Author's note: So, yeah, been watching a lot of -Man lately, and I am completely enthralled by Tyki. Yum. And then I thought, he and Lenalee would make a beautiful couple, absolutely stunning. But there were so few stories for the two of them. So of course I had to write one. This is closer to my Ages type of writing than my normal anime fanfic fluffiness, so be warned this is NSFW in any stretch of the imagination. No, I haven't given up on Ages, or any of the others. But I must write where the muse commands me...or where the EPBs drag me kicking and screaming, more like it. Still, this one...I enjoy it. It was fun.

"Beautiful, aren't they? Like poetry together." The dark chocolate silkiness of the unexpected voice was nonetheless not as surprising as the scene she was seeing through the large glass window. Lenalee wasn't exactly sure where she was or why she was playing voyeur, but she had to agree with the statement. Watching Allen Walker and Road Kamelot make love was...almost spiritual in its beauty. His fair countenance and white hair against her dusky skin and blue tresses was visually stunning, but it was the expression on their faces that made her want to cry in awe. Grey eyes meeting yellow, the expressions on their faces as they moved together said more than any verbal explanation could ever hope to convey.

"Would you like to hear them? We could always open the window a crack. It's not as though they'd notice." She finally turned to see who it was that was speaking, and froze in shock. Leaning casually against the wall, dark slacks and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled half way up his toned arms, was Tyki Mikk. Lenalee felt another burst of surrealism. Silently observing him, she watched as he took a drag on his cigarette, the smoke swirling and dancing in the small breeze that was coming from who-knew-where. He wasn't looking at her, but rather staring off in the distance, eyes half-lidded, appearing totally content, so she took the opportunity to study him. She'd only really seen him once before (where do I know him from?) and that hadn't been long enough to get more than a quick look. But she had time now. He stood easily half a foot or more over her own height. She found that interesting, and a little intimidating, since she'd never considered herself a short woman. But something about him just made her feel positively petite, and she wasn't certain she liked that. It gave her a sense of helplessness, and Lenalee hated being helpless. Still, she felt no threat from him and as she still wasn't entirely sure where she was, or why, or what was going on, she tucked that sensation away in the back of her head for future consideration and returned to her perusal of the man leaning on the wall.

He looked so...relaxed. Tousled dark hair twitching in the same slight breeze that wafted the smoke into such interesting patterns; it looked soft and shiny and Lenalee had the completely absurd urge to reach out across the foot or so that separated them and run her fingers through the unruly waves. Biting that particular thought off before it could take root, she shifted her gaze to his obviously tailored attire. The shirt clung and shifted, but wasn't tight. Just enough to hint at the broad shoulders, the lean muscles beneath the linen. With his sleeves folded as they were, it drew attention to the tone and smoothness of his forearms, and she found herself unwillingly impressed. Long, long legs clad in dress slacks of some dark color – black, maybe, or dark blue – that, like the shirt, were not tight enough to be called tight but rather just snug enough to emphasize the muscles beneath. One foot had been drawn up to rest against the wall behind him, and the hand holding the cigarette lowered to rest on his uplifted knee. Her gaze was drawn immediately to his fingers, long and lean and elegant like the rest of him, and she swallowed hard. She'd always had a weakness for a man's hands, especially if they looked as capable of gentleness as they did cruelty. And this man could be cruel, she had no doubt. Head to toe, even in this apparently unguarded state he was every inch a predator. She shivered, but wasn't sure if it was fear or...something else.

"See anything you like? If so, I could send you a picture." She gasped and felt her cheeks heat immediately. He'd looked so unobservant, staring off into the distant woods as he was, that she never realized he had been aware of her visual analysis.

"I...um...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare." She chuckled nervously. "I just feel like I...know you from somewhere. Sort of. I was, well, just trying to figure out where from." She could just detect the hint of hidden amusement in his facial profile as he lifted those long fingers back up to take another puff of the cigarette. She felt like seven types of fool, and she just knew he was going to call her out on her obvious line of bull, but he didn't. Instead he finished his cigarette and flicked it to the ground, pushing off against the wall in one smooth movement and stepping on it to make sure it was out. Without looking back at her, he began moving off to the forest in front of them.

