Chapter Five

Sammy couldn’t believe it. He was on a date…in Rome…with a demon. No, not just with a demon, with the most gorgeous demon he could imagine. The food had been beyond delicious and Dre hadn’t gotten fed up with his nervous ass, something Sammy had feared from the moment he’d dropped the glass with the marmalade. He knew Mavis and Maribell wouldn’t have approved of this date, which was one of the reasons why he hadn’t told them. The second reason was that this date was the first happy thing in a long time that belonged solely to him. After the death of his parents, all his happiness—with the exception of the bookstore—had been shared, because he just couldn’t be happy on his own anymore. This thing between him and Dre, though… It made him giddy with joy and tremble in fear at the same time. Sammy just didn’t know if he was strong enough to experience loss again, and with every second he spent in Dre’s company, his conviction grew that losing the handsome demon would be devastating. There was also the fact of Dre’s immortality, which doomed their relationship from the start. Sammy knew they weren’t meant to be forever, but he sure wished for it. His rational mind told him to end it now, before he got too invested, but his heart—and his libido—voted against that. Sammy took a deep breath, decided to give his rational thought a holiday for the time being and concentrated on the gorgeous man next to him. The streets of Rome were bustling with a first onslaught of tourists and the natives going on the prowl for the evening. Many people looked at Dre with admiration and open hunger in their eyes. Sammy could relate. His date was fine, with his red skin, the silver tattoos that licked up his neck and the backs of his hands, his long, silver hair… Sammy frowned.

“Why aren’t people running from you screaming? You don’t look that human.”

Dre pulled Sammy closer, a smile on his lips. “A mixture of selective ignorance and a dash of magic. People tend to ignore what can’t possibly be, and those with more inquisitive or open minds are encouraged to forget the moment they realize something’s odd about me.”

“But I can see you clearly.”

“Yes, you can.” Dre sounded very pleased about that. “There are several reasons… First, you met me when I was summoned. It’s hard to ignore such a blatant fact, even though you weren’t awake when I appeared in the circle. Second, you’re acquainted with the paranormal world. That takes the blinders off. Third, and most importantly, I think we’re drawn to each other, which cancels out the magic.”

“You like that.” Sammy couldn’t help a hint of pride creep into his voice. Dre must have picked up on it because he bent down to place a gentle kiss on Sammy’s forehead.

“Yes, I like it a lot. Now, I believe we have a challenge going on. What do you know about the Roman Forum? And I want the lesser-known facts.”

Sammy felt his brain switch gears. He loved a good geek challenge.

“Okay, where to start… I know! The reason the Roman Forum is on a deeper level than the rest of the city is because the Romans built on ruins, and throughout the centuries, a lot of debris has accumulated. Your turn.”

Dre grinned. “The early days of the Forum go back as far as eight hundred BC, and the people who built it first drained the area to get rid of the grass.”

“The excavation of the site took over a hundred years.”

“There are many forums in Rome, but this one was the most important because the senate met here.”

“Some of the temples aren’t dedicated to gods but to people, because the Romans thought if they had a temple dedicated to them, they would become a deity.”

“That’s a good one. I wonder if Terry Pratchett knew about this when he wrote Small Gods.”

Sammy chuckled. “I love how you can get from ancient Rome to Discworld in one sentence.”

Dre bowed with a flourish. “I aim to please. Oh, and parts of the stones of the Roman Forum were used to build other places in the city and can be found in several churches and the Vatican.”

“It’s also one of the most popular sites in Rome visited by tourists,” Sammy added.

“Okay, let’s call this one a draw. Let’s get our gelato and move on to the Catacombs.”

“Aren’t they closed at night?”

Dre smiled broadly at Sammy, which did strange things to his stomach and nether regions. “They are, but you’re traveling with me.”

Sammy giggled. “I can’t wait to see them.”

They got their gelato from a store that had about forty different flavors. It took them almost twenty minutes to decide what they wanted. Dre settled for pistachio and walnut, while Sammy went for the classics, vanilla and chocolate. The ice cream was scooped onto their cones with a spade, which made them look like little mountains. It was delicious and a bit messy. Sammy was just glad that the night air had a certain chill to it, because otherwise, the gelato would have melted before he could eat it.

