GLITTER GULCH

Chapter 4: Tarnished Halo

Sage lay in stunned silence as Ryo’s finger lightly traced the contours of his lips. Ryo’s eyes were partially closed and he stopped his finger on the bottom lip. He pushed his finger inside and ran it over the pearl white teeth. He then used his thumb and forefinger to pull at the lower lip. Sage watched mesmerized as Ryo took that same finger and put it in his own mouth, running his tongue over it and sucking on it. His heart thudded in his chest and his body quivered. "Uh, Ryo, what’s going…" Ryo used that same saliva moistened finger to pinch Sage’s nipple hard. "Ouch!" His body jerked. "Hey! That…"

Ryo leaned forward and claimed Sage’s mouth forcefully, his tongue pushing into his mouth, sending the cowboy’s mind into a panic. Ryo?! He was kissing Ryo?! That wasn’t right, was it? Yeah, okay, sure, he’d wondered what it would be like a few times. Okay more than a few times, but... I should be the one initiating this! I should be in charge here! He jerked his head to the side, but Ryo grabbed it with his free hand and forced his tongue into his mouth once more. Now wait a minute… He turned his head but this time, Ryo simply moved his mouth to where his hand was. Sage’s mouth formed a small "o" just as Ryo’s tongue flicked his nipple.

Sage was fully erect now, his body betraying his mind. Ryo’s tongue traveled all over his chest and neck, finding pleasure points he didn’t even knew he had. Ryo blew gently on the saliva trails on his chest, causing him to squirm – a tingling sensation that traveled all over his body.

The Indian took his time, memorizing every inch of Sage’s long, lean body. It was amazing how tactile his dream felt. He could feel his heart pounding and watched as tiny beads of sweat formed on the beautiful ivory skin. How many times had he longed to caress the smooth plane of Sage’s chest or taste the salt from his sweat? How often had he dared dream of kissing the pink lips and running his hands through those golden tresses? He longed to hear Sage cry out his name in the midst of a passionate embrace. What I wouldn’t give for this to be real…

Ryo paused, his eyes intense with desire. He licked his lips, which caused Sage’s groin to jerk. This wasn’t right was it? He shouldn’t be this turned on by another man. The Indian leaned across the cowboy’s body, his chest coming into contact with Sage’s stomach. He tensed. Ryo took the candle and it blazed into life.

"Ryo…What the…" Ryo shook his head and Sage shut his mouth, snapping his teeth together. But how did he do that? The dark haired man's eyes danced with firelight. He caressed the candle lightly stroking it. Sage shut his eyes, but the image was burned into the back of his eyelids. The dark tanned skin rippling with the movement of hard muscles. It was difficult to catch his breath. Ryo moved between Sage’s widespread legs and leaned over him. Holding the candle out to one side, he moved slowly up Sage’s body, from his stomach to his neck, sniffing. The little hairs on Sage’s body stood on end. He struggled with keeping the fear/anticipation out of his eyes. The realization of what Ryo intended began to sink in. Ryo was teasing him.

Ryo leaned back and lightly ran his finger down Sage’s chest and stomach stopping just short of his rigid member. He wanted desperately for Ryo to touch him, to stroke him, to…

Sage hissed as hot wax hit his flesh, burning the top layer. At the same time, a jolt went through his skin as Ryo’s tongue firmly pressed his nipple as if he were trying to press it back into Sage’s body. He groaned and arched his back forcing himself into the eager moist mouth. His head reeled from the euphoria of the pain and pleasure. Ryo moved to straddle Sage, pinning the cowboy’s cock against him. Hot wax dripped on Sage’s swollen sensitive nipple. The feel of Ryo’s ass as he rubbed against him, a drip of hot wax, followed by ecstasy caused by Ryo’s tongue and hands. His inability to move focused his all his attention on what was happening to his body. The feel of Ryo’s taut firm legs on either side of his hips and legs – crushing his own blood engorged sex against his body. This tanned Indian brave running his tongue over Sage’s body as the hot wax dripped creating even more sensitivity. Ryo removed the wax in spots and lightly blew on Sage’s pink flesh.

"Uggnnhhh…" Ryo threw his head back and placing his hands on the cowboy’s chest, used his legs to grind and pump on Sage who wanted desperately to run his hands all over the Indian’s tanned hips and ass, but the ropes held fast. Ryo leaned forward and covered Sage’s mouth with his own, tongue searching. His hand wrapped in Sage’s hair, the candle lying forgotten, the wax dripping into the dirt. Sage could still taste the peyote in Ryo’s mouth but something else decidedly Ryo – a musk. The warm musk scent and the acrid taste of peyote filled his senses and enflamed his desire.