"I'm a little bored. I'm going for a swim. If you'd care to join me, just follow the path." Without even looking back at her he began to stride away, and she was mesmerized by the way he moved, like a large cat. Or an assassin. Something that was all danger underneath a veneer of civility. Without realizing she was doing it she watched him walk away until he had disappeared amongst the trees and underbrush. She shook her head and blinked a few times. Motion from the other side of the window caught her attention and she turned back to the couple on the large bed on the other side of the glass. She watched for a moment, thinking how she should feel hurt or upset – after all, there was a time she thought she was in love with the white-haired exorcist. But seeing him with the young girl, foreheads resting together as their sweat-slick bodies took a brief break, all she could feel was happiness for him. Her friend had experiences so much pain and sadness and abuse in his life...if being with Road made him happy, then Lenalee had no problems with it. Something inside her (what on earth are you saying?) seemed to recoil at the thought, but the impression in her mind wasn't fully formed. From her vantage point, she watched as the couple rolled over and Allen, holding himself above his lover, gently traced his hand across her forehead. Lenalee saw his lips move, and knew even without hearing his voice that he was whispering his devotion to the woman he was with. Suddenly feeling like the worst type of peeping tom, she wrenched her eyes from the private scene and spun around to press her back against the wall. Instinctively scanning her surroundings, she saw the gentle gleam of moonlight reflect against the start of the path her earlier company had taken and before she knew what she was doing, she found her feet upon the shimmering walkway.

The soil looked like normal dirt, except that it was reflecting the light from the night sky. It was odd, but something Lenalee felt herself able to ignore. After all, this entire night so far had been odd, so what was one more thing? With no real purpose in her mind she started down the shining pathway. The trees above her whispered and groaned in the midnight breeze. The small leaves spoke to each other in their own voices. Lenalee found herself overwhelmed with contentment, the feeling that nothing could go wrong, that she was prepared for anything and everything. Until she stepped suddenly from the cover of the trees and onto the grassy banks of what looked to be a very large lake and saw the man before her unbuttoning his shirt. She knew she was staring, knew she must look like a codfish with her mouth wide open and her eyes bulging, but it didn't matter in the least.

It turned out the shirt didn't hint as much as she thought it did. He was turned half towards her, and as the linen garment fluttered to the ground where he so carelessly dropped it, she couldn't help but be absolutely stunned at the gleam of moonlight along the muscles of his back, his arms. She made some soft sound, a squeak perhaps, and he turned fully towards her. This time if she'd looked up she could have seen the smirk on his face, but she was riveted to the physique that was currently bared to her gaze. As she watched, those long fingers she'd been so entranced with trailed softly across the waistline of his pants, stopping only when they got the the center button. Lenalee knew she should probably start breathing again sometime soon, but it seemed an unimportant idea. Vaguely aware that he knew she was there, that he was toying with her, nonetheless she was frozen as he flicked the button open. But instead of continuing the process of disrobing, he left one hand resting on the button as the other one lifted towards his hair. She followed the movement and saw, for the first time, the expression on his face – part pride, part amusement, and a healthy dose of knowledge lit his golden eyes, and those lips she'd never really noticed until now were curved in a smile that was equal shares insolence and humor. He stood like that for a few moments, obviously posing for her entertainment and his own enjoyment, and Lenalee only realized how dry her mouth had gone when she tried to swallow and choked instead. He kindly gave her a few moments to cough and sputter and feel like a complete idiot before breaking the silence.

"Decided to join me?" he drawled, the words dripping from those gorgeous lips like sin drenched in sweet red wine. She gulped, hard, as his hand dropped from his hair back to his zipper, and she was unable to look away as he lowered it ever-so-slowly. But whenever those same fingers curled in the material and began to push it down off of his lean hips, she gasped for air and spun around, hands clenched at her sides and face flaming. She heard his low chuckle, heard the material crumple on the ground, heard his soft footsteps and then the ripple of water as he entered the lake. Still she stayed, frozen like a statue, unable to do more than breathe heavily and try in vain to calm her racing pulse. There were more sounds as he began to swim, and a few long, painful minutes passed, but finally Lenalee felt herself composed enough to turn back around.

He was out in the lake, pulling himself out into the center with strong strokes, every line of his body proclaiming his obvious contentment with his current place and circumstances. She was glad that the water was dark, that the moonlight wasn't bright enough to penetrate its depths. She wasn't certain she was ready for what she would see. As though on instinct he turned around, treading water while facing her.

"You really should come in. It's quite lovely, and the temperature is perfect." Even though he was yards offshore, the night was so clear she could hear him as easily as if he'd been standing next to her. "Unless...you do know how to swim, don't you?" There was a challenge in his tone, a smug light in his eyes, and she bristled.

