A Drink to Misery

The minutes seemed insurmountable before Jean finally moved from Celezar's chest. He didn't bother concealing his emotions, keeping his eyes lowered even as he moved away. With a sigh, he slowly unbuckled the belts around his chest while approaching his armoire.

Weary. He felt so weary.

"Jean?"

He closed his eyes. "I'm alright. Just...reeling a bit," he admitted.

He sensed Celezar's hesitance to leave. "Do you...want to talk about it?"

At first, he did. He raised his head to stare at the mirror, but couldn't find the words even after several seconds. Shaking his head, he dismissively waved a hand and pinched his nose bridge.

"Never mind. It's over." He finished removing his gear, temporarily placing them in the armoire, then closed it and sat on the edge of their bed. The pinpricks of forming tears made him scoff. "Why am I feeling this way."

He emitted a shuddering exhale, and he looked up with tears rolling down his face. Celezar immediately neared, and he opened his legs for him to stand and hold him. "I'm sorry, love."

Staring off, Jean placed his hands on Celezar's sides, gently sliding them up and down. The faces of his family members staring at him in horror, disgust, and ultimate rage had seared in his mind.

He didn't want to, but he wondered. What would the rest of his men think? Nicholae?

He fought to change his mental state. If nothing else, he was no longer bound to the life of a human. He could live freely.

He was free.

Exhaling, he grasped Celezar and looked up into gently glowing green eyes. His lips turned up in a lopsided smile. "I love you."

Eyes slanting as he broke into a smile, Celezar ran a hand through his blond locks. "I love you, too, Jean..." He lowered to kiss him, chastely and delicately. "Do you want to rest a while?"

Jean nodded, then glanced towards the door. "Where are the kids?"

"Ba'arhuzra is taking care of them."

He leaned forward with a hum, kissing the smiling lips. "Some time together sounds wonderful. Some actual time together. No rushing, no time limit."

"Lots of rest." A pointed look bore into him.

His smile widened. "Yeah...I could use a recharge." He let his eyes close when Celezar planted a kiss on his forehead.

Celezar released him and lowered to take his boots off. He watched, admiring the way his mate moved with familiar, smooth actions. Long fingers undid the laces with ease before lowering to grasp the heel and pull the boots off. Once he was done, Jean scooted back on his side of the bed and was shortly joined by his purring mate. He rested his chin atop Celezar's head and inhaled the familiar scent he so loved.

Earth, herbs, and rain with musky sweetness...

"You smell so good," he said softly without thinking as his eyes closed.

"So do you, Jeanie-boy," Celezar drawled, a smile in his voice. "Now rest."

He placed his leg over Jean's. Along with this, Jean felt tentacles roam over his body. It was Celezar's way of holding him closer, prompting him to let his own tendrils emerge from his back. Their appendages slid over each other, entwining and curling together.

The peacefulness of the moment, the presence of his mate around him, and the emotional release of his identity was enough to send him into a peaceful sleep in mere minutes.

* * *

Jean never saw himself as the sorrowful type. He had experienced some of the worst losses a human could endure and, with help from the many companions in his life, managed to remain a functioning member of society. In spite of this, something had been triggered after seeing his family react to his inhumanity. It had never happened to him before, leaving him unable to determine what to do in such a situation.

So, he did what was expected of most people in his social circle.

He swayed, stumbling on his own feet, while looking out the patio in the back of the house. Occasionally, an idle thought of why he could still become drunk so easily despite being inhuman would make it to the forefront of his mind. He mumbled to himself, a tear falling from his eye that he quickly wiped away.

He hated it.

He hated everything about his reaction to what had happened. He didn't understand why he was reacting so badly, why it hurt so deeply. He felt even worse for drinking over it. It didn't stop him.

With a sigh, he looked to the winter sky. He didn't feel the cold but wasn't sure if it was because of his alcohol consumption or because he was simply inhuman. The sky was turning a beautiful reddish pink as the sun rose, and he felt the weather would be rather pleasant compared to the snowstorms the days before.

After a moment of eyeing the clouds and drinking from a bottle, he noticed eyes on him from behind. Gaze lowering, he sighed, then glanced back.

Celezar stood in the patio doorway. He wore a sleeveless turtleneck shirt and his pajama pants, and he leaned against the threshold. Jean couldn't quite make out his face but felt that his mate was frowning. He didn't blame him; drinking was entirely unlike Jean to the point of concern.

The concern that began to waft from Celezar, however, worried him. He lowered his bottle, turning with difficulty. "Wh...what's wrong?" he asked, his words terribly slurred.

Managing a small, somber smile, Celezar steadily approached. "I should be asking you that, love..." He placed his hand on the side of the nearby chair, then glanced at Jean, following the bottle with his eyes. "Something's bothering you. Tell me."

Taking a long swig, Jean softly sighed. Lowering the bottle, he looked away, back to the sky. "S'just...what happened yesterday. I'unno why it's botherin' me so...so much..." He took an unsteady step forward but could barely keep his eyes open. "I...wished I could've told 'em, y'know. Told 'em long time ago...'bout us. 'Bout our...family." His smile was sad as he looked back up to somewhat meet his mate's gaze. Another tear fell from his reddened eyes.

