During the recount of Jean's memories, tranquility tightly enveloped him. It lulled him into a pleasant state between sleep and consciousness undeterred by the trauma the memories unearthed. During this time, Celezar remained pin-drop quiet. Even his mind, as sensed through their mental link, seemed blank, devoid of a shred of present thoughts. The heartbeats within his chest failed to give a single emotion away. As the memories were told, Jean wanted to know what Celezar thought and how he felt, but his partner did nothing more than gently nuzzle into his hair during the entire recollection.

Jean inhaled softly, not as shakily as before. He relished the comforting warmth enveloping him in the near-silence. The arms around him gently squeezed, and his chest rose and fell as Celezar took a deep breath. Said breath, however, was noticeably sweltering. The beginning thoughts of rage and loathing trickled into his mind from his partner's, and the heated breath continued to brush against him. Stirring from his slight dozing, Jean began to feel uncomfortable from the evident anger Celezar was exhibiting. It certainly wasn't targeted towards him; vague insinuations of Celezar torturing and maiming his family sprinkled in his mind.

After a moment of stillness that seemed to drag out for far too long, Celezar's breath cooled. Muscles Jean hadn't noticed were tense eased. The livid thoughts ceased immediately, as if they were never there. He couldn't even recall if they were real. Tickles of warm emotion steadily swelled within him, causing him to slightly part his lips. Through the siphoning of Celezar's sentiments, he heard wordless articulated thoughts.

They told him he was safe, now. Here, in the arms of his partner, with Celezar in his life, no human would hurt him again. His family would get their comeuppance in due time, a thought that, to his own surprise, didn't bother him. It was time to forget about them. It was time to be free.

A wave of release passed through his body, from head to toe, in a shiver. He audibly exhaled, slanting his eyes open at the sudden, merciful relief lifting decades of weight from his shoulders.

"Celezar—" A thumb gently brushed over his lips, silencing him. He glanced up to see Celezar's eyes were also slants, his brows furrowed as he stared off.

Their heads brushed together as Celezar steadily smiled. More wordless thoughts came to Jean's awareness. In response to them, he shifted, allowing Celezar to take his hand and bring him to his feet. He was led towards a waterfall, and an organic thought of his own brought a flush of warmth through his body. Realization of what was coming next subdued all memories of his childhood trauma, causing his blood to grow warmer from anticipation.

They traveled over one last large root, then Celezar let go of his hand before passing under a waterfall. Jean followed, passing through the rushing water. He caught a glimpse of yellow in the darkness of a surprisingly "human-sized" cave dimly lit by small white fungi. Without rush, he followed the yellow, catching more and more glimpses of the patterns on Celezar's body.

Before long, with the soft sponginess of moss underneath his feet, he heard the sound of another waterfall. Passing through the threshold of a particular space beheld yet another incredible sight.

A waterfall similar to one from his world fell between two large roots, emptying into a small stream that disappeared into the cave. More fungi lit the space, though some swayed slightly from side to side, as if alive.

There, standing atop some moss, stood Celezar. His patterns glowed faintly underneath his wet skin, and his back was to Jean as he faced the waterfall. Uneasiness came to Jean's attention. Celezar was surprisingly unsure of himself.

He came from behind his partner and wrapped his arms around him while closing his eyes. His own wordless emotions and thoughts urged Celezar not to worry. He could sense the smile as Celezar turned. Opening his eyes, he looked into green that stared into the core of his being. He stared back, hoping Celezar could sense his own emotions, sense his desire to bare himself to him. He wanted to put what happened in his memory behind him for good, move forward towards his chosen future.

A smile broke out on the hybrid's face. Darkness rimmed the edges of his sclera as he took Jean's head between his hands. Softly, he murmured, "Do you trust me?"

Jean closed his eyes again.

He trusted Celezar with his life when they met. It was expected as inhuman hunter comrades.

He trusted Celezar with his love once they became partners. It was reciprocated with loyalty and devotion.

He trusted Celezar, believed in him, even when he discovered Celezar was inhuman. Jean didn't want to at the time, but he believed he always knew the truth even then.

He placed a hand over one that caressed his cheek, opening his eyes as his lips spread into a sincere smile. "I always have."

The green orbs became glassy, but Celezar did not cry. He leaned forward to skim his lips over Jean's and initiated a kiss that was unusually chaste but nonetheless passionate. Knowing what was soon to come, Jean's body completely relaxed. He allowed himself to relish the warm tingles of anticipation beginning to flush his body that sent heat to his nether region. He suddenly grabbed Celezar's shirt to pull them down to the soft moss.