"Of course I can swim," she retorted. He'd begun to approach the shore once more, slowly but smoothly, and she forced herself not to take a step back. She knew his game now, knew he meant to goad her into getting into the lake or leaving, and she was determined she wouldn't lose to this man.

"Then come on in," he cajoled, the gleam in his eyes more visible the closer he got. "You won't regret it." Closer and closer he got, now only a handful of yards offshore, and she was able to make out the individual drops of water that clung to his shoulders and soaked his hair.

"I...I didn't bring a swimsuit," she stammered, and this time he did smile – a full-blown grin that made him look damn near irresistible.

"Neither did I. But that didn't stop me."

"But you...I..." she trailed off, stunned, as he laughed out loud. His earlier dark chuckle was enough to tickle the nerves in her spine, but this, this honest laugh – it made her legs go weak.

"Come on, exorcist. I won't hurt you." She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smirked. "Unless, of course, you want me to," he purred. He was standing just beyond the shallows now, the water resting just below his navel. She felt her entire body get warm, and she knew she was blushing furiously.

"I don't know if I should..." she hedged, trying to buy some time while she got herself back under control. What the hell was happening to her? Why was she so flustered?

"Think of it this way. If you don't, you will forever wonder if you should have." With that he pushed his wet hair back off of his face, and she could clearly make out the crosses on his forehead. Something about them (danger danger danger) made her a bit uneasy, but the feeling was quickly forgotten. He'd turned and gone back out into the open waters of the lake, leaving her to stand on the damp shore and watch him go. As she stood there Lenalee felt some part of her, some heretofore unknown side of her personality, surface and begin to take over. With fingers that were trembling, yet firm, she began to work open the buttons on her uniform. She knew he had stopped swimming, had likely turned and was watching her from his vantage point off shore, but she couldn't look up. She knew she'd lose her nerve if she did. Button after button came undone under her fingers, and with a motion that was half defiance, half determination, she shrugged it off of her shoulders and let it drop to the ground, landing just beside his shirt. She still wasn't able to look up, was in fact blocking out all sight and sound, but she refused to let him win. Another button and a zipper had her shorts opened, and then they were on the ground as well and she was standing by the lake clad only in a demure white bra and matching panties. Gathering her courage in both hands, she raised her head and looked up only to find that he'd returned to his earlier position close to the shore. This time the look in his eyes wasn't insolent or teasing in the least. He looked...impressed. Stunned, really. She reveled in the heat of his gaze as it raked over her barely-dressed form. Lenalee was no stranger to appraising looks from men – she was aware that most of her friends at the Order followed her with their eyes when they thought she wasn't looking. But nothing – nothing – in her experience could ever have compared to the burning intensity in his eyes.

"Exquisite," he whispered, smooth tone slightly harsh and raspy now. She felt a thrill race through her at the knowledge that she had chipped the composure of such a collected man. Drunk on her own power, she sauntered to the edge of the water, hips swaying instinctively, and watched as his golden eyes widened, growing deep and dark as they followed her every move. Instead of walking out into the water in front of him, however, she turned and walked away from him down the shoreline, feeling him watching her as she went. When she reached her goal – a large-ish rock that stuck out over the lake like a jutting finger, she climbed up on it and turned back. Some internal impulse prompted her next action and she went with it, reaching up and pulling the ties out of her hair. Shaking her head, she let her long hair settle around her, the ends teasing her waist and hips as they settled. Glancing to the side she saw that he hadn't moved an inch, but was still watching her with an intensity that would have been frightening if not for the desire that burned within it. It was that desire that gave her strength...knowing she wasn't alone in the whirlwind of lust that had permeated their every interaction since she found herself in this strange place. With a quick movement that she knew was as graceful as a deer, she leapt from the rock into the air, launching herself forward into the center of the lake.