“May I have a taste?” Dre looked at him with smoldering eyes. Sammy gulped and held his cone out, but Dre ignored the gesture and went for Sammy’s lips instead. His hot tongue swept over the corner of Sammy’s mouth. Sammy reacted instinctively by opening up. It was their first real kiss and Dre kept it simple, just sucked on Sammy’s tongue for a moment before he righted himself again, a satisfied smile on his face. Sammy was glad, because if Dre had kept on kissing him, he might have come in his pants.

“Delicious.” Dre licked his lips.

Sammy groaned. This was torture, albeit the good kind. And since this evening was already so perfect, he just went with the flow. He tried to scoop as much gelato as possible on his tongue, making sure Dre was watching, then tilted his head to him, offering his vanilla-smeared lips. “Want another taste?”

Now it was Dre’s turn to groan. The demon bent back down. Almost in slow motion, Sammy could see Dre’s eyes turning crimson. He knew he should be alarmed. He knew Dre was dangerous. And yet all he felt was lust and a yearning from so deep down in his soul that he didn’t want to think about it too much. Their lips met again, their tongues starting a slow, sensuous dance that had Sammy’s entire body flushed with heat. They only stopped when they needed to come up for air. Panting, they stared at each other. Sammy caught a flash of fang from Dre and shuddered in anticipation. He wondered how it would feel, kissing Dre with his fangs out. The demon trembled under his light touch.

“We better get to the Catacombs pronto. The magic conceals only so much.”

Sammy loved the rasping quality of Dre’s voice, which assured him that the demon was as affected by their kiss as he was. They stumbled into the nearest alleyway, looking for a dark corner where nobody would see them vanishing. Dre pressed Sammy tightly against his body while he cut open time and space. They reappeared inside the Catacombs on the Appian Way, surrounded by darkness and a silence that was almost deafening. It was also colder underneath the surface. Sammy snuggled closer to Dre’s body, enjoying the heat coming from the demon. Dre held out his right hand and a small ball of fire appeared on it. It hovered half a foot above them, shedding light and warmth. Once they had eaten their gelato, which took some time because of all the kisses they stole in between, they set out to explore. Sammy loved the way their shadows were dancing around the walls like creatures from another world. With Dre at his side, he didn’t fear anything. They passed a long line of rectangular shapes hewn into the rock where the bodies of Jews and early Christians had been buried. The farther they went, the more elaborate those graves became, some of them with beautiful mosaics to honor the deceased. They stopped at one small grave where a child had been buried. Sammy felt sadness wash over him.

“I wonder what it was like, coming down here with the body of somebody you loved in your arms, putting them to rest among all the other who had gone before them.”

Dre’s arm tightened around him. “It was sad, I guess. Though you have to keep in mind that the early Christians were fierce in their belief. Perhaps they even felt some joy for the person who would, according to their lore, go to paradise.”

Sammy leaned his head on Dre’s muscular chest. “What’s it like—being immortal, I mean?”

They started walking again, toward the exit of the Catacombs. “Boring, mostly. I’m only eight hundred years old, so I don’t know that much about eternity yet, but from what my father has told me, it’s hard not to get buried under the weight of the centuries.”

“How old is your father?”

“Almost four thousand years. Back when he was born, things were more interesting, though. There were less humans, vast spaces where a demon could have fun—although fun in the olden days usually meant bloody war. Father is not unhappy that those days are over. Plus, he likes all the modern gadgets humanity has come up with. He’s especially fond of his iPad and Netflix.”

Sammy frowned. “I thought demons had their own realm. Why are you even here on Earth?”

Dre thought about this question for a moment, as if he were afraid to say something wrong. When he finally spoke, it was in a low tone, almost a whisper.

“Because we get lonely, just like everybody else. Too many demons in one place means war, usually sooner than later. We do get along with our family and some chosen friends, but all in all, we don’t like each other too much. Father says this is a security mechanism to keep our kind from invading and conquering other realms. A demon army is pretty much unstoppable, and if we were united…” Dre shuddered. “Not a nice thought, believe me. Luckily, we can’t keep the peace among ourselves long enough to even think about invasions. And the more sophisticated the human race becomes, the more fascinated we are. Humans are a great source of entertainment for us, and Father encourages demons actually living on Earth. It makes us less restless and easier to rule.”

