Ketch Me as I Fall

Those silver pools of mercury, once as shiny as newly polished steel, were now tarnished and sunken. Almost like he hadn't had a full night's rest in a very long time. There was a thick scruff on his face now, unkempt and showing signs of his age in the form of small gray hairs. Instead of a nicely tailored suit, he wore something far more casual. A tattered leather jacket with an old t-shirt beneath it, beat-up old jeans with holes being worn into the knees, and old, black combat boots. Something a normal hunter would wear. I barely registered the shot from his gun as he held the aim over my shoulder, killing the last werewolf. But the smell of the gunpowder as it mixed so perfectly with the smell of him, that sweet leather and cologne I had fallen in love with, brought all our memories to the front of my mind.

I couldn't be here. Couldn't be standing here in front of him now as the monster I was. I couldn't be around him after all I had done. I needed to get away. So I turned away from him, forgetting my abilities as I tried to run. But those reflexes were still as quick as they had been five years ago, and he caught up my arm before I'd taken more than a step. He gently pulled me back around to face him, making me look at him again.

"You're not getting out of this so easily." Ketch almost growled the words, though his brows knitted together as he studied me. "I have too many questions."

I tried to open my mouth, tried to think of anything to say to him. But the words, and the ability to speak itself, alluded me as panic shifted through my veins. It was sudden as the memory of my demonic abilities came back to me and I was able to disappear in a puss of black smoke. I blinked into Hell, into my throne room. The breath I finally took was shaky as I fell back into the stone chair. My head swam with emotions and thoughts, my heart beating faster than it had in years.

I had tortured thousands of souls at this point, and beaten hoards of monsters. I was the fucking ruler of Hell itself. And yet…his voice had still sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes alone had set my soul on fire. And even just being held by him, even so minutely…had sent my heart into a roaring thunder. I had thought he was dead, had stopped looking for him or the pieces I Had been sure he was in. But there he had been. Whole and alive.

I couldn't go back to that clearing. Not now. Not after he had seen me for what I was. He would never love me again. I would never be able to see those eyes again. I…

"Ma'am?" Mehak's voice next to me brought me out of the trance I had fallen into. I tried to collect my breathing, not turning to look at the lesser demon.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound stronger than I felt. But its usual ice wasn't there.

"We…we assumed you'd be gone all afternoon." He cleared his throat. "You've missed the soul meeting."

"I'll hear the notes later, Mehak. For now, leave me alone." I muttered, my voice shaking near the end.

"Ma'am…"

"Leave, Mehak." The growl was meant to be threatening, I wasn't sure if it had been enough. And when the demon still hadn't left, I growled again, this time letting the darker part of me slip into it.

Finally, I felt his presence leave, and I began to play with the ring that hung heavier than ever around my neck. The red jewel glittered now, even through the blood I was still splattered with.

Ketch would know where I was now. I had given it away with my final magic trick and the black eyes he undoubtedly saw. And I know he knew how to enter Hell. We'd done it together with the key, and he probably had other ways if he no longer had that. He would come and find me. And until then, I needed to prepare myself for the battle it could be. He wasn't going to get to me that easily again.

I didn't need him anymore. This was my kingdom. All of this, every last dark, sulfur-smelling, sharpened point of Hell, was mine. And not even Lucifer himself was going to rip it from me now.

"Orion." I didn't have to shout for my voice to carry, though the echos of it came back to my ears lonely.

The door at the end opened and the demon strode in like he knew his place all too well. He closed the door behind him before walking over to me, a smirk on his face until he found mine. Then his expression turned to one of question and maybe concern as he waited for an order.

I bit my finger, making it bleed as I thought about exactly what I wanted to say to my incubus. The silence was tense as he waited for my words. Finally, I sighed, giving up on anything formal.

"I need you to look into something for me." I said, taking the finger from my mouth as it healed, "It has come to my attention that graveyards are coming up empty. I want to know why."

"You don't know why?" Orion asked, his face still quizzical.