Having expected the water to be at least slightly cool if not chilly, she was pleasantly surprised to find it soft and warm and just as perfect as he had said it was. She swam underwater for a while, enjoying the buoyancy and ripples of her own movements. Eventually though she needed to breathe so she kicked her way up. Breaking the surface of the water, she flung her hair back behind her head in one movement and was about to wipe the water from her eyes when a gentle fingers on her eyelids did just that, surprising her. She opened her eyes...and stared into golden-bronzed depths mere inches from her face. He'd swum up to her while she was underwater, and now that she was above water he was right in front of her. For the first time she got to take in his facial features...to truly appreciate the fullness and smoothness of those lips, the purely elegant arch of his eyebrows, the mole that rested just beneath his left eye. The crosses that danced a line across his forehead. Some unknown impulse had her reaching up to trace her fingers along them, and she felt him shudder, saw his eyelids flutter shut, those long, dark lashes laying against his skin like feathers of ebony. Lenalee took a deep breath. She had never before been so close to a man, not in this way, not without her brother barging in or duty taking over. She could feel his body heat even through the water that separated them, could feel the gentle puffs of his breath against her lips. She gave in to her earlier impulse and shifted her hand to his hair, fingers tunneling into the thick, wet locks, and gasped as his arms closed tight around her waist at the same time his eyes snapped open.

"You are so very beautiful," he whispered reverently, and she felt like every bone in her body liquified at the ripple of emotion that rocked through her at his words. She was leaning forward of her own accord, not even realizing it, but just before her lips would have brushed against his he let go suddenly and smirked at her.

"Why...what..?" she mumbled, confused, and his smirk became a grin.

"If you can catch me, exorcist, you can have me," he said with a chuckle, and before she could react at all he dove underwater and disappeared, popping back up a few moments later several hundred yards away. Lenalee was confused, slightly hurt – she knew he had wanted to kiss her, and she was so ready – but then his words caught up with her. He wanted to play. How long had it been since she'd played – really just relaxed and had fun, without the worry of what would come the next morning?

"You want to play?" she murmured to herself, a smile growing on her face. "Fine. I'll play."

Taking a deep breath, she dove under the surface herself, pushing herself hard to the bottom of the lake. It was quite deep, she realized, but the slight shimmer of moonlight above her was her friend, as it rippled more when there was something moving at the surface. Locating him from the depth, she pushed off and forced herself upward, planning to leap out of the water and land on him. However, as soon as she broke the surface she saw him swimming away from her, pausing to tread water and look over his shoulder at her.

"Is that the best you can do?" he goaded, and she snarled and dove back underwater. Over and over she would come back up to find out that he was just out of her reach. Frustrated, but still enjoying herself more than she had in a long time, she tried again and again, and her laughter mingled with his in the cool night air. Finally she began to realize what she was doing wrong. Back under the water she stopped to watch the ripples from his movements, but when she began to move she realized he was able to see her own ripples as she pushed her way back up. Surfacing one more time, tossing out a backhanded comment to his sarcastic prodding, she returned to the deep area of the lake and went still. Small motions with her hands maneuvered her to a point just behind where he was floating, but instead of swimming up she relaxed every muscle, allowing the water to float her to the top on its own. Closer...closer...close enough now to see his legs – just as well-formed as she'd inferred earlier, she noted with a smile – the curve of his rear, his back...

He yelped in shock as a soaking wet exorcist pounced onto him from behind. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, and leaned her lips next to his ear.

"I believe I win," she whispered, and felt every muscle in his body quiver. Slowly she let go and he turned to face her. They were close enough to shore that they could both stand in the water, and she had to look up to meet his gaze. The fire that burned there made every nerve in her body stand on end, and she moaned softly. One of his hands came up to cup her cheek and he leaned in close.

"So you did," he whispered against her cheek. "The question is...now that you have me, what will you do with me?" She whimpered, her entire body feeling like it was on fire, and watched his eyes close partway, half-lidded with amusement and pure, unadulterated lust.

"I...I don't...I mean, I've never..." She knew she was blushing again, but she really didn't have any idea how to proceed. She'd never even been kissed before this. Komui was always there, bursting in at entirely the wrong moment, and once word got out about what he'd done to the first guy he caught trying to kiss his precious sister, all of the other men tended to keep their distance, at least in that way. By the way Tyki's eyes widened at her half-whispered partial confession, she knew that she had no such reprieve this time.

"I'm going to give you one chance to walk away, exorcist," he purred. "One chance." The look in those glowing eyes was serious, and she knew if she walked away now he'd let her. But despite her fear of the unknown, the thrill and desire she felt was too big, too all-encompassing to let her back down. Still, she didn't trust her voice, so she acted on instinct, leaning forward and touching her lips lightly to his.

An explosion of sensation rocketed through her as he sprung into motion, his arms dragging her to him as he effortlessly took control of the kiss, tilting his head slightly and slanting his lips over hers. Her hands lifted of their own accord, one coming to rest against his collarbone while the other dove into his wet hair. She moaned against his lips, and he took it as the invitation it was and teased his tongue along her lips before deepening their kiss. Lenalee was on fire, her mind was spinning. Is this what she'd been missing? She was going to KILL her brother when she got back. And then one of his large hands slid down to cup her rear and yank her against him, his very obvious erection against her stomach, and every thought in her brain packed up and went on sabbatical.

