Nightmares Ψ Part Two
Nightmares
Rating: NC-17; non-con, dub-con, tentacles, manipulation... just some disturbing shit.
Pairing: Szayel x Luke
Summary: Luke's been having nightmares lately, ones that he can't even comprehend, not to mention tell the others about. But what can he do when the dreams start becoming real?
PART TWO - ENTRAPMENT
Things had changed so much in just a matter of a few weeks that thinking back on it really made Luke's head spin. By day, he conversed with his friends, their group now seven strong, as if everything were normal. They were out to save the world from plummeting into an endless sea of purple sludge, and one of their numbers was invisible to everyone but him, but things were fine otherwise, and that made everything enjoyable during the day.
By night, however, he was a different person, one that only answered to one of his companions, though that one was all he really needed. Once he fell asleep, his touch became his world; he craved for it, even during the long day hours, and wished the night was not so terribly short. The touch did not hurt him so much anymore, most likely because Luke had become more in tune with his presence, and he thankfully could actually rest through the night once they were done… not that he ever wanted them to be done.
A white gloved finger gently traced his lips that night as he lay on the floor of his dreams, obediently still as Szayel hummed softly to himself, just watching the slight rise and fall of his chest.
"What a docile creature you've become, Luke..." he murmured after a moment, fingers moving to trail lightly against his cheek. Luke canted his head toward him slightly, curious.
"Is that bad?" he asked softly.
Szayel mused faintly to himself, before leaning over and planting a soft kiss on his lips. "No... not at all."
Luke's eyes slipped closed as the ghost rolled on top of him, his head obediently tilting to the side as Szayel hovered closer to him. His teeth sank into his skin in the next moment, drawing blood as well as a delighted little cry from the young replica. His hand came up, clinging to the white sleeve of the other man’s uniform as he continued to suck at his neck, letting out a faint hum of enjoyment as he played with his little toy.
"Mm... I could torture you all night..." he purred against his neck, Luke able to feel that sadistic little grin of his that sent chills up his spine.
"Is that a promise...?" Luke murmured softly, getting the ghost to chuckle in amusement. Szayel lifted his head, placing another soft kiss on his lips.
"Perhaps when I've become visible in the real world, my first order of business will be to tie you up and use you as my personal plaything," he purred, fixing Luke with a smirk that sent another pleased chill up along his spine.
"W-why wait?" he found himself asking, drawing a small bark of laughter from Szayel that time.
"Patience," he murmured. "It would do no good to have everything before our connection is totally complete."
"But...!"
Szayel silenced him with a sharp nip, drawing another cry that tapered off into a small whimper. Luke ducked his head submissively, lowering his eyes away from the ghost's face, the action drawing a faint, pleased growl from him. A gloved hand came up, tilting the boy’s face toward him and forcing their eyes to meet.
"I will possess you when the time is right," he growled softly. "It doesn't matter either way. You belong to me, not matter what."
Luke cast his eyes down anyway. "Yes... master," he replied, a bit of a smile coming to his face, knowing very well Szayel liked it when he called him that. Sure enough, the ghost growled again, forcing him into a heated kiss that time, one that damn near stole Luke’s breath away from him.
"Such a disobedient thing..." he purred once he pulled away. "Perhaps I'll have to punish you after all..."
~.oOOo.~
Guy was in the middle of brushing his teeth when the sudden scream ripped though the wall, making him jump and nearly choke on his toothbrush. Damn; he had heard Luke scream a lot over the past few weeks, and it was taking every bit of him not to give into instinct every time he heard it, but that had to be the loudest one yet. Whatever him and that Szayel guy had to be doing had to be ridiculously painful for the poor replica...
"Shouldn't we do something about this?" he called out to the main part of the room, where Jade was preparing for bed. He could practically hear the amused smirk on the colonel's face as he responded.
"Well, I don't see much point."
"Much point?" Guy echoed, tossing his brush in the holder and going out into the room. "Some nights it sounds like he's killing Luke. And you can't tell me you didn't notice those burn marks."
Jade merely gave a nonchalant shrug. "Luke has taken perfect care of the situation so far. Besides, at this point, I doubt he would appreciate us trying to stop him."
Guy paused at that, staring at the Malkuth colonel. "...you know what they're doing, don't you?"
Jade always had that certain look about him when he was keeping things from the rest of them. As he held his arms out in a sheepish gesture, so too came out that "certain look".
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Guy grumbled under his breath, turning back to the room to finish his cleaning. "Yeah, right. Of course you don't."
