Noctim

"Maybe I just need to get away for a few minutes," Camille thought to herself as she paced around her dark office for the seventeenth time. "This has to end," she sighed. She tore through her closet looking for her jacket and threw it on as she walked out the door.

It was already evening; the day had passed without notice. The darkness was setting in and Camille felt relieved in some small way. Her mind as cloudy as the evening sky, she stormed through the doors of a small diner down the street from where she worked. Her mind was a hundred miles from the strong black coffee that stared her in the face. "What the hell had happened last night?" she chastised herself. Flashbacks from the night before came pouring into her consciousness – half-remembered images of pulse-like dancing, of conversation, of... pleasure. The most definitive memory was that of pleasure overcoming her body as she stared into dark eyes. She could barely make out the face that held the dark, piercing eyes, but she could see the darkened orbs gazing into her, penetrating her very being. What had happened? And why did the eyes look so familiar?

She stared into her coffee as elusive images came to her. Where had she been and what had happened? The questions played over and over again in her mind, but without answers.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the waitress staring at her blankly, popping her day-old chewing gum. "More coffee?" she whined quizzically.

Camille took inventory of her still-full mug and declined politely. "No, but thanks," she managed.

She stared out the window of the diner, her thoughts pacing around in her head like the pedestrians outside. "What do I remember, exactly?" she asked herself out loud. Little came to her other than the memory of walking home... she felt out of place, suddenly, and then... nothing. What was she to make of that? She remembered feeling out of place, being somewhere else, suddenly.

A flash came to her, and then... finally she could remember at least glimpses... her mind played images of a dark crowd of beautiful people staring at her; all were dressed fashionably, if not somewhat... minimally? They were dancing as if intoxicated by some exotic drug – bodies pulsing against one another – and they all stared at her, as if she didn't quite fit in. And she felt as though she didn't. She felt definitively out of place.

Again her coffee awakened her. She paid her tab and headed back to the office. Halfway back she felt the pressing need to divert her path. She turned down a road she had never remembered seeing, though she walked it instinctively, avoiding potholes and litter as though she had walked it a thousand times before.

A voice startled her, however familiar it sounded. "Camille!" it called after her steadily. "Camille, wait! I have what you seek." Camille searched for the voice, pivoting on her heel. Her raven hair spun out in a perfect circle as she pivoted. She saw no one, though she had expected as much. Suddenly she felt unsettled and scared.

"Who are you? Better yet... where are you?" Camille interrogated.

"I am right here," said the smooth, male voice, sounding closer, yet. She turned and nearly ran into a man she instantly recognized, but did not know. His ivory skin contrasted his long, straight black hair. He wore a broken-in black leather jacket over his black shirt. She gasped loudly. "There's no need to be afraid, Camille, we know one another much better than you realize."

She wanted to argue with that statement, but the truth of it rang loudly in her ears. She felt as though she did know him, just not in any way she could place. Maybe from some lurid dream, but that's all the further she could discern... until she looked into his eyes. His eyes drew her instantly to him, and she was held captive. She recognized them without hesitation as those of her lover from the night before. She again gasped, but only with recognition.

"Ah, yes, Camille, I know you were a smart one from the moment we first met. I knew you would begin putting it together. Already I hear your thoughts making subtle connections, but you have yet to take it all to the next logical step, which is closer to the truth. The full truth, at least."

She could feel him inside of her head, probing her thoughts, her most secret places inside of her mind. He knew everything of her, she knew already, but she knew so little of him.

"Nonsense!" he interjected immediately into her thought, offended. "You have yet to try to know me in the ways which I know you." His voice had completely disappeared in the physical world and was now entirely inside of her head. He whispered in a debonair voice, "You already know me intimately. Do you remember the love we've made under the blessed cover of the night? Do you remember the way I've made you scream? Know that you've brought me equal pleasure." He paused, his eyes flashing, pleased. He clearly admired her, at the very least. He then added, "You are a talented lover, and an amazing woman. I fear the combination has proven too much for me... I believe I've fallen for you, Camille."