She barely noticed it when he lifted her up in his arms, only paying enough attention to latch her legs around his waist, and the grass was soft and luxurious under her back when he lowered them to the ground. He'd broken their kiss and was trailing lips and tongue down her neck, across her collarbone. He nipped her skin and she gasped.

"Again...do that again," she pleaded, and suddenly he had her hands pinned above her head with one hand, the other one tracing the valley between her breasts. He met her eyes and she was shocked to stillness at the expression on his face, one part reverence to three parts control. Holding her gaze, he flicked open the front closure of her bra, baring her to his hands, lips, whatever he wanted. A wicked smirk crossed his lips and then he dipped his head and bit down on her neck. She squealed and arched against him, never knowing how much pleasure a little pain could cause, and he closed his teeth a little tighter, not enough to draw blood but enough that she knew there would be a mark. For some reason the thought that he had marked her sent her libido into overdrive and she writhed against him, not really knowing what she wanted but wanting it anyway.

"Patience, pet," he murmured. "I've every intention of giving you everything you need." His lips soothed the spot he'd bitten and began a slow journey over her skin, completely ignoring her breasts to slide over her stomach. He pulled her hands to her sides and pinned them there with his hands so that he could shift lower, tongue flicking over her sensitive navel and making her squirm.

"Your skin tastes sweet," he whispered before running his tongue back up the center of her torso. Pinned as she was, she was completely defenseless against the onslaught of sensual pleasure that was coiling within her. She whimpered and moaned as he tasted her, leaving no inch untouched except her breasts – the one thing he hadn't yet explored no matter how much she'd begged. Finally he looked up at her.

"I'm going to let go of your hands now. You will put them above your head and leave them there. Any attempt to move them, I will stop what I'm doing. Is that clear?"

"But-" she started to protest. His lips came back down on hers, effectively kissing her into submission. Once she was limp and pliable again he repeated his question.

"Is that clear?" She had no words so she just nodded. He smiled, a smile that promised things she didn't even know existed, and let go of her wrists. Under that burning gaze she slowly stretched her arms above her head, watching as he looked at her, knowing the motion made her breasts that much more prominent. As soon as she was settled she found herself holding her breath in anticipation. This time, he didn't tease. A quick flash of teeth and he bent down and wrapped his lips around her left nipple, licking and sucking and making her shriek in pleasure. Moving to the other one, he treated it to the same torment before grasping one breast in each hand. She wasn't small-chested, but his hands cupped completely around them, those long fingers stroking and gently squeezing, tugging at her nipples and rubbing the swells and curves.

"Keep your arms up," he whispered as he shifted once more.

"I'm not crazy," she whispered back, then gasped as his hands left her throbbing breasts and slid down her sides, fingers curling around the waistband of her panties. A sudden fear shot through her and she tensed, but he smiled at her. No lewdness, no teasing...just a smile, one that promised safety, and though she had no idea what to expect she relaxed. He drew her panties off, the last barrier between everything she was and everything he wanted. She felt the last of her inhibition drawn away as well, letting her legs part slightly before his appraising gaze. His hands skimmed back up her legs to end up at her hips, while his eyes traveled slowly from head to toe and back again. Far from feeling cheap, she felt cherished, precious.

"You are...amazing," he whispered, returning to her lips once more. "Absolutely amazing."

"Tyki..." she moaned, and he froze.

"Say it again." She heard a slight note of pleading in his voice, and knew in that moment that she had just as much power over him as he had over her. Locking her eyes to his, she obliged.

"Tyki, please..." The shudder that wracked him was nothing compared to the one that slammed through her as one hand slipped between her legs. "Oh god – Tyki, yes!" His chuckle washed over her as he used those long fingers to their best effect, sliding them through her soaked folds and stroking her. She almost moved her arms, wanting to touch him as well, but remembered at the last minute and settled for biting her lip. Her whimper as he ceased his attentions was short lived. He ran his palms down her legs to her calves and lifted them over his broad shoulders, confusing her.

"What are you-" she broke off as he grinned at her.

"Remember my name, exorcist. You'll be using it a lot."

"Huh?" she managed to blurt. His expression was wicked, and he licked his lips. For some reason the flickering of his tongue excited her even more, but it wasn't until he leaned his head down that it dawned on her what he was about to do.