He suddenly admitted a gasping groan, breaking the kiss. At first confused, Celezar then looked down to see the bulge in his pants. He gave a slant-eyed smile that met an equally pleased grin, looking up into green eyes swallowed by blackness. He wasn't alarmed. Somehow, he knew what this was: pure, nearly unrestrained lust. It set a stronger fire in him, and he shivered with delight.

Celezar captured his lips in another kiss, and he softly moaned with slanted eyes. He watched the faux shirt Celezar wore dissipate into his skin to show his bare chest. Following this, a second pair of arms grew from just underneath his first pair, his shoulders and chest rearranging to accommodate them.

Familiar tendrils emerged from Celezar's back, trailing over Jean's body and slipping under wet clothes. Jean softly exhaled at the strange but pleasant feeling, slightly squirming underneath him. Moving up, trailing saliva from their mouths, Celezar used his tendrils to free Jean of his coat and shirt.

Jean licked his lips, giving a small pant. "How are we doing this?"

Running a hand through his damp hair, Celezar smirked. "However you want it, love. I'm up for anything." His hand lowered, and he caressed the tight tent in Jean's pants.

Softly groaning, Jean gave a small thrust. "No, I meant...how is this going to work?"

"I cannot go into my true form, if that's what you mean." Celezar gave a small, apologetic smile. "Not yet. Not until you're fully inhuman."

"Shame..."

The smile widened mischievously. "Isn't it?"

Jean eyed the tendrils. Several more had appeared, but they weren't all attached to Celezar's body. Many emerged from the wood itself, undulating slowly in his direction. They were considerably larger than the already sizable ones coming from Celezar's back, thick and tapered. "What are those?"

"My appendages," Celezar responded, as if it was a simple thing. He lowered over Jean's body, nipping and licking at his bare skin.

Slanting his eyes, Jean enjoyed the stimulation. He placed his hand atop Celezar's head. "Like arms and legs?"

"More like arms," his partner murmured against his skin.

He made a soft grunt when the large hand continued roaming over his clothed erection. "Ah...How is that possible? They aren't even connected to you."

"Don't think about it, love...Think about this."

Jean looked down, and a shiver of arousal swept through him. Somehow, Celezar had slightly lowered his pants, revealing his own large erection that he began to rub against Jean's.

"Fucking...Cree..." Jean murmured with a swallow and watched when his partner freed his cock. He breathed heavily through his nose as their erections rubbed against one another. He began to thrust, as did Celezar, who took his hand to press their glans together.

Chuckling lowly, Celezar turned his blackened gaze on him. "It's been a while," he said breathily. "I missed you."

With slanted eyes overcome with lust, Jean pulled Celezar down to kiss him. "I missed you, too," he groaned against the wet lips. "Fuck, I missed you..."

He stifled a sound of disappointment when Celezar moved his hand away. The hybrid's second pair of hands began to tug Jean's pants off, making him arch so it was easier to do so, while Celezar's first pair roamed over his bare skin. Celezar's movement was slow, gentle, intimate. Every touch brought a shiver of desire and want through Jean's body, and their lips met again in another kiss.

Once fully nude, his erection rubbed against Celezar's abdomen. A low moan blew into his mouth in response. Celezar then broke away, trailing saliva down his lips. The dark eyes were hooded with lust, but it was a type that was a hundred times more potent than anything Jean saw from Celezar in the past. He shivered with anticipation, watching Celezar's artificial pants meld into his body to fully reveal his lower half.

Continuing to skim over Jean's body, Celezar's tentacles became more animated. Jean noticed through slanted eyes while shivers rolled down his spine that one tentacle in particular seemed to be secreting something, dripping with a slick clear liquid. It was easy to put two and two together, and he raised a brow in appreciation. He did, however, wonder how they were going to do this. Celezar mentally expressed some hesitance, but they had sex before. Aside from the tentacles, how could it possibly be any different now?

His gaze met Celezar's, and more voiceless articulations entered his mind. They were going to do this the old way, in a new way. More than interested, he watched the tendril move to his lower entrance as a smaller ones curled around his cock. They were smooth to an impossibly pleasurable degree. They began to caress him, trailing up and down, causing him to emit a breathy moan and slightly thrust into the slick grasp.

He began to respond to the stimulation in his mind when the wet tentacle slid into him all too easily, painlessly. He slightly arched, moaning at the new, wonderfully erotic sensation. With it and the stimulation of his cock, he was easily unraveling with arousal and need.

A low, pleased hum emitted from his partner. One of Celezar's hands lowered to fondle his testicles, and he looked up into a slant-eyed smile as he unwound. A smaller tendril entered his open mouth, curling around his tongue before pulling out to flick at it as his lips remained parted from soft pants.

The tendril within him wasn't even trying to hit his prostate; in fact, it was obviously avoiding it, causing him to push against it. His desperation became louder pants, and he was getting pleasantly warm as his cock and testicles were played with.