"My last point of contact…lost his head." I gave him a tight smile.

"I will have someone look into it." He nodded, then turned to leave. "Is that all you needed from me?"

I nodded, and Orion bowed slightly before turning towards the door completely. My fingers tapped on the arm of the chair as I watched him leave, my chest still swirling with too many emotions. I didn't want to name them all.

"Wait," I called. I didn't want to be alone. The thought of returning to anything above ground now made me anxious. It had been wrong of me to find joy in fucking up my best friend's life. I didn't want to think about that anymore. I didn't want to think about the man in the clearing anymore either. I needed to forget for a bit. "I need something else."

"Yes?" Orion turned back around to me, the smirk back on his lips and a new gleam in his eyes.

"Fuck me." It was more an order than a request.

"You did seem stressed." He stalked back to me. "Any particular reason?"

"I need to forget a few things. And what better way to keep my mind separate from my body." I got to my feet and took the last few steps between us. "So, fuck me."

"You don't have to tell me twice, darling," Orion said, lacing his fingers with mine.

I slumped on my throne, head resting in my hand lazily. It had been days of soul talks, hours and hours of numbers going up, and hounds bringing in large amounts of deals. I ran my free hand down the back of a hellhound pup as it rested in my lap. The hounds had been terrifying as a human, but when you were their handler, they were no more than a giant house pet. I looked bored at Mehak as he continued to prattle on about some new deals.

"We also have more information about the hunter named Alexander." This caught my attention. I sat up straighter, careful not to disturb the pup.

"What information?" My curiosity was piqued as I looked at the lesser. The illusive man had taken out three of my hounds by himself in the last two days alone. Only a strong hunter could manage that.

"Well. To be more precise, my queen." Mehak almost looked nervous as he spoke. "We have him here."

"You captured him?" I raised an eyebrow, "The man that managed to kill several hounds and escaped countless demons. You caught him?"

"Well…actually." Mehak gave a nervous laugh. "He turned himself into us."

"And why in all of Hell, would he do that?" A hunter would rarely willingly give himself up. What was his game?

"We're not sure…but he…"

"Bring him to me," I demanded. I'd like to see the man before his torture begins."

"Yes. Of course. Right away." Mehak disappeared, the words hanging in the air even after he was gone.

I sat back in the chair again, the hound pup suddenly jumping from my lap and pacing in front of the chair. I watched the demonic animal. It seemed nervous as well.

"What's wrong, Niak?" I asked it.

Maybe, in some telepathic way only monsters seemed to have, it could sense that the man who had killed its friends, its family even, was close. Maybe it felt like it was in danger. I couldn't wrap my head around why, the hounds had never been afraid of anything, let alone a hunter. I stood from the throne and gently pushed the pup to a hatch just behind the throne, a passage that would take it back to the kennels and its mother.

I had just stepped back into the center of the room when the large wooden doors swung open again. Two larger demons brought the man in, his head bowed and his hands bound at the wrists behind his back. They brought him to me and threw him on his knees in front of me. 

"So you're the one who thinks he can just kill my hounds and get away with it," I growled, the anger over losing so many boiling in my blood. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The man had the balls enough to be silent.

"Answer me." I took a few loud steps towards him, my hard boots clicking against the stone floor in the quiet room.

He remained silent.

"I said, answer me!" I took his chin in my hand and forced his head up to look at me.

And those eyes met mine. Those silver eyes that I had never forgotten. Not for a day, not for a moment, not even for a second. I held his chin in place, too stunned to move for a second. A stupid smile crept across his lips. I felt my heart flutter in my long-dead chest.

"Leave us." There was no need to repeat myself.

We were alone, not even a prying eye left in the room. I took a breath as I ran my thumb across his jawline, all thoughts of keeping him out, of ruling Hell by myself, or being alone, gone. He closed his eyes as I caressed his face. He was alive. He was here in front of me. I let my knees give way and fell to the hard ground, throwing my arms around his neck.

"You were dead." I breathed.