Celezar visibly relaxed, though Jean wasn't sure why. He didn't know if he should think about it, so he didn't. Just as he began to take another drink, Celezar approached and gently took the bottle into his hand but didn't pull away, didn't break eye contact. Jean was hesitant, opening his mouth to say something, but ultimately, slowly let go of the bottle. He sighed to himself, watching Celezar place it atop the nearby table.

His mate's smile was no longer as sad, and he moved to wrap his arms around Jean's waist to pull him against him. Jean didn't immediately meet his gaze, but Celezar was patient. He finally sighed, looking into his mate's eyes with hazy double-vision. Celezar gently kissed him, slipping his tongue past his parting lips, eliciting a soft moan from him. The kiss was slow and reassuring, calming Jean considerably from tension he didn't even know he felt.

The kiss broke when Jean began to unintentionally lean back, eyes closed and swaying on his feet. Chuckling softly, Celezar took his hand and led him around to one of the patio chairs before sitting. He motioned for Jean to sit. His right eye partially open, Jean hummed, as if thinking about it. His eye then briefly closed and he moved forward to slide into Celezar's lap. Smoothly, he captured the hybrid's lips in a slow, passionate kiss.

Smiling into it, Celezar slanted his eyes open, looking into Jean's, before gently breaking away. Jean then sat upright on his knees and took Celezar's head between his hands as muscular arms slipped around his waist again.

As Jean began to caress the tawny, freckled cheeks, his smile gently grew. He adored the look on Celezar's face, the passion in the darkening green eyes, and felt it deserved another reward. From his added height, he planted a kiss on his mate's lips, and somehow it felt...different...but not unwelcome. If Celezar's soft moan was any indication, he felt the same. He lowered his hands to use one to caress Celezar's jaw.

"Ever thought...growin' a beard?" he asked with a silly grin.

Instead of answering, Celezar raised a brow, scanning Jean's face. Slowly, Jean's caresses paused as, before his own eyes, reddish brown stubble slowly grew on the freckled face. It grew until he stared at a short but full reddish beard on his mate's face.

With a large, lopsided grin, Jean used both hands to feel the beard, making a soft sound of appreciation. He then slightly lowered his head to kiss the crooked lips, and it was a bit sloppy in his excitement, but Celezar chuckled into it. He continued feeling at the hair, caressing and gently pulling at it. A soft sound of mischief emitted from him, and he suddenly ducked beneath Celezar's head to give the beard a long, savoring lick.

The hybrid's smile couldn't get any larger as he hummed, "I knew you had a thing for beards, but..." His eyes slanted with approval and budding arousal.

Moving his arms to wrap around Celezar's neck, Jean cracked a sheepish smile before kissing him again. Neither of them closed their eyes this time, and Jean watched the already dark eyes turn completely black in response to his becoming dark with desire as well.

Celezar's tentacles emerged from his back and immediately roamed over Jean's body. Two took his arms and pinned them behind his back, much as they had months earlier. The memory alone made Jean more aroused, and as the kiss broke, he grinned widely. Looking over his body, Celezar licked his lips like a man starved before unbuttoning Jean's shirt. He immediately licked at the visible, long scar over Jean's navel as smaller tendrils simultaneously slipped into Jean's pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them and curling around his cock all at once.

Groaning, Jean lolled back for a moment, then he looked back down to watch the black muscle tenderly lick his scar. He emitted a strange groan when a larger, thicker, ribbed tendril slid into the back of his pants. It entered him with ease, and he squeezed around it while jolting to the unexpectedness of it.

"C-Celez..." he breathed, only to grunt when his sweet spot was nailed on the first thrust.

"Mm hm?" Celezar's black eyes glanced up at him as he pulled from Jean's flesh.

Celezar began to thrust at a steady pace, causing Jean's grunts to increase and for him to jolt in Celezar's lap. Shuddering and bucking, Jean grasped at the tendrils holding back his arms. He was too drunk to mind the sounds he made, which only seemed to entice his mate.

"You're gorgeous, love," Celezar sighed, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. His thrusts increased, and he ran his hands up and down Jean's sides. Clenching his teeth, he panted, "Keep going..."

Jean felt even more intoxicated as heat pooled in his gut. He felt as if he would overflow soon, come hard every few seconds, but Celezar spaced out the thrusts just enough whenever the feeling increased. He suddenly cried out in pleasure, head tilting back, when a slender tentacle wormed down his urethra. He drooled from the stimulation, eyes threatening to close, just as Celezar sped up, holding his sides.

Finally, he locked up almost violently, and a spurt of his cum made it past Celezar's tendril as he came. His body taut, eyes rolling into his head, he quaked in his mate's grasp. When hot cum coated his prostate, he came again, all but screaming soundlessly while saliva dripped down his neck. A warm kiss took his lips, breathing air down his throat, but he was completely lost in euphoria. He slowly went limp, breaking the kiss, and the tentacle in his urethra slowly pulled out. His head rolled forward, his vision still hazy and wobbly.

A soft chuckle made it to his ears followed by a tender, long lick from a hot tongue up his neck to lap up his saliva. He shivered from the touch, moaning and leaning forward against his mate's chest. His eyes closed as kisses dotted his face, his chest, his neck, breaking into a small smile. His hands were released, and more kisses danced over them.

When he opened his eyes, he was in bed and Celezar was crawling in to rest beside him. Warm, strong arms brought him close against an equally warm chest, and he melted against his mate with a satisfied sigh.

"Love you, Jean," Celezar whispered, kissing his forehead.

"Love you," he mumbled, snuggling against him.