He shakily exhaled when the tendril within him grew larger before getting small again, then large again, small again, and it did this several times, getting thicker every time. He groaned, realizing it was preparing him for it. He wanted to be penetrated, but he was also greatly enjoying Celezar's attention and stimulation. Hands and tentacles roamed over him, and one tendril in particular stroked up and down his scar.

He then noticed a sizeable tentacle that moved to flick against his side. It was different from all the others, grooved several inches down to its tip which wasn't tapered. Instead, the tip was inverted, giving the tendril a puckered look. He didn't pay much attention to it as the pleasurable sensation of the other tentacle left him.

He smiled into a kiss as Celezar lowered over him, only to moan into his partner's mouth when a surprisingly heated tip touched his slicked entrance. Gently, slowly, it pushed in, causing his eyes to flicker and for him to break the kiss in a breathy exhale. Celezar always was well-endowed. It made more sense now. Infernals were renowned for their large phalluses.

The thought brought a smile to his face, and he reached to kiss Celezar tenderly. A soft chuckle was made, and he smirked. Wordless thoughts, ones of amusement and acknowledgement, tickled his mind. Just as he began to soundlessly respond, he parted from the kiss when his head tilted back, and his lips parted as Celezar began to move.

Immediately, his prostate was hit, causing him to let out a gasp of pleasure. That always happened, every single time. He groaned, placing his hand around Celezar's head, and the hybrid responded by lowering to lick and suck on his neck. That only sent additional shivers down his back, and he rolled his eyes up to stare hazily at the cave's ceiling.

Celezar moved slowly, intimately. Jean heard the unsaid words with ever undulation of his partner's body. Celezar was happy, so pleased to share true intimacy with him again. The emotions running through them both brought tears to Jean's eyes. The trust, the love; it was somehow different. It was truer than all the previous times, different for all the right reasons.

He placed a hand on Celezar's lower back, panting and moaning softly. Celezar seemed to like this, as he nipped at his neck with pleased hums. Wordlessly, he asked for Celezar to move faster, harder. The thought was met by an eager comply. He grasped harder onto him when the gentle thrusts became hard pounds, increasing the already simmering pressure and warmth within him.

Resting his legs on Celezar's thighs to keep himself in place, he idly ran his fingers over the tendrils coming from Celezar's back. Celezar emitted a stuttering sound against his skin, moving faster. His eyes fluttered, and his mouth opened wide as heat from Celezar's cock grew within him. The tendrils were flickering excitedly, Celezar's skin was turning darker and the hands at the sides of Jean's head were developing black claws. Jean relished the sound of Celezar's pants in his ear, glad he could bring his partner to an evidently greater state of pleasure.

However, he was sure he couldn't hold out much longer from the additional heat. Celezar slightly raised up, his black tongue elongating to replace the tentacle that had been caressing Jean's largest scar. Gently, the muscle licked the marred skin, and Jean sharply panted at the tingling pleasure, grasping onto the ribbed tentacle that undulated nearby.

Abruptly, Celezar's eyes rolled back, and he emitted a loud, sighing grunt. Eyes black as night with a distant shine in their depths slanted from intense pleasure. Glowing yellow cracks within Celezar's skin began to form around them, and he threw his head back with a growl, his teeth turning into canines. From the conversation in their minds, Jean understood this tentacle was important. Him touching it was bringing Celezar overwhelming pleasure.

Jean groaned as his body rocked faster from the hard thrusts, and another tentacle snaked into his open, panting mouth. Saliva trailed down his neck as it went all the way down his throat, but he could still breathe. It brought him to his tipping point, and he tensed as he came hard. His eyes rolled back, and he gave a grunt around the tendril, only to groan loudly when heat entered his body from both the tendril down his throat and Celezar's cock.

He abruptly arched when his pleasure spiked from the heat, and as Celezar lowered his head, he clung his arms around his partner's neck while climaxing once more. He felt at the last moment that a tendril was encased around his cock, taking in his seed as it spurted free. Celezar's body shivered while breathing over Jean's parted lips, and the rolling vibrations ran pleasantly through Jean's body.

As he came down from his climax, Jean felt an unusual sensation present in his mind. It wasn't unpleasant. It was Celezar...but not. He didn't bother thinking too deeply about it, didn't have the mind to do so.

Celezar gave one last, gentle thrust, then went still. In their minds, Jean felt them sharing their experience, letting the other know the pleasure they gave each other and how much it was appreciated. He slightly shivered, then moved to greedily capture Celezar's lips in a kiss. A soft, knowing chuckle echoed in his mind, and he felt the rush of heat pulse to his groin. He opened his eyes to stare into green orbs that were slowly overtaken by black again. Smirking, he raised a brow in understanding.

It was going to be a long night.