"So were you, love," Ketch said, his voice soft in my ear.

God, it was so good to hear his voice again. It made me feel warm inside for the first time in years. Made me feel almost human as it wrapped around my soul like a warm sweater.

I pulled back, taking a closer look at his face. There only seemed ot be small changes. A few new scars here and there, the still untamed scruff, a dull look to those silver eyes I loved so much. There was no hesitation as I leaned forward and kissed him. It felt like the final part I had been missing had finally been found. I pulled away from him again and rested my forehead against his.

"Where have you been? Not even Crowley could find you." I asked.

He chuckled, a sweet, warm sound. "You looked for me?"

"Of course I did. As soon as I was awake I started." I closed my eyes, enjoying his presence alone.

"Why did you stop?" Ketch asked.

"I had Hell to run, monsters to kill, and I got stuck in Elly's world for a little while." I couldn't lie to him. Not now.

"You went back there?" Concern laced his words. God I had missed that.

"I needed help, and found a new Nephilim along the way." I opened my eyes and looked into his again. God I had missed them. Missed him so much deeper than I thought. I felt a pang in my heart as I continued to look into them, watching as the frozen pools began to melt. "I missed you."

The smile came back to his lips. "You will never know how much I missed you, love."

I snapped my fingers and watched as his arms went slack behind him, the restraints on his wrists disappearing.

"Show me then," I whispered.

His hands came up to my face and I relaxed into them, sighing and closing my eyes as they caressed. His touch was soft and gentle, despite the calluses that had grown. I moved with his hands as he pulled me close and kissed me softly again. I wrapped my arms tighter around his neck and leaned back, pulling him to the ground with me. Our kiss broke momentarily as his arms shot out to steady himself. I reached up to him, pulling his face back to mine, leaving our lips a whisper apart.

"I thought I scared you away," I whispered. "Did I scare you?"

"No." He said softly.

"Can you still love me like this?" I asked the question that would always burn me.

"I never stopped."

I searched those silver eyes for a lie but found none. It filled my heart with such incredible joy. I pushed my lips against his again and let the hunger I had kept so pent up flow through me and my movements. I would never be tired of him, never again get enough of him. I would never be able to get rid of the ache he had left me with. I kissed him harder, his hands roaming over my sides and under my shirt. We spent time exploring each other, remembering every sensitive spot and even more that would drive the other crazy. Like the thin scar that ran over his chest, from his second rib to just below the waist of his jeans. Or the way his callused thumbs ran over my nipple, sending shivers through my body. I wanted him. God. I needed him.

He was quick to tug at the hem of my shirt until it was over my head and off, breaking us apart for only a second. But this time my lips went to his neck, stalling for only a moment as the clod floor touched my back, making my arch into him. I pulled him closer to me, biting the side of his neck before licking up to where I could find his pulse. His heart raced with mine. It made me smile. 

I wanted him now. I wanted to feel him pulsing in me. I wanted to ache from him and him alone. I wanted to watch his face. I pushed against his chest, enough to push him into a sitting position. I smiled, letting lust flood over thought and reason in my mind. I raised, pushing against him again, hard enough to make him fall on his ass.

"Wasn't I the one in charge?" Ketch smirked.

"Not anymore." I pushed against his chest once more as I straddled his lap.

It had been a while since I had taken control like this. I had let everyone else take control before. But this. This was mine. He was mine. I needed the control at this moment.

I bent down to him, my teeth returning to his neck. There wasn't a need to be gentle with him. He wouldn't mind the bruises later. And I was going to mark him so everyone knew he was mine. No one else would dare to touch him.

I pushed the leather jacket from his shoulder and down to the floor. He grasped my chin, forcing me away from his neck and back to his lips, his scruff scratching hard against my cheeks. Maybe I'd ask him to at least trim it later. It would be a massive distraction if I kept running my hands through it.