"I...are you...ayyeeeeeeeee!" she screamed as his tongue made contact with her sensitive flesh. Her thighs clamped shut around his head and he used his hands to pry them apart again as he began to lick places she wasn't even aware were sensitive. Seemingly reassured that she wasn't going to try and break his neck in her excitement, he placed one hand on her pelvis to hold her steady and used the fingers of his other hand to tease her slick skin. She tossed her head and a litany of pleas and commands interspersed with his name and calls to various deities left her lips. She had never felt anything like this, this heat, this pressure, building and rising. Never penetrating her with his fingers or his tongue, he still had her writhing like a cat in heat in a matter of seconds. He sucked on her clit, bit down lightly on it, and she was screaming and begging for more. She glanced down and could see only his hair, dryer now from the slight breeze, tousled and sexy as his head remained buried between her thighs. Something was pulsing through her now, a sensation she couldn't even describe, but it felt huge, too big to be contained in one body, beneath one person's skin, pushing and swelling and almost frightening in its power.

"Tyki...gods, please...I don't...oh..ohhhh..."

"Relax," he murmured against her wet skin. "Just let go." He punctuated that statement with a hard swipe of his tongue and his lips around her sensitive nub and fireworks exploded in her brain. She was melting, she was burning. The universe was shrinking, expanding, exploding inside her. She was everything, she was nothing, the man between her legs was a god, she was formless, she was everywhere...everything was bright and loud and deep and dark.

"Welcome back," he whispered when she pried her eyes open. He'd moved, pulling her into the circle of his arms while, and she was curled against him, her legs nestled between his own. Her breathing was still thready, and she was shaking with reaction to what had just happened.

"What...did I..?" She didn't seem to be coherent enough to form a sentence, and he smiled, gently brushing her long hair back behind her shoulder.

"I'll say it again, you are beautiful. Watching you come apart in my arms was the most incredible thing I've ever seen." He kissed her, this time tenderly, lovingly, and she was able to wrap her arms around him, feeling the solidness of his muscles, the smoothness of his skin. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest, strong and steady and a little bit fast. He smelled like water and night and temptation, and it wasn't long before she was the one taking charge, teasing him with her tongue before sliding it against his, pushing him to the ground and straddling his hips. His hands came up to cup her breasts gently, and she broke their kiss long enough to moan and press into his hands.

"You have...the most amazing fingers..." she whimpered, and he chuckled, using said appendages to tug and rub her nipples.

"So glad you approve," he murmured cheekily, and she chuckled. He reached one hand up to trace her cheek.

"You know, we don't have to go any farther. It's up to you."

"I want to." She'd never felt more certain in her life, and the fact that he was once more offering her the choice made her that much more sure it was the right thing, the right time. The right man.

"Are you sure? This isn't something you can take back." She blinked back tears at the softness of his tone.

"I'm positive, Tyki. I want you. But..." she broke off, biting down on her lip again.

"But?" he prompted.

"I don't know how. I mean, I know the technical aspects, but I don't..." she knew she was blushing but it was worth it, seeing the fire return to his eyes, that same vibrant glow that spoke of both pleasure and danger.

"You don't have to worry about that, pet," he said. There was a sureness in his hands as he shifted them to her hips. "I can show you everything you need to know."

"I'm counting on it." Her bold pronouncement had exactly the effect she wanted – namely, him dragging her back down to him until they were pressed together skin to skin. His hand wandered down between her legs, stroking the outer edges of her womanhood lightly.

"Well, you're already wet enough," he said with a smirk, lifting his fingers to his lips and licking them off. She blushed, but the sight was so very erotic, especially knowing now what those fingers, that tongue were capable of. "So now I'm going to work on stretching you a little with my fingers, so that-"

"No," she said firmly. He stopped, confusion evident on his beautiful features.

"Trust me, you'll want to be prepared a little...it's going to hurt more if you aren't. I'm not exactly a small man," he finished with a twitch of his lips. Still she shook her head.

"Pain doesn't scare me. You know that already. And," she said, not sure where her new-found confidence was coming from but going with it anyway, "I want the first thing inside me to be your cock." He looked as stunned at her choice of words as she felt, but she refused to let it show on her face. She could feel his manhood twitch against her and reached down with one hand, stroking the full length of it with just one fingertip. For a brief moment she doubted her own decision about not letting him prepare her – he wasn't kidding when he said he wasn't small – but she knew what she wanted.

