No Shadows Fall (11 page)

“Hush,” Michael growled, and Gabriel whimpered, immediately pliant and submissive in Michael’s arms. Michael growled again and shoved, pushing Gabriel down onto the heather.

Gabriel whimpered once more, arching into Michael as Michael covered Gabriel’s body with his own. Michael growled, louder this time, sliding his hands down to Gabriel’s jeans, and Gabriel heard the soft whisper of power as Michael got them open and off, tossing them aside to land somewhere beyond them. The cold breeze on his skin made Gabriel shiver, and he tugged at Michael’s arms as he made a sound that could only be described as a mewl of need.

Michael’s wings unfurled, and Gabriel could see them outlined in the dark as Michael canted them so that they were a feathered barrier between the wind and Gabriel’s skin. Gabriel opened his mouth to thank his lover when Michael found his cock and began to stroke. All thought scattered as Michael teased the slit with his thumb, and Gabriel cried out, moving his own hands to the fastenings of Michael’s trousers and managing to somehow get them open and shoved down.

Michael gave voice to another of those rough, primitive growls, the sound once again skipping Gabriel’s ears entirely and going straight to his cock, and as Michael stroked him, Gabriel knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. He cried out again, arching into Michael’s body, clutching at him and trying to pull Michael closer. This rough possessiveness of Michael’s was new to Gabriel, and it was turning him on more than he ever imagined possible.

“You are mine.” Michael’s voice was a low snarl, and Gabriel whimpered helplessly. “
Mine
. Do you understand me, Gabriel?”

“Y-yes,” Gabriel panted. “Yeah. Yours. All yours. Promise.”

Michael nipped Gabriel’s lower lip, then moved his head to bite at Gabriel’s neck. “Say it again,” he ordered.

Gabriel moaned, so turned on that it took him several moments to find his words. “I’m yours, Michael, all an’ only yours.”

He’d barely finished speaking when Michael’s teeth sank into his neck. Gabriel yelled and dug his nails into Michael’s arms. Tugging and tearing at the fabric of Michael’s shirt, Gabriel finally got it off enough to get his hands on Michael’s skin, and before he could say or do anything else, he heard another whisper of power and then felt himself being penetrated by a slick hardness as Michael buried his cock into Gabriel’s body in one hard thrust.

Gabriel yelled again, louder this time, digging his nails into Michael’s skin. He wrapped his legs around Michael’s hips as Michael fucked him, gasping in between loud moans of desire. His wings unfurled and twined with Michael’s, keeping the wind off them and sliding together in a tangle of feathers. Michael thrust hard and fast, grunting each time he was balls deep inside Gabriel, reaching a hand up to tangle in Gabriel’s hair and pull—hard.

As Michael’s teeth sank deeper into his skin, Gabriel let out a sound like a howl, a noise of pure pleasure, inhuman, otherworldly. Michael stroked Gabriel’s cock faster, smearing the precome over the head and slit, and it was only a few more of those hard, almost brutal thrusts into his body before Gabriel came, screaming Michael’s name at the top of his lungs. He clenched down on Michael’s cock, tightening his legs around Michael’s hips, and hung onto his lover with his entire body, the slick slide of his own come thick and sticky between them.

Michael hissed at the friction on his cock, groaned as Gabriel orgasmed, and a few short, fast thrusts later, he arched, his head thrown back and his lips parted as he came with a shout of his own that was Gabriel’s name.

Panting, Gabriel flopped onto the heather, his ass itchy from the springy greenery he was lying on and his legs feeling pinched and scratched by twigs and prickles. He didn’t care. In fact, Gabriel couldn’t stop grinning. He gazed at Michael as his lover pulled back from gnawing on Gabriel’s neck and gently pulled out of Gabriel’s body.

“Apologies,” Michael said, his eyes downcast. “I do not know what came over me.”

“Oh, no, no, no, don’t you go apologizing.” Gabriel reached out and ran a hand over Michael’s chest. “That was fucking fantastic fucking.”

“Language,” Michael said. Then he blushed and looked at Gabriel. “You are certain?”

“Oh fuck yeah.” Gabriel couldn’t stop grinning. “I’m going to ache later, but fuck me, it’ll be the best kind of ache.”

“I believe I have already fucked you,” Michael said, his voice deadpan even though his blush was deepening. Despite the darkness, to Gabriel, it was clear as day.

“Mm, and it was amazing, and you should feel totally free to do it again. And again. And maybe, later, again.”

“Gabriel,” Michael said, shaking his head. “You are insatiable.”

