ever stop us. Plenty have tried over the lives we've lived, and they've paid for it. I have loved you in every one of those lives of ours, and I always will. You are home to me. When our kind was dying out, when magic and wonder began to turn inwards on itself, you bound us together, forever. And forever since we've come back, again and again, finding one another, falling in love all over again."