They reached the gate to the Catacombs. Dre took the lock that kept the chains around the bars together, shook it and, after it made a clacking sound, opened the gate. After they had passed, he closed it again. Hand in hand, they wandered along the Appian Way, enjoying the livelier silence of the night outside. In the Catacombs, even the air had been stifling, weighed down by the gravity of time, but out here, the sounds of nocturnal animals and the distant hum of Rome made for another, lighter mood. Sammy lifted Dre’s hand to graze the knuckles with his lips.

“Are you restless?”

Dre stopped, turned sideways to face Sammy and kissed him softly.

“I was. As I said, I had a rough break-up about a hundred years ago. But tonight, with you, I feel more content than I can ever remember. This may sound terribly cheesy, I know, yet being here in Rome with you is like magic. The good kind.”

Sammy tilted his head back to get another kiss. It was just a soft brushing of lips, nothing like the wild tango their tongues had danced before. Still, it was equally deep, not with passion, but with emotion.

“Yes, the very good kind. Do you have any other surprises for me?”

“Insatiable, are we?”

Sammy slapped Dre’s chest. “Somehow, you bring it out in me. The greedy, bad side.”

“And I like it just as much. It’s already getting late, so I’ll let you choose. We can go to the Fontana di Trevi, where Anita Eckberg took her bath, or to Ostia Antica. Your choice.”

Sammy bit his lips. “You’re not making this easy. Hm-m. Fontana di Trevi means going back into the city, where all the people are. I think I’m going to be extra greedy. I want you to myself.”

“Ostia Antica it is.” Dre smiled broadly. “I like the way you think. Besides, we can always come back for more of Rome.” He slung his arms around Sammy’s waist. “Let’s go and I’ll show you where the Ancient Romans took their shits.”

 

When they appeared in the ruins of Ostia Antica, Dre could feel Sammy’s body vibrating with excitement. Even though it was still early in the year and the typical Roman heat hadn’t had time to permeate the old stone walls like it did every summer, the air was already heavy with the scents of sage and lavender. Crickets and other insects played an even nicer concert than on the Appian Way and the stars seemed to be closer here, where the city lights were far off. When Dre had first come to Ostia Antica, he’d fallen in love with the place, even though it had been a real dump four hundred years ago. Something about the old, derelict buildings with herbs and weeds growing between the stones, salamanders scurrying across the former floors of great buildings and butterflies dancing between the columns of temples dedicated to gods long gone spoke to him, drew him in. Sammy was reaching for his hand, and taking it came so naturally to Dre that it almost frightened him. Deep down, he’d already started to hope Sammy might the one, his destined mate. They just fit so perfectly together. He liked Sammy’s nerdy nature, his social awkwardness that was gone the moment he felt in his element with a topic, his openness toward new people, the way he’d reacted to Dre, even though this was their first date. He looked down on the top of Sammy’s head and marveled at how perfectly they fit together before he pressed their joined hands to his chest.

“Let’s stroll around a bit. Can you see well enough, or should I get us a fireball?”

Sammy chuckled. “I’m tempted to say I need a fireball just to see it popping out of nowhere.” He leaned against Dre. “I’m good. You can always conjure one when we get to the mosaics of Neptune’s Bath.”

“Oh, someone is back in challenge mode. Let’s see, Ostia Antica most likely started out as a military base founded after the Romans beat the neighboring city Veji. There are some hints that it may have been built by Ancus Marcius, the fourth king of Rome in the seventh century BC, but historians aren’t sure Ancus Marcius even lived, and the first mentions of Ostia Antica are from the fourth century BC.”

“Good one, Dre. The name ‘ostia’ comes from the Latin word ostium, which means river mouth and refers to the Tiber where it was built. It served as a harbor for trade, the only rival to Alexandria and Cartago, and to ship military. When the water of the Ostian Sea receded, two artificial harbor pools were built under the rulers Claudius, Nero and Trajan.”