"What?" she asked, in her head, this time, surprising even herself at her power.

"So much better, my love. You've always been such a quick student in your dream world, but here I was afraid you might not learn the rules. I took you there last night... to that world you vaguely remember... the one of dancing and beauty. You felt out of place, but that will pass in time."

"What are you talking about?" she echoed, knowing the answer to her own question.

"Think, Camille... when have you not felt at home under the cover of night. When have you ever been able to truly communicate with those around you? When have you ever not escaped into your dream world? When have you ever felt right, here?"

"That's not to say anything, Lorienne!" she countered wildly. The name slipped from her tongue, but she knew it was right.

"So, you are beginning to remember! You are beginning to shed the ignorant grasp of the mundane!" His eyes blazed with passion and happiness... with a kind of splendor she had rarely seen in her everyday life. She knew he was a creature of the night, though she did not know his exact nature.

Again reading her thoughts, or her reading his, he explained, "I walk in night, my fair Camille. I have come to you in your dreams for years and taken you to my world while you sleep. Last night you walked on the border between our worlds and I was too tempted by your beauty... I could not resist. I had to take you while you were awake, at least mostly awake. I'd never made love with you when you were awake, and I crave you, now. I crave you to know me in both waking and sleeping hours. I suppose, however, I still haven't answered your question. I am not, let me assure you, a vampire, as must be your first thought." He paused, smiling.

"Your next though, and I can hear it even now, is that I am an incubus or a succubus, but you can't remember which one applies to a male. But, alas, I am not that, either. No, I am a Noctim, or night imp, in your language. I reign in dreams and live in darkness, feeding only off of pleasure and passion." He paused now, gauging her expression... allowing her to digest the information.

She stared at him, he looked so human, and yet so... inhuman. His skin shone under the moonlight in a way that a human's never would. It gleamed in the moonlight as one's does in the sunlight. His hair, his eyes... both of a human color and texture, but yet smoother... more perfect. He was tall and handsome and intimidating at the same time, and he wanted to take her away. He told her of pleasures of his world and an escape from here... it was hard for her to resist, even now. And, oh! The things he said... was he honest in his advances, or was this another dream?

"Camille, I have sought you for years. It is not the way of my kind of fall in love easily, but I have pursued you for a short eternity. Don't tell me that you don't remember making love with me in your dreams, your body dancing against mine in pleasure for full nights. I suppose it's usually the nights that you don't remember your dreams that we meet. It would be harder for you to have remembered than to have forgotten."

Suddenly, as though he had let loose the sky, memories came pouring down upon her, deluging her in remembrance. "I feel myself falling in love with you in the late hours of the night, making incredible love with you for what seemed to be forever, dancing closely with you to music with no sound. I remember... but what does that mean? What magic is this?"

"None more than that which you have always possessed."

Camille paused, remembering the years she had spent in dreams with Lorienne... remembered falling in love with him in his world. He had unlocked her nighttime memories, and suddenly she longed to be there. She could feel ever sensation amplified – every touch intensified, every sound magnified, every taste a feast, every sight one of beauty. If this was his world, she wanted to be a part of it. She pleaded, "Show me, please Lorienne. I want to know how to be with you. Now that I see your world, the world we make ours at night, I want to be a part of it."

"You must be certain of that, as few return to the light after this. You will undergo a transformation I am hard-pressed to describe. If you returned, your senses may go numb... your mind will never be content with this world, again. You will not be the same creature. Please tell me you understand what I'm telling you."

She paused, digesting the information. She remembered the promises she and Lorienne had made to one another in the sweet darkness of night, and wanted to fulfill those promises. "Yes, I understand, and I want to see it, to know it... to be with you always."

