"Let me go."

The order was readily acknowledged as Jean was released. Without hesitation, he stiffly rose from Celezar's lap and jumped away, turning to face him. He held Ringe in a tight grasp and pointed it at him. Celezar merely stared back. Taking in his appearance, Jean realized Celezar was paler, maybe even sickly, in comparison to the last time he saw him in the Cellar's infirmary.

"Are you going to shoot me again?" Celezar's voice was soft, melancholy.

"I cannot be in love with an inhuman." The words came out automatically, as if Jean were reading from a manual. "It is wrong. Immoral. Disgusting."

Celezar's eyes slightly slanted, but pain clouded his features. "Is that how you feel, or are you repeating the only thing you know?"

His upper lip twitching, Jean didn't answer. The fact that he couldn't answer made him all the more outraged at himself.

Instead, he asked a question. "Why did you attack me if you were only going to heal me? If it was an attempt to confuse me, well congratulations," he said with a scowl, "it worked."

"No, Jean. I fought alongside you for six years. Loved you for six years." Celezar scanned Jean's face, his hands clenching. "And so easily, you turned on me. How was that not going to hurt me, anger me? What I did...It was a knee-jerk reaction; it wasn't like me at all. I...I'm sorry." He closed his eyes.

Jean scoffed, holding the gun tighter. "Don't you fucking dare lie to me. Not anymore." Despite his words, he wanted to believe.

Somewhere within him, he did believe. 

But he couldn't. Couldn't Celezar piece together that simple truth?

Celezar slowly looked up. "Do you really want to shoot me, Jean?"

Before Jean's eye, Celezar went from being crouched on the ground to standing directly in front of him, far too close for comfort. But he didn't get a chance to react. Long fingers curled around the gun to place against a freckled forehead while still in his grasp.

"Pull it, then," Celezar goaded, his expression resigned and solemn. "Kill me, or at least try, like you did in Augusus."

Seconds ticked by, and Jean internally warred against himself. Moonlight shone off the gun's surface, strong enough that it was mildly blinding. A sickening feeling rose within him at the thought of killing this creature that, despite everything, looked like the man he loved.

He was pathetic.

As if Celezar knew his thoughts, the gun was knocked out of his hand. It spun off to the side, just a shining object on the grass. The heat of fear flushed through Jean's body and he jumped back several feet, even deeper into the woods. "Go into your true form," he demanded. It was the only way he could fight against him.

Celezar's gaze was emotionless, staring into him without mercy. "What are you afraid of?"

"I am an inhuman hunter! You are my enemy!" Jean took a single step forward in rage. A familiar fear was beginning to grow within him, but he swallowed it down. "I'm conversing with an inhuman! Love of Creation, I fucking laid with an inhuman, con...consumed the essence of an inhuman! That's abhorrent. I am tainted. How can I be anything but angry, disgusted? I'm tainted, no matter what anyone says!"

The calm expression darkened. "I didn't taint anyone. The tests prove it."

With another scoff, Jean scowled at him. "We can't believe the tests anymore!"

"The tests never lied!" Celezar glanced away. "I only manipulated reality a bit so it would say I was clear."

Jean's lips slowly parted in shock and slight astonishment. What was Celezar if he could manipulate reality? "Manipulated...reality." After some seconds, he shook himself out of his stupor. "What sort of fucking inhuman are you?"

There wasn't an answer. Celezar's shoulders slumped, as if in defeat. Pained clouded his features. "It...doesn't matter." Looking back at Jean, he made a withered smile. "I saved your life. Doesn't that mean anything, say something, to you?"

Ready with a comeback, Jean's mouth opened. But nothing came out. Instead, he shakily inhaled, staring at nothing as he recalled the day several years ago when Celezar saved his life, nearly dying in the process. It left four horrible scars on Celezar's back. That event led to their strong friendship which led to their romance.

The thumping of his heart pulsed through his body, physically hurting him. He exhaled, his body beginning to quaver, and shut his eye as another memory flashed into his mind, one of blood and horror.

