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For a man who's lifestyle was so intimately connected with the dead, Deathmask had a remarkably pleasant smell to him, Aphrodite pondered as he buried his lips in the other man's neck. Unmistakable woody aftershave, he could taste the bitterness on his tongue. Aphrodite hadn't cared to remove his lipgloss prior, leaving sticky peach-tinted stains over his compliant lover's throat. The sun was just beginning to set, honey-coloured light cascading through the grand pillars of the twelfth temple.
Whether the situation was assassination or sex, the Pisces Saint preferred to begin with a delicate approach. His kisses were light, torturously so. His touches were gentle, even as he slipped his sharply filed fingernails under the skin of the other man's chest, drawing beads of scarlet blood. Cruelty in its most artful form.
Deathmask tended to hold very little back. His laugh, usually in poor taste, could echo throughout the mountainside; his spiteful comments and provocations were spat at just about anybody. He had no reason to silence himself, of course. He, who held mastery over the realm of the dead itself, had no reason to put on airs, to answer to anybody. Strangely, under the warm pressure of Aphrodite's body, under the kisses in places he truly wished he wasn't so sensitive in, he found himself choking his voice back, gritting his teeth to avoid confessing his excitement this early on.
Today was different, after all.
"Total control."
Aphrodite's flawless face, so often unshakably cold, was flushed, eyes glinting with feverish enthusiasm. His hips were pressed up against the Cancer Saint's softening cock, still slick from being pulled out just minutes ago.
"Let me hold your life in my hands. You trust me, don't you?"
Something stirred in the very pit of Deathmask's stomach. Vulnerability was new for him. Exposing his body to Aphrodite was no problem, clashing and pleasuring each other in the way that they did was like second nature - things tended to work out even, every wound was returned, every climax matched. It was almost a game, more competitive than romantic.
"Dite..."
He closed his eyes. If he was honest with himself, his lover was terrifying, a true equal. After months of their midnight visits and hidden escapades under the burning sun, there was no doubt in his mind that Aphrodite was a dreadful sadist. Deathmask was the same, of course - it's why they get along so well, and so badly at the same time.
"Go ahead. Do what you want, as long as you're ready to take the consequences after."
Aphrodite's grin was rare, and frightening - it was uncommon to catch more than a self-assured smirk from his perfectly made-up lips.
"You'll enjoy it, I promise. Don't get addicted though, I don't want the responsibility of keeping a pet."
The pressing of a slim thumb and forefinger against his carotid arteries jerked Deathmask back to the present. Vision blurring at the edges, he watched Aphrodite sit up on his lap, his turquoise curls fanning out over his shoulders. His lover smiled almost sweetly as he felt the oxygen in his head running thin, and he wasn't sure which was the reason his face felt so hot.
"How are you feeling? You can cry for mercy any time."
It wasn't until Deathmask's instincts forced him to twitch that his throat was finally released. Unshaken, he grinned, gripping Aphrodite's slim waist with both hands.
"This is nothing. Is this the best you've got?"
Burning pain struck him as the other man's nails cruelly reopened the claw marks on his chest, ripping his shirt off from the inside as he did so. He winced.
He was highly aware of how Aphrodite's slender thighs were straddled across his crotch, cock nestled tightly underneath his clothed ass. It was enough to drive a man insane.
The unmistakable cosmo of the Pisces Saint begun to rise, it was suffocating; intoxicating. It was almost impossible for Deathmask not to ready himself for battle, instincts instilled since childhood painfully suppressed. He fixed his eyes on Aphrodite, his doll-like face stern and focused. What a privilege it must have been for his victims, beasts and men alike. For your last sight to be of that gorgeous visage, surrounded by petals and sweet scents, to close your eyes for the final time in gratitude. Deathmask was no romantic, but if there was ever a way to go, it would be like this.
He shook himself off quickly. When had he become so obsessed?
As if he could tell what he was thinking, Aphrodite cupped the man's jaw in his hands, stroking his cheek softly. Rising from the floor itself, thick, silky vines began to rub at his skin, pulling his jeans off from underneath. Within seconds, his legs were tightly bound together at the ankles, knees, and thighs, and his arms impolitely pulled away to be secured at his sides. The twisting tendrils were unrelenting, there wasn't an inch of give between his skin and the oddly warm plant. The feeling wasn't altogether unpleasant, though. Deathmask snorted, how thoughtful of Aphrodite to avoid the thorns this time round.