Ryo pushed himself back up using Sage’s chest for leverage. His eyes were almost black – a thin blue line circled each pupil, the peyote dilating his eyes. Sage fell under Ryo’s spell, mesmerized by the exotic sight of dark flesh against his own pale skin.

"You like this, don’t you?" Ryo’s voice was barely a whisper in his ear. His warm breath chilling Sage’s spine. Goose bumps appeared all over his flesh. His heart pounded. I shouldn’t…This isn’t…conventional… He shook his head no.

Ryo’s lips turned up into a smirk. "Oh really?" He pushed back and let his eyes devour the body lying before him, his gaze resting on Sage’s fully erect cock. "Coulda fooled me." He ran his fingers lightly over the head. Sage shut his eyes and bit his lip. "Well…" Ryo reached forward and touched his cheek lightly, swirling his fingertips over Sage’s face, down his throat, circling each nipple on his chest and slowly moving lower. "We’ll just have to do something about that." Sage felt Ryo’s weight lift and he opened his eyes. He watched Ryo position himself between his legs. The Indian’s eyes glinted with devious intent.

"Ryo…" Ryo lightly kissed the inside of Sage’s thigh, his hair brushing against Sage’s penis. Sage shuddered. His tongue played with the sensitive skin on Sage’s inner thigh. Every once in a while he would punctuate a kiss with a slight nip.

Sage’s mind swirled with justifications and lust. This felt so right. It felt natural. He was supposed to be with Ryo. No one else made him feel so helpless, so powerless to stop them. This was what it was like to be dominated, to have someone else in control. To…

"Unhhh…." Ryo’s tongue flicked across the head of Sage’s cock and over to his other thigh, repeating the same motions -- swirling and running from groin to knee. Ryo’s ass brushed his calf and Sage wanted nothing more but to reach down and touch Ryo’s smooth skin. To trace the lines of the muscles and taste the flesh. Sage looked down at Ryo’s head between his legs and felt faint. The symbol had rubbed off on Sage’s chest and smeared his body with crimson. He could make out the light scent of the berries that Ryo had crushed to make the war paint. He had tasted some of it on Ryo’s tongue.

"Shit!" Sage hissed and his eyes fluttered closed as Ryo’s mouth closed over his sex. Ryo took Sage in fully, relaxing his throat muscles for full intake. His tongue fluttered around as he sucked, his fingers lightly rubbing the area between Sage’s balls and ass. "Oh god, Ryo!" Sage arched his back. Fuck convention. All Sage knew was Ryo was here and Ryo was his. He began to lift his hips, trying to drive himself deeper in that moist heat.

Ryo was no longer in control, his savage desire had taken over. Sage’s cry had made him want him even more. He wanted to taste Sage and feel him cum in his mouth. He needed this. Sage needed this. He had found himself wanting the golden-haired cowboy from the minute he had first seen him, there on the street; his blonde hair covering one of his pale violet eyes. Eyes that could see into your soul and pull you in, never to let go. The nights when Sage had held him, he had finally felt something again. The warmth of Sage’s arms, the slow gentle rise and fall of his chest when he slept. Many of the times when Sage had held him, he’d wanted to turn to his face upward and kiss the pale lips, which were planting small comforting kisses in his hair.

He sucked on Sage’s cock, his head bobbing up and down, moving his fingers closer to Sage’s ass. He gently stroked the opening there, all the while, his mouth keeping Sage occupied. He placed a finger just outside the small opening and felt Sage tense up. He sucked harder and slowly pushed his finger inside. Sage’s body bucked but Ryo followed with him. Sage’s head was slowly moving from side to side, biting his lip. He was so beautiful. His body was smeared with the red dye and the trails of Ryo’s tongue. His body was sheened with sweat and tendrils of his golden hair were plastered to his forehead. Ryo kept sucking and could feel Sage’s body reaching its climax, as he moaned and arched his back to force himself deeper into Ryo’s mouth. Ryo added another finger to the first and moved them around to stretch Sage, preparing him for what was to come. Something in the back of Ryo’s head told him he should stop. Sage wasn’t ready for this. This wasn’t the time or place for this. But he didn’t listen. The peyote made it easy to ignore the voice of doubt. Besides, this was one of his dreams, wasn’t it? He could do whatever he wanted.