“Well, yeah, ’cause it’s you!” Gabriel pushed himself up and ruffled Michael’s hair. “Seriously, baby, it was fantastic. That whole possessive aggressive thing? Really fucking hot.”

“Language. I am glad it pleased you.” Michael smiled a shy little smile. “In truth, I was too angry to realize what I intended at first. Certainly, I wished to reestablish my claim on you and reassure myself that you are mine.”

“Dear one,” Gabriel said in a soft, fervent tone, “I’m always yours. Through thick and thin, yeah? That whole bond thing, it sort of makes our commitment that much more intense and meaningful.” He grazed his knuckles over Michael’s cheek in a tender caress. “Forever, you and me.”

Michael’s smile grew. “I confess I like the sound of that very much.”

“Me too. So, were you really jealous?”

Michael sighed. “It pains me to admit to such a base emotion, but… yes. I saw you dancing with that attractive young lady, and I fear that it made me angrier than I already was.”

“I’m sorry.” Gabriel was contrite all over again. “I didn’t mean to make you jealous on top of worried. I didn’t mean to make you feel any of that.”

“I know.” Michael turned his head to kiss Gabriel’s fingers. “I am aware. However, we have tarried here too long, and we must return to Iona.”

“Okay.” Gabriel sighed.

“There is a side of the island that is not inhabited…. We can go there later, if you wish?” Michael’s voice was shy.

“Oh aye, I wish.” Gabriel grinned. “More sex with you? I’m all for it.”

“I am glad.” Michael smiled.

“So, now, just one question.”

“What is that,
da bao
?”

Gabriel scratched the back of his neck. “Where are my pants?” he wondered, more a rhetorical question than anything else.

Michael blinked several times and then he began to laugh. “I confess, I do not know. I threw them… somewhere. Where was not of concern at that moment, only that they were off and no longer impeding me.”

Gabriel laughed. “Oh well. I guess I’ll go back pantless.”

“You most certainly will not.” Michael got to his feet, tugging up his own trousers. He looked around and then made a soft noise. “There they are.” He walked several feet away from Gabriel and bent down, picking up Gabriel’s jeans from atop a heather bush. “Here.”

“Thanks,
solnyshko
.” Gabriel walked over to Michael, grabbed his jeans, and tugged them on. “So, back to Iona, then?”

“As you say.” Michael took Gabriel’s hand in his. “We will report in and then adjourn somewhere more private on the island.”

“Perfect.” Gabriel twined their fingers and leaned over to kiss Michael’s cheek.

Without another word, Michael moved them. They reemerged in the world in the living room of the simple cottage the Archangels, Ishtahar, Israfel, and Hiwa were staying in.

“I’m surprised you’re not still fucking,” Uriel drawled.

“I beg your pardon!” Michael looked aghast.

“We heard you. Matter of fact, they probably heard you in Cornwall.” Uriel was grinning.

Michael instantly turned red and buried his face in his hands. “Wonderful,” he muttered.

Gabriel laughed. “Well, at least you all know I’m fine?”

“Yes, but I didn’t doubt it to begin with.” Uriel lit a cigar. “Michael worries too much.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Remiel said, more to head off a fight, Gabriel suspected, than anything else.

“Aye, I’m fine.” Gabriel grinned. “Mike and me, we’re just going to grab a blanket and go to the other side of the island.”

“For more fucking,” Uriel said with a nod as he exhaled a cloud of pungent cigar smoke. “Remember to shield the spot you end up. Some of us don’t want to hear your marathon sex sessions.”

“Uriel,” Michael sighed, “be silent.”

“Raz not back yet?” Gabriel asked.

“No, he is not.” Samael shook his head, his smile fading as he answered Gabriel. “We have heard that he, Tzadkiel, Brieus, and Sophiel are still searching. Ahijah is proving to be difficult to track down.”

“They’ll find him, though,” Uriel said.

“I’m sure,” Gabriel agreed. “Right, well, Mike and me, we’ll be off. Don’t wait up.” He sauntered out of the living room, using his power to pull a pair of blankets to him. Michael was hot on his heels, his face colored crimson, and Gabriel slipped an arm around his lover’s shoulders.

“I confess that I did not realize we were so loud,” Michael said in a soft voice.

“Me either,” Gabriel agreed. Then he laughed. “I bet there’ll be some interesting news reports from human news agencies tomorrow.”

“Oh dear,” Michael said, burying his face in his hands again.