Allowing him to acclimatise, the blue-haired warrior was silently observant for a while. Most of all, Deathmask was frustrated. There was little he enjoyed more than having his hands all over his lover, grabbing him, touching him in the spots he knew by now made him squirm. To some, Aphrodite was like a holy being, clearly favoured by the Gods in his looks and extraordinary power. Desecrating him, dirtying him, was his own personal form of worship. This time, he could scarcely even twitch without those infuriating vines tightening around his limbs.
**
Aphrodite sighed, gazing down at the man that had agreed to become his prey. Deathmask had been many things to him. A bitter rival as a child; something almost like a friend and confidant in his adolescence. Even among a group of misfits, Aphrodite had never felt that he quite fit in. He had been a small boy for his age, right up until he hit a speedy growth spurt at fourteen. Considered too feminine, too delicate, he often bitterly recalled how some of the larger boys had taken an almost gentlemanly attitude towards him, hesitant to let him take a hit.
Deathmask would punch him square in the nose during sparring, and grin at the sight of his blood-soaked face. It was no wonder he'd developed a crush.
Always too rough, too vicious with each other - that was the consequence of their affections. Aphrodite despised Deathmask at times, but he was the only man he could let loose in front of, release the poised façade of elegance he reserved for the rest of his colleagues.
He enjoyed inflicting pain, that much was certain. But providing pleasure for his subject was proving just as invigorating.
As if it were the first day of Summer, roses begun to bloom. Unlike his usual weapons of war, these petals were dyed in vivid pink, scattered liberally along the vines securing his lover to the ground. The rich cerise shades bled and blurred into the air, swirling in an intoxicating mist.
"What the hell is this?"
Coughing, Deathmask glared upwards, incapable of doing anything more. With satisfaction, Aphrodite watched his lover's eyes gloss over, the fabric of his black underwear starting to strain under the pressure of his growing erection.
"It'll make you feel good, don't you want that?"
"You already turn me on enough."
Aphrodite laughed, running his hands over the other man's tanned chest, something he knew would be excruciatingly sensitive by now, delighting in his uncharacteristically desperate groans. He was pleased to note how quickly this sweet poison spread, within minutes he could tell that the full effect had permeated his victim.
Not quite cruel enough to use Deathmask as a test subject, the skilled botanist had already sampled this particular substance on himself - an experimental display he was glad had remained private. He breathed in slowly, taking in the cloying scent. The novel nature of these blooms meant he hadn't built up anywhere near as much immunity as he had for his more offensive poisons, and he could already feel his skin starting to tingle.
"For fuck's sake, Dite. Do something."
Usually so brash and confident, his voice had been reduced to an almost pathetic whine. It was so unbelievably charming, Aphrodite felt heat coursing through his thighs.
"You poor thing. You must be getting so desperate. How badly do you want me?"
Writhing in his binds, Deathmask growled.
"You don't need to ask that, you stupid bastard."
Usually, the Cancer Saint just barely held the physical edge, and found it easy enough to throw Aphrodite around wherever he wanted him, pinning him against walls, beds, anywhere. Though even the thought of those strong arms forcing him down was enough to make his cock twitch, the beautiful warrior was more than happy to hold the power this time, to wield control over exactly how much of his body was to be touched. Dominance felt good.
Aphrodite smiled, tracing a hand lightly from Deathmask's throat all the way down to the base of his torso, stopping torturously close to his cock.
"You look really handsome like this, you know?"
Making sure their clothed crotches rubbed together, Aphrodite leaned down to press his still-glossed lips against the other's, pushing his tongue curiously inside his mouth. Despite the heat of arousal rising in him, he managed to exercise restraint, letting very little of his true desperation show. Deathmask responded hungrily, kissing back like he wanted to devour him from head to toe.
Rapidly, Aphrodite pulled back, hissing as blood poured from the corner of his lip.
"Bastard!"
In truth, being bitten felt pretty good, but he wasn't about to let such insolence pass without punishment. The infuriated beauty shifted and pressed his knee against the other man's swollen cock, applying more and more weight against it until he heard a pained yelp.