In moments, he was overwhelmed by emotions, the mental imagery. His body shook with fear, and he stared off. So quickly, he was coming undone as the very thing he didn't so much as let enter his consciousness after Augusus bombarded his thoughts.

"I can't," he whispered, his voice so low no human would hear him clearly. "I...I can't."

He kept seeing it. The blood.

How could a human have so much blood inside them...?

"Why?"

Jean suddenly moved away, turning his back to Celezar.

Celezar, an inhuman.

Never would he have done so in any other situation. But that was it. He trusted Celezar too much. That simple, honest truth; it overwhelmed him, pained him.

But he kept hearing it, the screams of bloody murder that were so near, even now.

His voice shaky, body rigid, he responded, "They will...kill me." He looked away, anywhere, as his left eye stung and moisture gathered in his right. "They'll kill me. My family, my men. They will hunt me down and kill me, if they knew, and you won't....you won't care because you're inhuman."

He was gently embraced from behind. "No, Jean."

He panicked and shoved Celezar away—or tried to. The inhuman's grasp was too strong. Fear constricted his throat and he began to fight in Celezar's hold. "Get off me!"

"No."

The painfully even voice frightened him further. He tried to shove, to elbow Celezar's chest, to kick Celezar's legs, his muscles straining with all their might. But Celezar was an immovable rock. "You fucking—! You wear his face!" He tried to grab and shove Celezar's head away. "I never loved an inhuman! I loved him!"

"I AM him!"

Immediately, Jean went silent and still. Even then, his body shook with adrenaline, fear, and anger. Tears fell unbidden down his cheek. His left eye stung painfully, more than it ever did before. The words echoed in his mind. It was as if a light switch went on.

That, too, was true.

Even before the revelation of his inhumanity, Celezar was inhuman.

Jean shut his eye. Self-disgust still boiled within him, all the more because...

He took in every detail of the strong arms around his body, holding him close. He had memorized them, how the veins showed clearly underneath the tawny, freckled skin. He missed this feeling. He inhaled the subtleties of Celezar's smell, how it seemed like a strong, earthy-herbal essence that was so wonderfully unusual. It was a comforting smell. He missed this smell.

He missed it all so much.

Gently, Celezar murmured, "I won't let that happen to you, Jean-Luc."

Despite how he felt, Jean slowly shook his head, slanted his eye open. Teardrops fell down his chin.

"Please..." Celezar's grasp slightly tightened, but it was a gentle hold. "Please, trust me as you once did. I was inhuman then, too."

These words shattered what little was left of Jean's resolve. His vision blurred from the gathering of more tears that immediately fell down his face.

The truth was staggering.

But the harrowing image within his memories replayed in his mind. Briefly, his eye shut, and a sob nearly escaped him.

He couldn't...shouldn't.

"Please." Celezar's voice was a whisper.

Jean hyperventilated, his hands clenching tightly into fists. His body trembled, but it was too hard to fight against.

Too unfair.

Wordlessly, he turned into the strong grasp and tightly embraced his friend, his partner, as if he were his anchor to the world. His heartbeat pounded hard, staccato, and he softly wept.

And he waited.

The presence that enveloped him seemed to become warmer, all-encompassing.

But nothing happened.

Deeply, he exhaled, his tense body calming considerably. He suddenly realized he never felt so safe before, like no one or thing could possibly hurt him. Not with Celezar near, even with the images and sounds resounding in his mind.

Completely relaxing, his body almost went limp as his eye fluttered closed from exhaustion. The sound of several heartbeats thumped evenly in his ear from within the warm chest. The arms never let him go.

Damn him to Hell. He wanted this.

He wanted Celezar.

*    *    *

The chirps of crickets echoed in Jean's ears. Every rare moment or two, there was the call of a distant owl within the deeper woods. Save for the rise and fall of his body to Celezar's breathing, he remained still with his eye closed. He laid partially atop Celezar as they rested in the woods, hugged to the warm chest by an arm around his, and his head rested underneath Celezar's chin. His mind simmered, steadily cooling from the boil that was his indecisiveness and anger, fear, the overwhelming emotions.