Sage cried out as he came. Shudders wracked his body and he could feel Ryo swallowing his release. The added pressure of Ryo’s fingers inside him had pushed Sage over the edge. He’d never felt like this before. His chest heaved and his stomach muscles tensed. Ryo moved up his body and came face to face with Sage. His eyes were dark. "Did you enjoy that?" Sage nodded. "Good. I have something else I think you might enjoy…" Ryo kissed Sage, his tongue pressing past Sage’s lips. Sage could taste himself in Ryo’s mouth. He kissed Ryo with the same passion, his earlier notions of convention and what was right, pushed into the back of his mind with the force of Ryo’s tongue. He felt himself harden again and realized Ryo was still unfulfilled.

"Umm…I…" Ryo pressed one of his fingers against Sage’s lips. He slinked down Sage’s body and ran his hands down Sage’s legs. He untied Sage’s legs and moved up on Sage’s chest, the long lean legs draped over his shoulders. "Ryo…what…?" Ryo pressed his mouth to Sage, pinning Halo’s legs. Sage could feel Ryo’s cock brush against him and he tensed up.

Sage’s world exploded around him in a white, hot flash. He could taste the copper tang from where he’d bitten through his lip. He hadn’t expected the intense pain. As the white faded from his vision, he could feel Ryo shift inside him as he slowly began to thrust. "Ryo!" No! I didn’t want this! I’m supposed to… "Unnnhhhhhh…!" Sage cried out and his eyes flew open as Ryo hit a nerve – a very pleasant, tingly nerve.

Ryo stilled and lowered his eyes. He didn’t want to really hurt Sage, even in his dreams. Sage’s cry had sounded so real and pained. "Sage, I… I didn’t mean… I’ll stop." He tried to push himself up and off Sage. This is a dream, isn’t it?

Sage wrapped his legs tightly around Ryo’s neck, the pulsing, throbbing in time with his heartbeat, and driving him wild. "Don’t you dare stop now, Ryo. You started this, now finish it!" he hissed.

Ryo saw the desperate need in Sage’s eyes and smiled. This has to be a dream. Sage is practically purring. "Anything you want, Sage. Anything for you." Ryo claimed Sage’s mouth with his own as his thrusts deepened and quickened. Ryo reached between their bodies and grasped Sage’s sex, stroking it.

White spots flashed in front of Sage’s eyes and he moaned every time Ryo hit that spot over and over again. The raw, primal force of it sent his body into a passionate frenzy. Ryo’s breath became shallow and fast and he thrust harder and harder. Sage tried to calm his mind to prolong the feeling but when he opened his eyes and met an ice blue gaze, he lost it. In that instant, he realized he’d found everything he’d ever wanted – all he’d ever hoped for. He came all over Ryo’s hand and seconds later Ryo’s eyes fluttered closed as he let loose inside Sage. Even if this had been a fling, Sage was hooked. No matter what, he wouldn’t let anything happen to Ryo.

Ryo collapsed on top of him. Sage didn’t think he was capable of movement and lay there trying to remember to breathe. Ryo reached above his head and untied his wrists. Sage resisted the urge to kiss Ryo’s chest as it hovered over his face.

Sage’s body ached, but it was a wonderful feeling. He wrapped his freed arms around Ryo. They lay there spent, Ryo’s head on his chest. Both were breathing heavily.

"Thank you, Dream Angel," Ryo muttered.

"What?"

"I know I took advantage of you and I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it. I need you, Sage." Ryo’s voice was becoming more muffled as he snuggled closer. "I love you." Sage’s heart lurched in his chest and he looked down at the dark-haired man sprawled over his body. "Thanks, Angel. I owe you one."

A lone tear formed in the corner of Sage’s eye. This wonderfully beautiful and benevolent man loves me? He smiled and hugged Ryo close, absently stroking his hair. He brushed his lips against the fine black filament. "No, thank you, Ryo Wildfire. Thank you."

But Ryo didn’t hear Sage’s whispered words. He was already dreaming of a golden angel’s feathery embrace.

"Is it done?"

"Yes, Ringmaster Talpa." Damon’s dark eyes glittered.

"When will it occur?"

"Soon."

"Good," Talpa smiled. "And I see you did something for yourself as well."

Damon reached up and absently touched his cheek. "Yes, Ringmaster Talpa. I hope I didn’t presume too much."

Talpa shrugged. "As long as you don’t fail me, Damon."

"I will do what I can to please you, Ringmaster Talpa."

Talpa glared at Damon. "Did Lady Kayura…"

"Ready and waiting in your room, Ringmaster Talpa." Damon motioned to the door behind Talpa.

Talpa licked his lips. He opened the door and stared at the figure strapped to the bed. Fearful eyes met his. "He doesn’t have blue eyes."

"Shall I send him back, Ringmaster Talpa?"

"No. He’ll just have to do." Talpa walked into the room and shut the door. Damon listened for a few minutes, smiled, and walked away. Then the screaming began.