"I'll crush it next time."
**
Aphrodite's expression was ice-cold, he had the air of an avenging angel, but the flush across his cheeks and wet glaze over his eyes easily betrayed how aroused he was. Even without that intoxicating stink, Deathmask would have been rock hard just looking at him. Everything about this man was so painfully erotic, even still fully dressed.
"Ah..-"
It was excruciatingly blissful when Aphrodite finally reached down to stroke his cock through his underwear, leaving him straining to grind against the other man's manicured hands. It felt like his fingers crackled with electricity as he caressed his crotch, all nerves firing at hyperspeed, leaving the logical parts of his brain fuzzy and numb.
"You really are a desperate, pathetic man behind all that bravado, Deathmask. You want me to suck you off, don't you? Say please."
He hissed through his teeth. This attitude was infuriating, and there was nothing he could do about it. Gods, how he wished he could grab Aphrodite by those pristine curls and force him onto his cock, make him choke and gag. Still, this power complex suited the other man, he couldn't complain too much.
"Sure you can hold off if I don't? Looking pretty desperate yourself, Dite."
He grinned, feeling the other man's hand tighten in irritation around his cock. Words wouldn't win him this round though. It only took a few firm strokes to leave him convinced he'd die if he didn't come soon, burning heat raging in his middle.
"Fine!" He spluttered. "Please suck me off, your highness."
After what felt like a lifetime, Aphrodite began to unbutton his white blouse. Sculpted collarbones revealed first, then his porcelain chest and blushed, erect nipples, and finally his well-toned abdomen. The pale outline of his Adonis belt cast shadows in the orange light of the setting sun.
He certainly deserved his reputation, Gold cloth equipped or not.
Tugging his boxers out of the way with a devious smile, the now-shirtless beauty parted his plush lips to take the head of his cock into his mouth. His turquoise locks spilled over his shoulders, strands falling from behind his ears onto his face.
Deathmask's cosmetics knowledge finished at the black eyeliner pencil he liked to use on nights off, but he had to give some credit to the glossy pink formula on Aphrodite's lips; despite its stains being left in rings all the way up to the base of his cock, it was still mostly in place.
"Fuck."
He was too impatient for this. Aphrodite was so unkind, even while sucking him off he refused to give it more than the bare minimum of effort. He dragged his tongue up the length of his cock, gazing up at him teasingly under his long eyelashes. Bound from head to toe, there was nothing he could do but groan and just barely jut his hips upwards.
"C'mon, you can do better than that..-"
Aphrodite laughed, loud and sweet.
"You don't want to cum already, do you? I could finish you in seconds, but where's the fun in that?"
Continuing his lazy assault, he took Deathmask's stiff cock into his mouth once again, sucking at the tip and circling his tongue with great skill. Despite the attitude from the Pisces Saint, his lustful expression and flushed cheeks were almost obscene to look at. The feeling of his clothed erection grinding against his leg as he moved back and forth on his cock was unmistakable.
More, he needed more.
Deathmask's breath caught in his throat, Aphrodite was starting to go deeper again now, sucking slowly and carefully near the base. It was impressive, he didn't have the slightest bit of trouble taking him all the way in.
"You look like a real whore like this. You like sucking me off that much?"
He winced, feeling teeth punishingly scrape along his length. Aphrodite made a muffled noise of irritation, but he didn't seem to care enough to pull away for a retort. He didn't let up, still pushing back and forth, fucking his own mouth with Deathmask's thick length, manicured hands gripping tightly onto his sides. The grinding on his leg was starting to feel harder now, a little more desperate. He couldn't help but laugh at his lover, he could still send him into a frenzy with nothing more than his cock.
Aphrodite hissed at Deathmask's apparent mockery, a thick twisting vine bursting from the ground to wrap itself around his throat.
"Ghh--!"
Too bold.
It hurt, leaving him choking and gasping amid the sensation of his cock being toyed with. It felt so hot in his middle, but nothing Aphrodite was doing was quite enough to push him over the edge even in his hypersensitive state. Abruptly, he sat up, wiping the precum and spit from his mouth.
"That's enough for now, I think."