Softly, he sighed to himself. He was not yet at peace, and he knew Celezar was aware of this. But what could he do? What should he do? This was an unfamiliar situation for him and part of him didn't like it. All he felt he could do for the moment was let things run their course.

"What's on your mind, love?"

Despite himself, his lips quirked at the familiarity and the endearment. "I'm...just wondering what's supposed to happen, now."

"Anything you wanted."

His eye opened. It was best not to think too deeply on what that insinuated. He raised up a bit to look Celezar in the eye. "What are you?"

Looking back at him, Celezar was expressionless. He didn't answer immediately, reaching up with his free hand to trail a finger gently, slowly over Jean's scar, touch his eyepatch. His expression turned to one of pain. "I am a hybrid comprised of hallow, mahre...and devil."

The second Jean's eye widened, Celezar let go of him and his expression deteriorated to one of shame. But Jean didn't move away, though he did tense up.

Devil.

He had intercourse...with a devil.

His mind sputtered.

He loved a devil.

For several anxious moments, he merely stared down at the hybrid. Celezar glanced away momentarily, the look of shame worsening on his face.

Exhaling with mental exhaustion, Jean finally all but dropped onto Celezar's chest with a resigned groan. That, and from shock. "I've already done this much...What's the point of getting upset, now?"

Celezar shifted. "I'm...sorry."

Jean softly huffed. "You can't...help what you are..." he muttered. His own words shocked him, even if it was true. Deciding not to think about what he said, he uneasily cleared his throat. "What is a mahre? A type of demon?"

Celezar softly laughed. "No, though I know why you make that assumption. Mahres are a sort of ghostlike creature that are dream-eaters, nightmare-makers. They feed off emotions, like some hallows, and are a sister species to them. Hallows are...akin to nymphs, I suppose. Earth-bound. Close to nature but wonderfully diverse. It's what the Ridridge entity is primarily made of."

"That long-legged one."

"Mm hm. It's a supreme example of a union between two gods, if you will."

Jean balked. "Gods?"

"It's an entity, a hallow-mahre, similarly to my own breeding, but of a different calibre. Its sire is none other than the Mother of Phantasms, Queen of Mahres, Noctmære, who mated with the Father of the Children of the Night, King of Hallows, Samhain."

Slowly, Jean raised up to look Celezar in the eye. "First, do they really need so many titles?"

"They have more." Laughing softly, Celezar touched Jean's scarred chin.

Humming, Jean leaned into the touch. "Second...Samhain? Really?"

"A word in one language can be something else in another. Samhain means on thing in the language of hallows, another in Gaelic. Regardless, our Samhain does have much to do with aspects of the holiday." Celezar's smile steadily dropped. "Samhain and Noctmære are incarnations of their worlds. Gods, in the language of some. Monstrosities, in the language of others. Supreme beings, in the language of most. To be created from the incarnations of such beings...what would that make the entity?"

"Impossibly powerful," Jean murmured, steadily coming to understand the gravitas of the situation. He shivered at the realization he came into contact with such a being...and lived. "And the devil?"

Celezar scowled, lowering his hand. "Dthanthomien, or Domien, is...a sort of bastard child of one of the nine rulers of Inferno. Belphegor, the 5th Sphere Ruler, is his sire. I care less about who or what his maternal parent is, because truthfully, that's enough to be wary. He is also my grandcousin. But, if it were just Domien, defeating him would be too simple. His power is even more juvenile than mine. He's only a few hundred years old. But paired with his mate...I don't stand a chance."

Leery, Jean asked, "Who said anything about defeating them?"

"He and his mate are the cause of the rise in Infernal attacks. The Entity is letting him do whatever he wants, and because of Domien's birthright, hellions are attracted to both his actions and his presence alone. Death will follow him wherever he goes." Celezar looked into the sky. "Unfortunately, we can't just sit back and let them do that, eh?"

Even warier, Jean shook his head. "No human has ever fought against a devil and come back alive, let alone against such an entity like..." Trailing off, he exhaled and looked forward.

All of this information would be extremely helpful in the long run. He felt almost guilty, as if he was cajoling Celezar into giving up what were otherwise secrets to humankind.