Overwhelmed for possibly the first time in his immortal life, Lorienne reached for Camille and pulled her to him. He felt her creamy skin against his and drew in a sharp breathe. He gazed into her deep, green eyes and outlined her face with his fingertips. Slowly he reached in, his lips brushing hers, kissing her passionately, giving her a sample of what was to come for her. He wanted to give her what he knew... a life of pleasure and passion and love with him. He loved her so much. She clung to him, returning his passion and love, wanting to couple with him there, though she realized the implications of that.

"I want to be with you. I want to be one with you." She paused, almost shy for a moment. "I want to fulfill my promises to you."

While she couldn't be sure, she thought she saw a tear forming in Lorienne's eye. "I never held you to them. I knew you said things that you could not live up to... or at least I feared you never would be able to." His eyes were clear and bright as he whispered, "Hold me, then... hold closely to me, and tell me if you feel any pain. I don't want to hurt you, Camille." He clung closely to her, protecting her from pain and suffering of the world of light, inviting her into his world of pleasure and immortality. She felt as though she was fainting, but felt little pain. She spiraled slowly downward, seeing the world in colors and shapes she had never seen before. All was darkness for only a moment before she regained sight, a new sight.

She looked at Lorienne and saw his eyes as she had remembered seeing them... dark, transfixing orbs that penetrated her being. She saw the collective pulse dancing, but this time they didn't look her way. She was one of them, now. She clung even closer to Lorienne, now, not out of fear, but out of love. She felt her whole body awash with a glorious feeling, though it consumed her. All she wanted was him, and for them both to feel this way... passionate and in love.

"I want to be with you, Lorienne. I want to be yours."

"I've longed to hear that in your waking hours for years, my darling." Suddenly they were in a crisp, dark room next to a plush bed. The four posts of the bed were draped with a rich silk canopy. The sheets were silk and satin, only the highest quality of either, and they were soft against her skin. She felt herself beginning to react to things differently. While the sheets normally would have felt 'good,' she feel a slow warmth beginning to build in her lower regions as she ran her fingertips over the fabric.

Lorienne smiled as she began to discover her new sensuality. He moved to her side and caressed her softly, his fingers lingering on her sweet skin. He adored her every detail with his fingertips, his tongue caressing her lips. The sweet fragrance of lilacs filled the entire room as he touched her. She felt a lightness she had never before known as he began running his fingers over her body. His body was beginning to feel hot from desire as he touched her intimately and he wanted to see more of his lover. Using his mind, he willed her buttons undone one at a time and the shirt fell off her shoulders effortlessly, exposing her smooth skin and small, pert breasts.

Lorienne drew in a sharp breath and Camille smiled. "You act as though we've never made love before, Lorienne," Camille giggled.

Lorienne's eyes were serious as he responded, "With you, it is always like the first time. I know it may sound cliché, but it's the truth."

Camille smiled and kissed her lover gently, running her fingers over his clothed chest. "I want these gone," Camille thought.

"Then make it happen," Lorienne tempted her. "But do it with your mind." His eyes challenged her, and she remembered his concentration as he unfastened the buttons of her shirt with only his will.

"I can't," she moaned, not even attempting the action.

"Listen," he coached as he unclasped her skirt with his mind.

She stared at him in awe as her skirt fell away. To his amazement she wore no pantyhose or panties. She stood naked before him and he reached for her. "I want you," he told her. He moved his fingertips slowly along her neckline and over her shoulders, carefully brushing her breasts with his palm, and his lips following.

"I'll try," she sighed. Sheer will to see her lover fully exposed probed part of her success, as well as a bit of help from Lorienne. The buttons of his shirt and his pants one-by-one fell undone, leaving him exposed. She pushed the open shirt away from his shoulders and it fell to the bed. She pushed his pants away and left him completely exposed, examining him from head to toe. It was the first time in her active memory he stood naked before her.