His expression was coldly confident again, having shaken himself off. He had always been talented at self-control.
"Bastard."
The pressure on his throat still hadn't let up, and his cock was twitching in desperate need. What a pitiful state he'd got himself into.
"Don't worry, you'll get what you want,"
Tauntingly, Aphrodite pet his cock like it was small animal in need of soothing, still wet from his mouth.
"If you can keep being good."
"Shame, I really wanted to cum all over your pretty face."
"You'll be cumming into your own hands in your bedroom if you're not careful."
"Heh, you wouldn't send me away. You'll be sad if I don't fuck you."
A frosty look on his angelic face, Aphrodite gripped him by the jaw, firm and piercing.
"Perhaps. Don't disappoint me then."
Wordlessly, he rose to his feet and collected a small vial of oil from a marble cabinet. Unbuttoning his tight slacks, he elegantly pulled them off alongside thin white briefs, discarding them on the floor. The sight was disarming, to say the least.
"No pretty lingerie for me?"
"I'm not sure you're worth the effort."
"Hmm, it's my turn next though, right? I'm not letting you get away with this for nothing."
Deathmask grinned, far too smug for a man naked and bound to the floor.
"I might play dress-up with you. I'm sure I can pick up a maid's outfit somewhere in town, maybe even-- Agh!"
A bare foot stomped onto his stiff cock, cold compared to his hot flesh. Rolling his eyes, Aphrodite lazily dragged his foot back and forth, palming at his own crotch as he did so.
"We'll discuss your filthy requests later. I'm not finished with you yet."
Aphrodite knelt again, straddling across Deathmask's thighs but not lowering himself onto his lap just yet. He uncorked the bottle, drizzling the sweet-smelling oil over his fingers. Aphrodite looked excited now, breathing starting to quicken with anticipation.
"Going to put on a show for me?"
"It's not often I have a captive audience."
Rolling his hips backward, Aphrodite pushed two fingers inside himself, his lips parting with a soft sigh. His movements were slow but deliberate, scissoring his fingers apart and reaching deeper. Getting into it now, he trailed his free hand provocatively up his torso, tweaking his nipples and squeezing at his well-muscled chest. It was too fucking much, Deathmask thought to himself in quiet frustration. Just how much torture was he going to endure before he was finally allowed to release?
"You want me so badly, don't you..? Hold on just a few more moments."
"Yeah, take your time opening that tight hole up. Don't want my cock to split you in two."
Aphrodite snorted, still grinding back and forth on his fingers.
"Confident, aren't we? I'd worry more about whether you can handle me."
"Didn't have trouble handling you bent over my table last week. Thought you were going to wake up that prick upstairs in Leo with your screaming."
Flushing red with fury and gritting his teeth, Aphrodite pulled out abruptly and grabbed Deathmask's cock tightly at the base.
"I do not scream. But you might."
Stabilising his hands on Deathmask's chest, he lowered himself onto the other man's cock, irritated expression quickly melting away. To his surprise, Aphrodite didn't break eye contact, even as he filled himself up all the way.
"Ngh... Oh, you feel good."
Aphrodite sighed, sinking down until he was sat neatly on Deathmask's lap, the two men's thighs pushing together in warm friction. His plush lips were parted slightly, breathing already starting to quicken. The wet heat of Aphrodite's insides squeezing at his length felt so impossibly good, too much.
Deathmask steeled himself. His stamina was excellent in general, but this damned poison was leaving him desperate to climax even without movement from his partner. Of course, Aphrodite knew this, all part of his masterful design.
"Don't give up too soon, okay?"
Another mocking caress to his cheek.
"You can't disappoint me after I waited all this time to fuck myself."
It was your idea to wait, bastard.
Deathmask kept his thoughts to himself - best to behave at this late stage.
As a Gold Saint, Aphrodite was blessed with exceptional physical fortitude. Even the way he fucked was superhuman, slamming his rear up and down without relent. His grip was tight on Deathmask's chest, sharp nails leaving trails of blood, though he barely felt the scratches in the euphoria of the moment.
He'd messed with civilians in the bedroom before on choice occasions, but nobody fucked like Aphrodite. It was impossible to be satisfied by anyone else anymore, like a bad addiction. A stupid situation to end up in.