On the other hand, he was also glad to be talking casually with Celezar. It was familiar, almost ordinary. He was perfectly at ease in his presence now that he wasn't fighting against it.

It almost scared him.

"Well, you're wrong about that."

He moved up as Celezar sat upright to scoot back and rest against a tree.

"Humans of magical blood such as yours have. Many times. Truthfully, it has been many centuries since that last happened, but...it's not impossible."

"I suppose...we humans were stronger back then?"

"Hate to admit it, but yes. I've witnessed the might of humanity several times over in my lifetime."

"How long is that?" In his human guise, Celezar claimed to be thirty-six years old. But that was obviously false.

Smirking, Celezar looked to the sky again. "I am over fifteen thousand years old."

Jean blinked at nothing as his mind rebooted.

So, not only was Celezar a descendant of a devil, but he was also an ancient creature.

Jean slowly took this into consideration. What did all of this mean, that a creature so old had...fallen in love with him? Eyeing Celezar, he softly hummed. "You look good."

This time a heartier laugh escaped the hybrid, and he pulled Jean towards him despite soft protests. With Jean in his arms, he inhaled his hair. "I'm still really young, you know. Like a teenager, really."

Smiling at the attention despite himself, Jean sighed, "Celezar. I am thirty-one. You mean to tell me I'm with a teenager?" There was a mix of seriousness and humor in his hoarse voice along with a withered expression.

"In my species' years...yeah. But I'm also literally my age, love." The hybrid may have said that, but his voice was saturated with a sly, mischievous inflection. He then laughed, "If anyone, I should be the one concerned. You're only thirty-one!"

This laundered in Jean's mind. He raised his head to look over his companion, then shoved him, causing the hybrid to laugh again. "Is that why you're so insistent on calling me 'boy'?"

Celezar grinned as he looked off. "Maaaybe..."

Jean shook his head. "You're ridiculous."

Scoffing, Celezar nudged him. "Don't act like you don't like the attention, Jeanie-boy," he teased, almost purring. "You've always liked your pet name."

Jeanie-boy. A boyish endearment. It sounded like "Johnny-boy" with the true pronunciation of Jean's name. Contrary to what Celezar said, Jean initially disliked it. His name wasn't Johnny, a name he disliked even more. But the way the name, the endearment, rolled off Celezar's silken tongue always did things to his head. Clouded it. Made him forget how much he hated the sound of that name.

Celezar always made fun of him in that charming sort of teasing way. That loving sort of way.

He shivered. This was dangerous. So horribly dangerous. Abhorrent.

And yet...

He briefly closed his eye, relenting to his vices. At least for now.

Because how could something so bad seem so...normal?

He forgot what they were talking about, and Celezar was waiting for him to continue. Yet when nothing was said and they merely stared at one another, Jean's expression eased into a small but genuine smile.

His lips parted, and green eyes watched his mouth. "I missed you." The eyes looked up into his, and he nodded, breaking contact to glance away. "I missed us," he whispered, as if someone could hear him. Maybe someone could.

"All's forgiven, love."

A small black tendril emerged from the ground and brought Ringe over to him. He stared at it for a moment, then took the gun and quickly placed it back in its holster, as if afraid he would suddenly shoot Celezar again.

He softly emitted a resigned exhale.

Then, from out of nowhere, a thought came to mind. It was a terrifying thought, but damn him if he wasn't curious. "Can I...see your true form?"

"No."

He blinked in surprise at the simple, ready answer and turned to look back. Celezar stared forward with a blank, listless expression. "No? Why not?"

"You've never been in the presence of a devil's true form, or a hallow's, so no." Before an argument could be made, the hybrid closed his eyes and said, "For one, I'm more hallow than I am anything else, and hallows are creatures that exist from many earthy things...but we emit the need to be feared. Devils naturally emit such an aura, as well. There are some creatures that need to be feared by others. Both hallows and devils are amongst them. And I am both."

"Then, can I see a pseudo-form of some sort?"

"Why does this matter..."

"I'm in my natural form, aren't I?" Jean raised a brow at his own challenge.