"I...gods, are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

"You will hurt me. That much is certain. But we'll do it my way. I want you to take me, claim me." His eyes blazed, his hands tightening where they'd come to rest on her hips.

"Be. Very. Sure." His voice had lost all smoothness, raspy and harsh with excitement and desire.

"Make me yours, Tyki," she whispered. With a vicious growl he flipped them so she was once more on the bottom. She was right, she did feel petite beneath him, but this time it was such a delicious feeling that she hissed in pleasure. Without waiting for his urging she lifted her legs, draping them over his hips and opening herself to anything he wanted to give her. However, he urged her hands to his shoulders and forced her to look in his eyes. She was startled by the depths of emotions swirling in the golden glow, and by the ferocity burning just beneath the thin layer of civility he was barely holding on to.

"I've given you an out and you still insist, so now you're going to get exactly what you've asked for. So, dig in your claws if you want, I don't mind. You're mine now. And I want to hear you scream." Without another word he slammed forward. And she screamed.

The pain. She had never felt anything like it – the acid burn of her untouched tissues stretching and tearing as he forced himself into her. The agony ricocheted through her and she dug her nails in just like he'd told her to. She could feel his blood under her nails, feel her blood beginning to slick his member as he pounded into her, and in the middle of all of the pain he leaned down and bit her neck in the same spot he had earlier. The combination of every sensation, from the feel of him inside her, to his teeth on her neck, to the slide of his skin against hers and the feel of his blood built and combined to fling her carelessly into an orgasm so powerful it made the previous one she'd felt at his hands feel completely insignificant.

"Gods, so tight...fuck, you're fantastic...oh hell, take it..." She could hear his rasps, his growls, his voice cracking on every word as his hips moved, slowly at first until she loosened enough for him to truly set a rhythm. The pain didn't fade, it seemed to be assimilated, everything combined – pleasure, pain, she didn't know and didn't care. She wrapped her legs tighter around him, forcing him deeper with every thrust, moving her hands down so that she could lick the blood from her fingers – his blood, and how his eyes flared when he saw her sucking it off of her hands – before grabbing his hair and yanking his mouth back down to hers. She could feel the sensations again – knew what it was this time, could feel it building, and lunged against him. He moved his hands, showing her how to meet him thrust for thrust, and her pleasure intensified. He shifted her legs higher, teaching her how to move, and she screamed again as she came. It was rough and violent and she loved every minute of it. He flipped her onto her hands and knees and mounted her like a bitch in heat, and she pushed back against him, taking him deeper and making each movement faster, harder. He laid down on his back and she climbed on top, barely noticing the pink streaks on both of them as she plunged down on him, grinding herself into his pelvis. He lifted a hand to her lips and she bit his finger, loving the way it excited him, loving the taste of him between her lips.

They'd maneuvered towards the lake, and soon their legs were underwater. With a quick flip he was on top again, and he pulled out and led her into the lake. The weightlessness added another dimension as he lifted her and brought her back down on him, the greater range of movement making her yowl like a cat as he hit every inch of her depths and then some. And then at some point he slowed, becoming almost gentle, and she gasped as their mating took on a smoother, softer tone, as he slowed down and rocked into her over and over. He kissed her, she kissed him, it didn't matter. She didn't realize she was crying, from the pleasure, from the pain, from the feel of him, them, together. He licked the tears from her cheeks, his motions becoming a bit less smooth, his breathing ragged. She pressed closer to him and whispered in his ear.

"Tyki...let go. All of it. Just let go." She felt rather than saw him shudder as he lifted her and walked back to the shore. In the grass once more, he slid back into her and brushed his lips over her eyes.

"You want this?" he asked, straining to hold his composure, obviously at the end of his rope. She nodded, smiling and pressing her feet into his ass.

"Every bit." He closed his eyes and his head arched back, and she watched him swallow hard, the line of his neck drawing her lips like a flame drew moths. "Please, Tyki, give it to me," she whispered. "Make me yours." Her soft words shattered him and he growled as he buried himself completely inside her and exploded. She could feel it, hot and wet, jet after jet filling her depths and his arms locking around her as he held her, shaking with the force of his pleasure. She wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him, hearing his soft gasp as she squeezed him involuntarily. She did it again, deliberately, and again, and he moaned low and dropped his head to her neck where he kissed the repeatedly-bitten skin. Eventually the quaking stopped. For a long while they lay there together, not wanting to move enough to be separated. When they finally did, he raised himself so he was sitting on his knees, gazing down at her with something akin to awe in his eyes. Too tired to move, Lenalee simply relaxed into the grass and watched as he took in her nude form, the marks on her skin, the darkening bruises on her inner thighs and the thin line of his seed she could feel beginning to trickle out of her. She didn't know how she looked to him, but she saw in his eyes that his world had been completely splintered. Just as hers had been. She used what strength she had to lift her arms in invitation, and was stunned to see a tear slip down his cheek before he accepted.