“I see you did your homework and I’m suitably impressed. But”—Dre lifted his index finger—“I bet no amount of reading prepared you for this.” He tugged Sammy off the uneven road they’d just walked on toward one of the roofless houses where a kind of stone bank with holes the size of soup plates ran along the walls. “Tadah! A public latrinae. What do you say now?”

For a moment, Sammy seemed to be stunned. Then he started laughing. Between a cross of snorting and hiccups, he finally managed to say, “How utterly romantic. I don’t know of any date in the history of dating where the couple went to see a public bathroom. This is hilarious!”

Dre did his best to look offended. “At least you can’t accuse me of being boring or unimaginative. I put a lot of thought into this date.”

Still chuckling, Sammy placed a hand on Dre’s chest. His eyes burned with an emotion Dre hoped he didn’t misinterpret. “You did. It’s the best date I’ve ever had.”

Dre raised a brow. “It’s your first date.”

“The best first date I ever had. The best date I could imagine, and believe me, I can imagine quite a lot. Tonight was everything I could have asked for and some more. Thank you, Dre.”

Sammy went on tiptoe to press a kiss on Dre’s lips. He still had to lower his head a bit for them to meet, though. When Sammy started to lean back, Dre slung his right hand around his nape to keep him in place. He loved how Sammy tasted, loved how soft his skin felt against his own, loved Sammy’s scent that was now an intriguing mix of arousal and something more innocent. He wanted to plunder Sammy’s mouth, wanted to drown in him, wanted to become one with him. Suddenly, Sammy moaned deeply against their locked lips and a wave of pure longing washed over Dre, followed by the coppery taste of blood. Dazedly, Dre realized it was Sammy’s blood flooding his mouth. He reared back.

“Damn, Sammy! Are you hurt?”

Dre felt his fangs grow out fully and couldn’t do anything against it. He stared at the thin red smear on Sammy’s lips in horror.

“I’m sorry, Sammy, so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

Sammy lifted his right hand to his lips, dipped a drop with his index finger and stared at it in wonder. “So that’s what it feels like.” He sounded surprised.

“Baby, I—” Dre started patting his pockets for a tissue, only to come up empty. He felt sick to his stomach for hurting Sammy and guilty because he loved how Sammy tasted. Sammy reached for Dre’s hand.

“It’s okay, Dre. I wanted to know what it was like when you kissed me with your fangs.” A broad smile appeared on his lips. “It’s great.”

“But, but you’re bleeding!”

Sammy shrugged. “It’s just a nick, nothing bad.” He licked the blood from his lips. “Kiss me again.”

Dre hesitated. He so wanted to comply, wanted to taste Sammy, feel him melt in his arms, but he didn’t want to hurt him. Sammy closed the short distance between them, put his hands on Dre’s chest and walked him backward until the back of his knees hit the edge of the latrinae. Dre sat down. He slung his hands around Sammy’s waist when his date straddled his thighs. Their faces were so close that Dre could smell the hint of vanilla on Sammy’s breath. His fangs were digging into his lips, making it difficult to speak.

“Shammy.”

Sammy smiled. “The way I see it, kissing with your fangs out requires some getting used to. We need to train until we’re proficient.”

“Ownwy you can make kishing shound like a shore.” Dre made a face. He sounded like a drunk. Sammy giggled.

“I’m sorry, Dre.” He pressed light kisses on both of Dre’s fangs. “It’s just I can’t remember when I last was so happy. Thank you for that. Now let’s see if we can’t work this out.”

Sammy put his lips on the gap between Dre’s, slowly dipping his tongue in. Dre moaned and opened. This feels so good. When Sammy started swirling his tongue around his left fang, Dre felt his cock pulsing in the same rhythm. He had never kissed with his fangs out before, but he found he liked it. Sammy did some more exploring, nibbled on Dre’s lips and teeth, then swiped his tongue around in his mouth as if he were looking for something. When he felt confident enough that he wouldn’t accidentally hurt Sammy again, Dre did some exploring of his own. He didn’t know how long they kept on kissing. He just allowed himself to get lost in the wonderful sensations of having Sammy in his arms, tasting and feeling him, pulling him so close that it felt as if they were one. Only when Sammy started squirming in his arms did Dre loosen his hold.

“What’s up?”