Celezar paused before looking at him. He then avoided eye contact. "You're cute, love."

Without prompt, a slight ripping sound emitted from his body before several black tendrils sprouted from his back. He closed his eyes for a moment, cracking his neck, and stood up.

Standing as well, Jean mentally braced himself for the worst. It really couldn't be that bad.

Right...?

A second after the thought, without warning, Celezar's long legs morphed until they became digitigrade, but strangely, his clothes morphed as well. Following this, his feet were instead sharp and talon-like, maybe even akin to a reptile's, with black claws. A long tail, interestingly similar to the tendrils coming from his back, swayed behind him with a large spade shape at its end, and his skin turned a dark brownish-black color that went alight with what could only be described as yellow designs. They scattered along every inch of his body, including his face, though the markings were more distinct there.

Jean had to strain his neck to look up at him. He was growing to be nearly as tall as the tallest trees within the woods, spiking twenty feet, and in the center of his chest was a glowing, jagged yellow protrusion that pulsed. Four clawed hands from four arms with black nails lowered, as did his body, causing Jean to press back against a tree further behind him.

Soon, he looked the hybrid in the eye, meeting the large, olive green orbs that lacked any distinction. Celezar also seemed to have glowing yellow freckles, but they were comparatively larger than a human's and were only around his eyes. Upon his forehead were black horns that curled backwards on his head. Most interestingly, he had no mouth or nose to speak of.

Taking this all in, Jean was scarcely aware he was hyperventilating. In his mind, he felt the overwhelming need to cower in fear. He was beginning to feel faint, and he slumped down the tree before snapping back to consciousness. Something was telling him this wasn't even a quarter of the fear he should be feeling.

Yet, he was also coherent enough to notice the particular body language Celezar was exhibiting. It was passive, docile, his tail and tendrils swaying very gently, and his body moved delicately, trying not to make any sudden movements. Not that it helped.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Jean."

The voice was familiar, but it was not spoken. It echoed about him, yet he was sure it was only within his mind. This startled and frightened him further; hearing the voice of an inhuman in one's mind was dangerous. It meant possible manipulation, possible influence.

His breathing rapid, his heart pounding painfully in his chest, Jean continued to stare with parted lips. He watched the large head tilt to the side, and then tensed when a tendril reached over to move gently over his heart. He grimaced a bit, but his heart stopped hurting. Likewise, whatever fear that once overwhelmed him was held back, as if something in his head physically repelled the desire to be afraid. Letting out a shaky breath of relief, he relaxed by a margin but then watched cautiously as the tendril moved away.

Nothing happened for several long seconds, and then a minute. The creature before him remained calm and observant, and he continued to stare right back.

"I won't hurt you."

The voice in his mind spoke at an even softer volume, and the touch of sadness resonated through him. He swallowed, then slowly moved off the tree, taking small steps forward. He reached out, cautious and still consciously frightened but tentatively curious. His shaking hand touched the rough, exoskeleton-like skin. Nothing happened. With trembling fingers, he skimmed over the freckle-like markings on a coarse face. Celezar did have freckles in his human form.

This familiar feature brought a small smile to his face. A crease from sadness formed between his brows. "Celezar," he murmured while a short laugh escaped him. He gazed into the hybrid's eyes. "You're...terrifying. Magnificent..."

A tear in the skin appeared where a mouth would be on Celezar's face. Jean took his hand back, watching as the tear ripped open by just a bit, creating gaps along the hybrid's face. It was uncanny and looked painful, yet no blood or other liquids oozed from the holes. From the one at the front of what Jean supposed was the beginning of Celezar's mouth, a sharply tapered black tongue that reminded Jean of a worm slithered out.

It flicked at the air before reaching to gently lick Jean's cheek, and he let it, though his body tensed and shuddered from its slick texture and unnatural warmth. His breath was shaky, and he briefly shut his eye. One couldn't say he wasn't trying.

To calm himself, he considered what he witnessed, earlier: Celezar protecting him, risking his life before the Entity. Yes...Celezar did always have his back...