"Thank you," she murmured into that silky, messy hair – far more disheveled now than earlier. He looked at her in shock.

"I should be thanking you," he replied. She blinked in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because," he said softly, his fingers butterfly-light against her cheek, "what you gave me...this night...this was so very..." He seemed to lose any words he had, and instead let his lips meet hers, finishing his statement on their own.

"Tyki?" she asked a little while later, after their skin had dried from lake water and sweat and they lay staring into the night sky – a sky she was just beginning to notice hadn't changed once in all the hours they'd been here, wherever 'here' was.

"Yes?" His voice was smooth once more, quiet and warm like a cashmere blanket, and she purred slightly as she snuggled closer to him.

"Why didn't you ever call me by my name?" She felt him take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I wanted...well, I wanted to keep a bit of distance."

"Why?" This time he moved, turning on his side to face her. She was stunned at the depths of sadness in his eyes.

"Because you, me – can't you feel it? This isn't a real place." She blinked. So he'd noticed too. Still, it didn't explain anything.

"So what?" He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, she saw something very like surrender in them, an emotion so...unnatural to him...that it worried her.

"We'll leave here. We'll go back to our lives. And you can't tell me you haven't felt that we didn't belong together. I don't know how we ended up here, but in our real lives something tells me that we are not...friendly." Against her wishes, she understood what he meant. "So, if I could keep some space, some lack of personal connection, it might be easier to handle. Easier to let you go when this world ends." Sadly, she gazed over the lake. She knew, she could feel, that everything he said was right. And yet...

"Just once, please? I've used your name, but you've only called me exorcist. Just once I want to hear my name on your lips." She didn't know the picture she presented to him, eyes wide and earnest, clad only in moonlight and the remnants of their passion, asking for something so small and yet so momentous.

"I can refuse you nothing, Lenalee," he whispered, and she felt a warmth rocket through her. She curled into him once more.

"Hold me? Until this world ends?"

"Anything." Wrapped in his arms, feeling his pulse, his breathing, his strength against her, Lenalee dropped into a deep and comforting sleep.

Bright morning light was a shock, and she blinked repeatedly, feeling the kink in her neck from laying in an odd position for too long. With a flash the events of her dream slammed back into her head, and she groaned. What the HELL? Her? And Tyki Mikk? The Noah that had killed Allen? She shuddered in revulsion...and then as the vivid dream replayed itself in short bursts in her head, she shuddered for another reason entirely. She stood and stretched, determined to forget the dream as she made her way to the bathroom for her morning ablutions. From the level above her, she heard someone shout out that Edo was in sight, and she knew she had to hurry and get up on deck with the others. Washing her hands, she looked into the mirror over the sink...and gasped. There on her neck, right where it met the shoulder, there was a set of teeth marks, already bruising.

Tyki Mikk sat straight up in bed, the dream sharp and crisp in his mind. He could remember everything, every moment, and he buried his head in his hands. This was not supposed to happen, he thought to himself. Sighing, he resolved to forget it all. Getting out of bed, he stood and left his room, not bothering to put on more than a pair of pants, desperately in need of a cup of coffee and a cigarette. As he walked down the hallway, still trying to shake off the remnants of his dream, he heard a voice behind him.

"Rough night? She must've been something." He whirled, anger and shock adding to his speed, and pinned Lulu Bell to the wall with one hand. Her eyes widened at his swift movements and she stood very still.

"What are you talking about?" he snarled at her. She couldn't possibly have known about the dream. She shrugged.

"The claw marks on your back. Whoever she was, I'd say if you let her mark you like that, she's a keeper." Stunned, he dropped his hand and she scampered away down the hallway like the cat she was. He walked over to a large decorative mirror hanging on the wall and turned, looking over his shoulder at his back as well as he could. And there, on the otherwise unbroken skin of his back, were eight perfect half-moon marks. They looked like they were made by a woman's fingernails.

Sighing, Tyki headed back to his bedroom for a shirt.