An adorable blush appeared on Sammy’s cheeks. “I’m afraid I need to use the bathroom. Can you…you know, do your thing and transport me somewhere with a porcelain bowl?”

Dre was about to get his claws out to open time and space when he suddenly had an idea. “Number one or number two?”

“Huh?”

“Do you need to piss or take a shit?”

The blush deepened. “Number one.”

Dre grinned. “Then we don’t have to go anywhere.” He made a sweeping gesture. “We’re in a bathroom.”

For a moment, Sammy seemed stunned. Then he started shaking his head vigorously. “Oh no. I’m not going to piss in an ancient monument. No chance.”

“Why not? Granted, there’s no water running below to transport it away, but it’s just piss. The next rain will wash away whatever hasn’t soaked into the ground. Don’t you want to know what it feels like?”

Sammy hesitated. “I guess it would be like a living history experiment…sort of. Still, it feels wrong.”

Dre smiled at Sammy encouragingly. “I can take you somewhere else if you really don’t want…”

Sammy stared at the holes in the bench. “You need to wait outside.”

Dre’s face fell. “But I wanted to know what it’s like,” he whined.

“And I will tell you, but you won’t stay here while I…I obey my biological needs. Whatever this thing between us is going to be, we’re not yet at the stage where I don’t care about matters of the bathroom. So out with you!”

Dre chuckled but obeyed. He stepped through the gap in the walls where the entrance had once been, and kept his back to Sammy. “Satisfied?”

“Promise you won’t turn around.”

Dre held up his pinkie finger. “Pinkie swear.”

He got an almost hysterical laugh as an answer. “You’re insane.” Then Dre heard the rustling of clothes, the zing of a zipper being pulled down, a shriek when Sammy’s naked ass connected with the cold stone—there would be no way he could hit the small hole accurately—then the trickling of fluid. Another rustling told Dre that Sammy was getting up and back into his pants.

“Can I come in?”

“Yes.”

Dre turned around to go back into the latrinae. He found Sammy standing there with his eyes wide open. His hands were shaking at his sides.

“I can’t believe I did that. I took a leak in an ancient building with my date listening. Oh my God, what have I done?”

Dre hurried to take Sammy in his arms. He sounded as if he needed it.

“You did a historical experiment, and if it’s any consolation, I think the sound of you taking your clothes off is highly erotic.”

Sammy looked up at him. Slowly, he opened and closed his eyes, reminding Dre of an owl. “I’m not sure if it’s a good thing that you bring out my daring side. I’ve never done something like this before. Never. I’m the good boy, the silent nerd who reads books and doesn’t get into any trouble. I do not piss into ancient toilets.”

Dre raised a brow. “How was it?”

Sammy shuddered. “Exciting. Cool. Terrifying. And you listened!”

“So mostly it was good, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah…mostly. I’m just not sure if I want to do it again.”

“You don’t have to. Let’s stroll around a bit more until the adrenaline in your system wears off. Then I’ll take you home.”

Sammy didn’t protest when Dre led him out of the latrinae and back onto the cobbled, weed-covered streets of Ostia Antica. They walked around for thirty more minutes, visiting the theater and the temples before Dre took them back into Sammy’s kitchen.

“Thank you, Dre. It was a fantastic evening.”

Sammy looked up into Dre’s eyes, so sincere and beautiful. Dre simply had to lean down and kiss him again. And again.

“It was my pleasure. How about we do this again, tomorrow?”

“You want to go back to Rome?” Sammy sounded breathless and not at all taken aback by the idea of seeing Dre again in such a short time. One glance at the clock on Sammy’s oven told Dre it was even the same day.

“We can do that, but I was thinking we could go skiing in Canada.”

“I don’t know how to ski.” Sammy seemed a little dejected.

“Do you want to learn?”

“I’d love to!”

“Then Canada it is. Try to get some sleep. I’ll be back here at nine, which gives you seven hours of sleep.” Dre grinned broadly. Sammy groaned.

“I didn’t even realize it was that late. Being with you makes time fly.”

Dre bowed. “My pleasure.”

He leaned in for one last kiss. After their lips disconnected, he opened time and space again. “Dress in something warm. We can get you snow gear in Canada once we’re there.”