His frame was much larger than hers, with broad shoulders and a medium waist and he stood at least ten inches taller than her. Though he had appeared pale with dark hair earlier, here he had suddenly changed. His skin was a smooth, copper color. His hair shone golden in the moonlight and his eyes consumed all light. He moved her slowly to his body and looked deeply into her eyes. His voice rich with emotion and love, he professed his heart to Camille. "I am here before you. I show you all I am. I open my mind freely to you, Camille. All I ask for is your honesty. I want you to love me, my darling. I will give you all that I am for that simple promise."

Her thoughts penetrated his and she felt all that he was fill her mind. She did love him... she already loved him. "I have loved you for years, my darling Lorienne. I will love you always." At that he pulled her close to his body and embraced her. Her naked frame pushed against his and their skin met in a sensuous dance. Her senses were on fire as she felt his skin press against hers. He could sense her urgency and he slowly moved Camille back onto the bed and they lie naked together, his form mounting her, his tongue running slowly over her taut nipples, his fingers tracing her creamy thighs. Camille's breath began to build into a heavy rhythm and Lorienne instantly switched positions.

Without moving, it seemed, he was fondling her smooth, silky southern region with his tongue. He dipped his tongue inside of her warmth, exploring her. He loved the way she tasted... like a ripe, juicy pear. She pushed slowly against his face as he licked her most intimate regions. Camille felt a familiar, welcomed pressure building inside of her body. It had been so long since she had been pleasured during her waking hours and she knew her climax would be intense. Lorienne's expert tongue lapped with increasing intensity at her swollen clit and within moments Camille was clinging to his body for support.

"Lorienne!" she moaned as he brought her closer and closer to climax. She could see colors dancing on the air as she neared her climax and she knew she was about to fall over the edge. She again called her lover's name as she built for orgasm. Pleasure overcoming her, she pulsed against his face and broke into a shattering climax. She spiraled to heights of pleasure previously only imagined in her dreams and she begged for more. Her body felt fantastically light, as though she would float away and she wanted him on top of her to prevent that. She stroked his chest purposefully and he reached for her mouth with his, moving slowly up her body. She felt his erection poking her leg and then her sex.

She kissed him deeply and stroked his hard penis deftly. His erection felt warm and filling in her hand. She guided him slowly to her vagina and bucked slightly so that he slid in. Their bodies fit snugly together and they both gasped as he filled the center of her womanhood with his ample erection. Lorienne looked almost nervous as he gazed into her eyes. "I want to make love with you, my princess. I love you with all of my being, and I want to show you pleasure. I am so afraid I will disappoint you."

"You never have," she answered with a new confidence. "Besides, we have forever to practice." With those words his heart melted and his body reacted warmly. He slowly began stroking his hips against her body in a hesitant rhythm. She countered his movements and moved in time with his body, making love slowly. Even his slow pace ignited a fire deep within her and she moved against him more fervently. Soon he was pounding into her, her body countering. Lorienne's pleasure-soaked brain was only half-conscious of the world around him as he looked into Camille's eyes.

He looked embarrassed as he whispered to Camille, "I need to cum."

Camille's eyes widened as she looked at him, nodding her head 'yes.' At her affirmation, he almost immediately began filling her warm body with his seed. Spray after spray of milky white semen filled her body, and he roared as he came inside of her. Never had he experienced an orgasm so intense... especially with so little foreplay.

"I love you," he whispered as he spiraled downward from his climax.

"I love you, too, Lorienne." she then transferred back to her thoughts and how they had earlier communicated. "Thank you, my darling."

He smiled and embraced his lover in his powerful arms. There was so much to teach her – so much to show her and allow her to experience. That, however, would wait. For as much as he sought pleasure from and with her, he always felt a deep and real love for this beautiful woman he held in his arms. He pulled her close to his body, snuggling into her and hold her gently as she fell asleep. Even as she began to doze off into dreamland, he could hear her thoughts. "I love you, Lorienne."

He communicated with her, "I will no longer pursue you in your dreams. You are here, and that is my only dream. As you said, we have forever. Sleep now." Her head resting on his breastbone, she did just that, finally at peace.