Sterling & Wilhelm

It had been several weeks since Tora’s betrayal of his trust, but Wilhelm had managed to let it go. Possibly even thank her. After all, if she hadn’t left him for that elf, he never would have found himself with Sterling. Maybe he’d have to thank Rina for messing Sterling up, malicious as the idea sounded. Funny thing that they’d ended up together because of women.1

“Hey, what’re you thinking about?”2

“Just us, Sterling,” Wilhelm replied, still staring out over the gardens of Abernythia.3

“What about us?” Sterling asked, coming up behind him and resting his chin on Wilhelm’s shoulder.4

“I dunno. Just how we ended up as ‘us’.”5

Wilhelm brought his hand up and caressed Sterling’s cheek.6

“If you think about it, we do have Tora to thank,” he continued.7

“I suppose so,” Sterling agreed, circling an arm around Wilhelm’s middle. “It seems to be dragging you down just thinking about it though. Why don’t we get your mind off of it?” he suggested, kissing Wilhelm’s neck.8

His response was Wilhelm shivering and tilting his head to the side, silently begging for more attention. Sterling obliged, lightly sucking on his skin.9

“God, you’re cruel,” Wilhelm murmured.10

“You know you love it,” Sterling whispered back, his breath tickling Wilhelm’s flesh.11

Wilhelm turned slowly so that his dark brown eyes met Sterling’s silver ones. He only closed his eyes when their lips met briefly.12

“Sterling.”13

“What?”14

“There’s no rain.”15

Sterling closed his eyes in concentration, and within three minutes, dark grey clouds had gathered over the mountains. They gave a few ominous rumbles and lit up with lightning before splitting open and releasing virtual waterfalls of rain. Within seconds, the two were soaked through, but it hardly mattered.16

Wilhelm had pushed Sterling back against the wall, pressing his body against him as their lips met once again, their tongues dancing over each other. Sterling’s hands ran over Wilhelm’s chest in urgent, teasing patterns.17

Unable to bear the torment any longer, Wilhelm reached around and, placing his hands on Sterling’s ass, lifted him up to carry him inside. Sterling wrapped his legs around Wilhelm’s waist and draped his arms around his shoulders. When they were inside, Wilhelm laid Sterling on the large bed and pulled his shirt off. Sterling, after pulling Wilhelm down to meet his lips again, skillfully and quickly unbuttoned and slid his lover’s shirt off. Their hands roamed over each other’s bodies, teasing and caressing as they went.18

Finally, Sterling’s kisses grew more demanding and his fingers made quick work of Wilhelm’s belt and the fastening on his pants. Likewise, Wilhelm was already pulling Sterling’s pants and boxers down, wrapping his fingers around his base and lowering his head.19

            ~*~20

Sterling lay with his head on Wilhelm’s chest. An arm draped across his middle. Wilhelm stroked his lover’s raven black hair, his eyes closed.21

“I love you,” Wilhelm whispered.22

“I love you too.”23

Both smiled serenely and kept smiling even after they’d fallen asleep. As they slept, silent and unmoving, one would have assumed they had stumbled upon sleeping angels.24

One of the sleeping angels, however, was being chased through his dreams by amber eyes and tiger hair, musical laughter echoing through his mind.25

‘Ohne dich…I cannot live without you,’ the voice sang, barely above a whisper. ‘My dark prince, your princess will never leave you.’26

Those amber eyes flashed before his subconscious vision, changing to gold, then a freezing, piercing emerald green. Full, soft lips like rose petals parted and mocking laughter poured our from between them, filling his head.27

Wilhelm’s eyes snapped open, but he made no other movement, waiting out the laughter that still echoed in his head. Sterling, even though he’d been deep in vampiric sleep, woke, having sensed his lover’s distress. He tightened the arm around Wilhelm, gently running his thumb along his side.28

“What’s wrong?” Sterling whispered.29

“Her.”30

“Wilhelm, I though you’d let it go,” Sterling said, frowning.31

“I did, but…she won’t let me,” Wilhelm said, sighing.32

“No, you’re just being your usual self. As soon as her kids are grown up, you’re going to go after her! The same fucking thing as always,” Sterling exclaimed, sitting up and glaring at Wilhelm.33

“No I’m not, Sterling. She said to stay away from her, and I’ve no desire to be torn to shreds…Nor do I want to leave you. I told you: I love you,” Wilhelm replied, reaching up to brush his fingers across Sterling’s cheek.34

Sterling pulled back from the other’s touch, his brow furrowed.35

“How many women have you told that one to?” he hissed.36

“None so far, actually,” Wilhelm snapped, getting up and putting his pants on. “Unless you’d like to count yourself as the first.”37

Sterling, recognizing the implication, glared daggers.38

“Get out,” he ordered, his voice quiet.39

Without saying a word, Wilhelm disappeared. After he had done so, Sterling stared at the fire crackling in his large fireplace.40

“God damn you,” he muttered. “We’ll see who the bitch is.”41

Two doors down, Wilhelm had just gotten into the shower. As the hot water ran over her body and filled the bathroom with steam, he regretted his words to Sterling. He should’ve remained calm, not spat acid.42

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to the black shower tiles. “But you have to understand: she’s been a part of my mind for four centuries. It’s going to be difficult to get her out.”43

         ~*2*~44

The next day, Sterling spent his time in the dining hall, library, and ballroom. Wilhelm stayed below the castle in the pits, fighting. Although he told himself he was still angry at Wilhelm, Sterling worried that his anger would hinder his fighting ability and get him seriously hurt.45

When Sterling received a message that there was an intense fight in the Pit that he might want to oversee, he knew Wilhelm was involved. Immediately, he took himself to his usual seat in the stands and looked down into the muddy arena and saw Wilhelm fighting with Tora’s youngest fledgling: Jack. If Jack had been a typical fledgling, Sterling wouldn’t have worried, but Jack was unusually powerful due to the mix of vampire and demon blood that had Changed him. Fearfully, Sterling watched the duel, wincing every time Wilhelm sustained a harsh blow.46

As the fight drew to a close, it looked like Wilhelm was about to be sent to the afterlife. Sterling was no longer even on the edge of his seat; he was standing at the railing.47

‘Wilhelm, my god, don’t die on me,’ Sterling begged silently and privately.48

Wilhelm was against a muddy wall and straining to keep Jack’s knife away from his heart. In a final burst of strength, Wilhelm shoved Jack’s arm back and drove his own knife into his opponent’s right lung. This action, which ended the duel, brought tumultuous cheers from the crowd. 49

As per custom, Sterling went down into the pit and held Wilhelm’s hand aloft to announce him the victor. Before he knew what was happening, Wilhelm had slammed him up against the wall and pinned him there, pressing his lips roughly and possessively to Sterling’s. When he pulled back, Sterling looked at him, wide-eyed.50

“Wilhelm, everyone’s watching,” he said quietly.51

“Let them,” Wilhelm replied, leaning in and nipping at Sterling’s lower lip.52

Despite Wilhelm’s muddy, bloody, and wet condition, Sterling clung to him. The smell that lingered around him drove Sterling’s senses wild. 53