He looked into the green orbs as the tongue retracted. "You're still Celezar," he murmured to himself. There wasn't a response, but he wasn't asking for one. He closed his eye and rested his head against his partner. Exhaling deeply, he calmed himself. For several moments, he didn't move, acclimating himself to the hybrid's presence. "Thank you, for the times you've protected and saved me and the men."

The tongue flickered out to lick his cheek again. Celezar crooned, a low sound that made Jean twitch. The black muscle retracted, and the rips in the smooth, dark face sealed up, becoming featureless once more, save for the large eyes.

Jean briefly glanced away and his expression slightly dropped. "What does it mean, Celezar, to...become your mate?"

Celezar pulled back in surprise, his head rising to stare down at Jean, who was suddenly confused. "You're actually—That's—" A deep breath escaped him though Jean couldn't figure where from. A separate pair of eyelids that were vertically slanted pulled over Celezar's eyes as he "blinked", and then he looked away.

The lack of an immediate response was worrying. There was only one thing that came to Jean's mind that could cause such a reaction. It stayed at the forefront of his thoughts, and he held onto it as the most possible truth to brace himself with. It was almost easy to consider, looking at Celezar's form.

Finally, the hybrid turned to look at him. There was sadness in his gaze somehow, as was a mix of resignation.

It was true, then.

"It means to give up your humanity." Celezar sounded painfully disheartened, as if sorry he was even saying such a thing. "There's no way around it. That's...just the way my biology works."

A short silence lingered between them as Jean laundered this over. Pursing his lips, he glanced off.

Celezar's words came back to him. Nothing would happen to him. Despite everything, in spite of everything, he did trust Celezar with his life, even now. Aside from what he was told to believe, raised to believe, what was left of his rational mind told him he had no reason to stop trusting him.

Dare he do it...? He was likely already damned to Inferno.

Something told him even if that happened, Celezar would be there, right in Hell with him.

It brought a miniscule, solemn smile to his face.

What was wrong with him...?

Exhaling softly, he beckoned the hybrid to lower his head again, and tentatively, it did. Closing his eye, he rested his head and hands against the smoother surface where Celezar's tongue had emerged, quiet and contemplative.

Mere seconds passed, but it felt like minutes. When Jean finally opened his eye, he looked firmly into the worried green orbs. With a small smile, he whispered the unshakable truth: "I trust you."

Again, Celezar blinked. His eyes then slightly slanted, and a low, pleased croon emitted from him.

"I do. But Celezar," Jean reminded softly, "I'm not..."

"I know, Jean. Take whatever and however long a time you need to think about...anything." Celezar gently rubbed his head against Jean's, closing his eyes. "During that time, and after that time, I will protect you. I protect what's mine."

The corner of Jean's mouth twitched. "Yours?"

"Yes. You are mine. Mate or not, lover or not. You are."

Deciding not to argue, Jean nodded, even though Celezar couldn't see it. He looked over at where his motorcycle was slightly visible at the edge of the woods. "I should...be getting back home."

Immediately, Celezar opened his eyes. There was sadness, a yearning, in the green depths. Celezar wanted him to stay.

Before Jean could open his mouth, Celezar asked, "Can I come with you?"

Jean frowned. "How in the world could you?"

The moment after he spoke, Celezar's form seemed to disappear into a haze of black smog. Startled, Jean stepped back, staring at empty air. He looked around with alarm, his eye darting left and right.

"Celezar?" he called, his voice failing to carry far.

To his shock, a bark responded. Something was near his feet, startling him further. But then there was another bark that came from the strange moving thing. Brows furrowing, he felt down and touched...hair. Long hair.

The moment he moved down into a crouch, moonlight reflected off green eyes in front of him.

He blinked, then gave a small laugh. But his smile faded almost immediately with sudden realization. He reached and pulled the large dog into his arms. It was surprisingly lightweight for its size, appearing as a long-haired breed of some kind. He just knew a tail was wagging.

"Well, then," he murmured. His lips pursed. "Things are going to be...a bit odd from now on..."

The response to that was a long tongue licking his face before the dog barked again.

"Very...very odd," he muttered with more than a touch of concern.