"Fuck, Dite... Keep going."
Aphrodite wasn't letting up for a second. He was looking more desperate again, losing the rhythm and control of his grinding. He looked so fucking hot like this, so undone. Panting heavily now, he brushed his blue curls out his face and locked his gaze on Deathmask's again; it was burningly intense.
"Ah..! Touch me-!"
Pressure eased up on his bound arms; the vines binding his elbows and wrists started to uncoil and retreat into the marble tile. Groaning with relief, Deathmask wasted no time in gripping Aphrodite's slim waist, holding him just still enough to thrust his cock upwards into him again and again. It would be enough to leave bruises, he could hardly wait to see them. Aphrodite moaned with every pulse, clearly being hit in just the right spot to leave him breathless.
Having let Deathmask take the reins for a few seconds, Aphrodite returned to his efforts with renewed vigour, slamming his body onto his cock with almost violent force. He always made the same face when he was close to climax, obscene and red-cheeked, blue eyes unfocused and rolling back. The same face Deathmask pictured when was touching himself alone, but he wouldn't admit that aloud. He had held off from the hold of the intoxicating roses remarkably well, but he was losing his composure. No man alive could withstand what Aphrodite was doing to him, not looking like that.
"I'm going to..!"
Aphrodite was painfully lacking in any of his usual iron dignity. Deathmask moved a hand to the other man's cock, starting to roughly stroke him closer to orgasm. His thighs were trembling as he forced his hips back and forth, knuckles whitening from holding on so tightly.
"Fuck, me too--!"
Deathmask groaned, his voice catching in his throat, almost breathless. His vision seared white at the edges, logical thought being blanked out by pure pleasure, amplified by the drug coursing through his veins. It was intense, shockingly intense; electrocution straight through the core of his body. The last scrap of concentration he had left devoted itself to his hands, jerking his lover off just the way he liked it.
Aphrodite came first, spattering Deathmask's bare chest with cum.
"Ah..! Fuck..."
He rode his orgasm out for a few moments, rocking back and forth before starting to go limp. Too bad for him, Deathmask wasn't about to let him relax that quickly. He was met with a weak moan of protest as he grabbed him by the waist once more to force him to fuck himself down on Deathmask's achingly hard cock, reluctantly complying.
The build-up had made him feel like he was on fire, but the orgasm itself was like a wave of cool, blissful water, the prickle of overstimulation all over his body fading to a sweet numbness.
Shaking Deathmask's weakening hands off, Aphrodite lifted himself off, making a sigh of disgust as cum spilled from his hole. Clearly tired, he collapsed onto his chest, resting his head comfortably on the other man's shoulder. The remainder of the vines started to recede back into the earth, the heavy mist dispersing with them. Both men were terrible with affection, but whatever pheromones had been evoked left it easy enough for Deathmask to put an arm around Aphrodite's relaxed form without too much awkwardness. He stretched his legs a little. It was nice to be able to move again.
"Deathmask..."
Aphrodite sighed, continuing.
"I rather enjoyed that. Are you sure you wouldn't like to do it again next time?"
His tone was teasing now, perking his head up to gaze at his lover. Deathmask grinned, wiping the sweat off his brow.
"Oh, Aphrodite. I had a great time, but you won't get away with it so easy."
"Hmph. Well, I'm nowhere near as pathetic as you. I'm not as concerned as you should have been."
Deathmask laughed, holding him a little tighter.
"Y'know, I don't know if I want to fight any Holy Wars or whatever. I think I'd rather just fuck you every night instead."
"You're going to have to start romancing me if you want me to commit to you."
"Hah! Never."
Deathmask ignored the pang in his stomach. There was no good to be gained from admitting his feelings, even if they were reciprocated. Sanctuary was no place for romance, not even in the world they were helping Saga build.
"Anyway. Get off me, I know you'll kick me out soon."
Aphrodite paused, seeming almost reserved.
"You can stay. Just this once. It's a long walk, anyway... I don't want anyone to know you've been up here."
Surprised, Deathmask ran a hand through Aphrodite's curls.
"In that case, show me the bathroom. I'm covered in leaves for some reason."
Aphrodite smiled.
"I have a pretty big tub. Round two?"