Gabriel chuckled and moved them to the far side of the island, to a wooded spot where the trees would shield them from the wind blowing in off the sea. He lay one blanket down and sat, tugging Michael with him, then he draped the second blanket around their shoulders.

Michael smiled gratefully at him, and Gabriel waved a hand, shielding the spot with his power, so that any sounds of passion they might make wouldn’t be heard beyond the woods. He kissed Michael’s cheek and lay back on one arm, gazing at his lover fondly.

“This is nice,” Michael said, lying down beside Gabriel.

“Aye, it is. And”—Gabriel’s lips twitched with mirth—“better with a blanket between my naked bum and the ground. The heather we were lying on before was pretty scratchy.”

Michael looked contrite. “Forgive me.”

“Nothing to forgive, Mike. It’s amusing, aye, and it’ll give me a chuckle for a while, but overall, the whole spontaneous ‘must fuck right now’ thing? Really fucking hot.”

“Language. And I will take your word for it.” Michael took Gabriel’s hand in his own, looking down at their twined fingers. “May I ask you something?”

“You can ask me anything you want,
solnyshko
.”

“You are very kind.” Michael paused for a moment, obviously gathering his thoughts. “Do you think that I am boring?”

Gabriel blinked in surprise. “No? Where did that come from?”

Michael shrugged one shoulder, still resolutely averting his gaze. “I am not as adventurous as you are. Or Uriel or Raziel or Agrat or anyone. I know that I must seem boring to you sometimes.”

“No.” Gabriel shook his head. “You’re different, aye, but different ain’t boring. Different’s just… not the same as me. And it’d be damn boring if we were exactly the same. Our differences are interesting.”

“If you say so.” Michael bit his lip. “But our… bedroom activities must be boring to you?”

“No. Where’s this coming from?” Gabriel’s brow furrowed as he frowned. “Have I given you reason to think that?”

“No, of course not.” Michael looked up. “Forgive me. I fear I am overthinking things too much.” He gave Gabriel a wan smile.

“Okay, but you don’t need to worry about our relationship, yeah? I love you. I love sex with you. I ain’t got any reason to complain because I ain’t got anything to complain about. You make me very happy, Michael.”

“As you say. You would tell me if that changed?”

“Aye, but you’d know anyway. You know me better than I know myself.” Gabriel smiled and leaned in to kiss the tip of Michael’s nose. He laughed softly as Michael wrinkled his nose, and continued. “Mishka, you complement me very well. In everything. In battle, in love, in sex, in friendship. God didn’t make us to be the same. He made you for a specific reason and me for a specific reason. We’re both military, aye, but that doesn’t mean we’re the same. I’m your second-in-command. It’s good that we’re different. Bloody awesome, actually.”

“Language.” Michael sighed. “Must you swear all the time, Gabriel?”

“Aye.” Gabriel nodded.

“Why?”

“’Cause I find your need to scold me for it adorable.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Of course you do.”

“C’mon, love of my life.” Gabriel touched Michael’s cheek. “Admit it. You find it kind of adorable that I swear and you scold—it’s like our little lover’s routine that we’ll always have, no matter what. When we’re retired on a beach in the Bahamas, drinking cocktails with umbrellas in ’em, I’ll still be swearing, most likely something about those damn kids needing to get off our beach, and you’ll be saying, ‘Language, Gabriel,’ and I’ll smile and know that all’s right with the world. And so will you.”

Michael considered that, a thoughtful expression on his face. Finally, he smiled and looked at Gabriel, shaking his head. “You are right,
da bao
. You could, however, make a very little effort to swear less. Just a little?”

“All right, I’ll try.” Gabriel kissed Michael’s cheek again. “For you.”

“You are very kind.” Michael reached up to run his fingers through Gabriel’s hair. “I confess that the blanket is a good idea—the scrub was rough on my knees as well as your backside.”

Gabriel burst out laughing and pulled Michael into a hug. “I love you, Michael.”

Michael hugged him back. “I love you also, Gabriel.”

Ducking his head to nuzzle Michael’s neck, Gabriel ran a hand up and down Michael’s back.

“Gabriel?”

“Aye?”

“These cocktails you spoke of, why would they have umbrellas in them?”

Gabriel laughed. “They’re not real umbrellas,
solnyshko
. They’re like, little wooden umbrellas. A decoration.”

“I see. But why?”

“No idea.” Gabriel kissed his way up Michael’s neck. “’S a human thing.”

“O-oh.” Michael tilted his head to give Gabriel better access to his neck, his voice a little breathy. “I don’t u-understand.”