Ceres the Goddess

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust… That was all that made up the Seanan grasslands now. What was once lush and beautiful farms lands was now sand. Mounds and mounds of sand. There were abandoned homes/farms every so often but for the most part it was sand.

A tall dark haired man held what looked like a wooden rifle in his hands. He had it pointed, though it was hard to tell because he was about a mile away, at the temple of the King. He could see him in the window just looking across the expanse. Cole, the shooter, knew that if he didn't kill him now that there was no way that he would get another chance. This was the last gun he had and they had stopped growing months ago. He had it ready to go now all he had to do was fire.

It was at that moment that the King seemed to look right at him. Cole stumbled back but not because he had been frightened. Something strong was tugging on the back of his long brownish black coat. He looked back with his goggled eyes only to see what looked like a whirlpool on in the sand. He fired the rifle by accident, missing the King of course, before he felt himself pulled deep into the sand.

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Ryan had been living alone for about three years and considering that he was only eighteen that was a long time for anyone. He wasn't really alone however. He had his garden, which was really more a small forest. It hadn't always been like that. No, at one time it had only been a few rose bushes and an apple tree. But now there were bushes, flowers, trees. He couldn't even see his neighbor's houses anymore. But the alone thing hadn't been too much of a problem.

He liked the quiet of the house and being able to get all of his homework done without being interrupted. That all changed when he found a man in his garden. The man was tall, he had black hair that hung in his face and a pair of blue goggles on and a long brownish black jacket on. Ryan had never seen such clothes in his life, they were something out of a book. He debated what to do when the man woke.

The last thing that Cole had remembered was the king, who had light hair and a very soft effeminate face, looking at him. And now he was face to face with that same face. He pulled out his rifle and pointed it at the other as he laid there on the ground. He looked angry. "Conway…" He growled and realized that he no longer had an bullets left in his gun.

"Who? What?" He asked looking at him.

"You… You're Conway…" He said looking at the other as if he was an idiot. Ryan raised an elegant eyebrow and looked at the other as if he was crazy.

"No… My name is Ryan," he said flatly. "And you're in my garden…" He said. That was when Cole really looked around. He had been so used to living in that desert that he hadn't even bothered to look and see what was growing around him. He had never seen such beautiful flowers and plants in such a long time. He looked up at the other.

"Did you grow these?" He asked.

"Yes… I tend to them as well…" He was confused. The other had completely changed his tone with him. Instead of being accusing he was now truly curious. He had also tossed aside the gun thing. "How did you get here?"

"That doesn't matter right now… Did you really grow these," he picked a flower and brought it to his nose. He could smell how beautiful it really was. When the other answered yes, Cole was on his feet and smiling broadly at him. "I have found Ceres," he said. "Goddess," he said bowing.

"What?!" Ryan asked looking confused beyond all hell. He should have been a little more lost considering that the other had just appeared in his garden. The boy had been out there working all day. The man had just appeared unconscious in his garden when he turned away. "I'm not a Goddess! I'm not even a God! I'm just a boy!" He said looking completely bewildered. That was when Cole strode, quietly, towards him. He studied the boy's face for a long time and it wasn't like he was a foot away he was like centimeters away from the boy's face.

"It doesn't matter that you're a boy… You are the Goddess Ceres," he said with a smile. Ryan just shook his head at the other and that was when he noticed the large black creature right behind Cole. The look of mild horror on the other's face made Cole turn. He started to back away until he felt the other behind him. "Listen to me… Take a leaf from that tree…" He said. Ryan didn't move. "Do it now or we're in trouble." Ryan didn't see how that was going to help but he took a leaf from the tree and held it in his hand. "Remember my gun? Make that leaf into another one," he said. Ryan would have argued but as soon as he had a mental picture of the rifle the leaf grew into one. He stared at it before Cole took it from him.

With a loud crack, it sounded like thunder, the black blob thing was nothing more than a ball of vines. Cole turned and smiled at Ryan. "Told you that you were the Goddess. Now, show me how you grew all of these."

"I need some tea…" He said dully before heading inside. Cole stared after him and quickly followed. He entered the kitchen and looked around at all of the strange objects. He watched the other set up a teapot and put it on the burner. He knew what that was at least. "Ok… so let me get all of this straight. You think I am this Goddess?"

"Yes, Ceres the Goddess of Agriculture."

"Yes and you obviously just saved my life. Why?"

"Because you are the Goddess and I found you. I'm going to protect you."

"Why?"

"You are the Goddess and it is my duty."

"Could we stop calling me the Goddess. I get teased enough about looking like a girl and now I find out that I'm some Goddess that you worship or something?" He asked looking to the other who was smiling and nodding at him. "Could," he stopped and sighed, "Would you mind just calling me Ryan?" He asked sounding slightly exasperated. He thought it over and nodded. "I take it that I should let you stay…" Something deep inside of him wanted this man, whose name he didn't even know, to stay. "I'll let you stay but… I have to know, who are you?" He asked looking confused and at the same time curious. Cole smiled.

"My name is Cole Disaresta and I am the Guardian of the Goddess," he said taking the other's hand and kissing it. For some odd reason Ryan found himself blushing. He ripped his hand back and walked away. He stood in front of the stove as if he was waiting for the water to boil. Of course water doesn't boil when watched. Cole walked over to the other and rested his hands on the other's shoulders. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

"Boys do not kiss other boy's hands." He said flatly. That of course made Cole chuckle.

"I guess that is one thing that is different in our worlds." He smiled before nuzzling the other's cheek with his. Cole hadn't ever felt like this. Of course he had never met the Goddess before so who was he to know that this wasn't how he was supposed to feel. Ryan felt strange as well. He had never been attracted to anyone. Never in his entire life had he even looked at someone else and now he was standing here with this beautiful man.

"Are you only doing this because of the Goddess thing?" He asked.

"No." He whispered. "I think you're beautiful," he purred into that ear before placing a chaste kiss on it. Ryan almost melted into his arms. And then his conscience took hold and he ripped himself away from the other and was pointing at him.

"I know what you're doing and I won't have any of it ok?" He said looking slightly embarrassed and turned on. He straightened out his t-shirt and went back to his boiling water. He realized he didn't want any tea at that point. "Go take a bath and I'll make dinner." He said trying to get a grip. Had he wanted that? No, he couldn't have. He had pushed the other off and everything but, he had also leaned back against him first. "This is stupid."

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It was late, about two in the morning and Ryan thought he heard something. He switched on the light and looked around to see nothing. He got up, walked down the hall to where Cole was, he opened the door and looked to see Cole lying in bed but his eyes had opened when the boy had opened the door. "Sorry I just heard a noise and,"

"And you were afraid." Cole understood and motioned for the other to come in. Once he was close the black haired man tugged him into the bed, under the covers, and into his arms. "Don't worry. I heard it and it's nothing."

"If it's nothing then I should,"

"Stay with me," he said leaning forward and kissing the boy gently. Ryan found his eyes close as he kissed the other back. "Stay with me," he whispered much softer.

"I'll stay with you," he whispered back allowing the other's strong big hands to touch the top of his pants. He felt them being pulled down and didn't mind. He felt the other's nakedness and that startled him a little. He hadn't even noticed that the other wasn't dressed. "Don't hurt me," he asked finding that he did want it but didn't want to get hurt.

"I could never." he said simply before kissing the other breathless. He moved lower and kissed ever inch of flesh he found until meeting the other's erection. He smiled at it and let his hot breath tease the burning flesh. He smirked at the other's moan before letting his tongue meet that organ. Ryan let out a moan as the hot wet tongue teased him. Was this what he had been missing out on?

To be continued