I pulled back, breathing hard as I searched his eyes for any sign of a no or break. But there was none. Those mercury pools look back at me, once again molten and fiery with need. Want. It awakened more in me. Something deep. Something that had been slumbering for far too long as it pushed away all other feelings. I just wanted him, and I wanted him now.

I ripped the shirt from him, not bothering to pause and apologize for the shreds it would be in now before pushing him down against the cold floor. He exhaled as his back hit it, the sound only making me smile more.

I kissed down his chest, biting here and there to leave more and more claims to him. You are mine. I will never leave your side again. Stay with me forever. They all said those words, forged in a silent promise. I ran my tongue roughly over one of his nipples, his hands suddenly grasping my hips. They stayed there, steady as I continued down, tracing his scars with my fingers or tongue or teeth as I went.

 Ketch inhaled sharply as I got to the one that dipped below his belt, fingers digging into my hips. "Don't do that."

"What?" I said with a devilish smile. "This?" I licked a ways abc up the scar, my hand drifting down to cup him gently as I did. His head fell back in a long moan. My smile widened. "Or this?" I bit gently back down, running my hand along him slowly as I did.

"Yes…" He groaned. And I was sure, if I had been human, his fingers would've left blue and purple spots across my skin. Maybe I'd let him.

"You want me to stop?" I teased. My tongue dipped under the waistline of his jeans, just barely grazing the tip. Another groan sounded deep in his chest.

I didn't give him a chance to answer. I scooted out of his reach, unzipped those jeans, and forced my fingers inside. I traced around the tip as my mouth went back to his chest. Biting, licking, softly kissing every inch I could reach now as my fingers worked at just barely teasing him. I would drive him insane. His fingers found their grip on my hair as I continued to please him. Fuck, I had missed this. No one would ever be able to compare to him or what he could do. Not Orion, not Lucifer. No demon or angel. Nothing.

"Pedicabo ego nunc…" Ketch groaned.

I laughed a little, looking up at him. "Did you just say 'Fuck me, now' in Latin?"

"Yes," came the growled response. "And I meant it. Stop teasing me."

I could agree with him there. While the touching and teasing were fun, the ache I felt was growing stronger and I knew he was the only thing that would finally calm it. I pushed his hands from my hair and slowly stripped myself as I straddled him. His hands came up to touch me, to trace my body, but I swatted them away.

"You'll have your turn." I smiled. He whimpered in dislike but didn't fight as I pushed his hands back to his sides. He liked this control I was showing. "Be a good plaything for a little longer."

I stripped him of his jeans as slowly as I could, dragging my fingers along the inside of his thighs once they were gone. I had the control here. I could play all I wanted to. But I knew I needed him. Needed him inside of me already. Or I would lose this control as I usually did when I played these games with him. I always lost. And that just wouldn't do in this moment. I wasn't going to be pushed around anymore.

"Amica mea, I will pin you down if you do not hurry up." I wasn't going to question him.

I laughed though, and leaned back down, my teeth grazing across his length. His back arched, his hands becoming fists at his side. "I told you to behave." I caught those eyes again, as molten as liquid steel.

I took the edges of his boxers and dragged them from him as slowly as my mind would allow me to. I smiled once they were off and crawled back over him, giving him a long slow lick. He moaned again, murmuring more dirty things in Latin.

The ache I had for him grew with each noise and I wanted it gone. I couldn't imagine how he felt. I quickly positioned myself above him and went down. A well-deserved moan left me as he filled me, completed me. I let his hands take control of my hips again, driving them up and down, stroking both of our fires.

"Arthur…" I moaned, knowing the use of his first name would drive him faster.

To my amazing satisfaction, it still did. He pushed harder and faster, replacing the ache I had felt for so long with a new glowing warmth in my gut. In and out again, over and over and over until the only words we knew were each other's names. They left our mouths as sweet moans. Until there was no more to build up to. Until there was only bliss and overwhelming pleasure. I fell to his chest after, panting.

Nothing would ever compare to that. Nothing could ever compare to that. Nothing would ever again be able to replace him and what I had just felt. And I was never going to let myself lose him again.