~.oOOo.~
Luke let out a faint noise as he woke up the next morning, sprawled out on his stomach with his ass sticking straight up in the air. Beside him, he could hear someone chuckling faintly - no doubt Szayel found the unflattering position amusing as hell - and he tilted his head to the side to grumble at him, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He raised his sleep fogged head toward that movement, only to see Tear seated in a chair, her hands folded carefully on her lap as she watched him, eyeing the burns on his arms with concern.
He flushed slightly, fumbling for a gummi and swallowing it as he flipped around and sat on the bed. His focus was on Tear, but he could still feel Szayel beside him, a faint shadow that was wrapping his arm around him possessively.
"What's up, Tear?" Luke asked, ignoring the ghost for the moment. "I didn't oversleep, did I?"
"No..." Tear began, glancing away. "I... just..."
Luke frowned, tilting his head slightly. It was not like her to hesitate like this. "What is it?"
She hesitated a moment more, before she sprang from her seat. Before he knew it, she was before him, pressing her lips softly to his forehead. Luke turned a vibrant shade of red, especially as Szayel growled in irritation, and Tear was much the same shade as she pulled away from him.
"Please... whatever you're doing with this ghost..." she began, "please don't let it hurt you. Please don't let it change you."
Abruptly, she spun on her heel and fled from the room, leaving Luke at a loss for words. Where had that come from, and why was it stirring up a funny feeling in his gut? Before he could dwell much longer on it, he felt Szayel pulling him closer, his other arm wrapping around him possessively, and Luke shuddered, not quite sure what to do now.
~.oOOo.~
Their efforts to save Auldrant had finally come to this point; after making the outer lands as stable as they were going to be at the moment, measuring the vibration of the core, and coming up with plan to stop the vibration and preserve their life, their group stopped at Sheridan to finish the construction of the equipment they would need. It seemed like everything would go according to plan and that they would stop the vibration and restore the world. Unfortunately, at Sheridan was where everything went wrong.
As they were going to get on the Tartarus and dive into the core to stop the vibration, they came out into a whole army of Oracle Knights, led by Legretta the Quick. Everything fell apart shortly after; the Knights laid siege to the town, not caring who they hurt... or even killed. The elderly scholars that had been helping them thus far covered their retreat, but that did not save them from Legretta's wrath, or anyone else for that matter. Everyone was bothered by all the death around them, but Luke even more so. Every dying body he passed, every dead body laid out in the street sent a shock through his system and made him feel weak.
By the time they got to the port, Luke felt like he was going to throw up. Of course, it would have to get worse. Van Grants appeared then and the last of their elderly supporters blocked his path, letting them board the Tartarus and escape. They were just pulling away from the port when he felt their lives fading away, and Luke had to cling to the railing in order not to fall over.
"What's happening...?" he murmured softly, tears falling out of control. "Why am I feeling this...?"
No response came, even though he could feel Szayel's comfortable presence beside him.
They made it to the Core dive point nearly an entire day later, though Luke felt no better in all that time, and his ghostly companion still remained silent. He watched with the others as the light of the Core passed by the main viewport, his heart hammering loudly in his chest. He felt the ship shudder to a stop, but it did not put him any more at ease.
"The preparations are done," Jade announced suddenly, jerking Luke out of his thoughts. "Let's get out before our shield deactivates."
Luke followed the others out of the Tartarus, to the deck where the Albiore II would bring them away from the crushing pressure of the Core. Unfortunately, they were not the only ones there, and a lone figure in green and black with a bird-shaped mask stood between them and safety.
"Sync!" Guy shouted, drawing his sword.
The young God General smirked, crouching into a fighting stance. "I won't let you get away. I'll make the Tartarus your grave!"
The Tempest struck, lashing out so fast that Luke could not even follow his movements. He kept to the back, his stomach lurching painfully. No, no... they could not die here, he could not die here! But he was still feeling ill from that morning in Sheridan, and Sync was moving so fast that it hurt to watch and...
Kill him.
Luke started at Szayel's voice, turning to where he could feel his presence.
"What...?" he whispered faintly.
Kill him, and you will feel better.
A cry from Tear drew his attention back to the fighting. Sync had knocked her down, sending her bouncing along the deck like a rag doll, before coming after him. Luke threw his sword up as the God General jumped toward him with a kick to his head, managing to block that, but not the follow up that landed on the back of his skull. He landed on the deck, stars dancing before his eyes, as Sync landed behind him, whipping around to deliver a blow that would put him out of the fight for good...
Kill him!
Luke rolled over onto his back, missing the foot that would have crushed his skull if he had not moved, while his sword hand snapped up, clinging tightly to his weapon. There was a sickening thunk, and it took a clattering sound to make him realized he had squeezed his eyes shut. A warm feeling started to flow into him and, hesitantly, he opened his eyes...
...to find himself staring at Ion's face.
"I-Ion...?" he whispered, staring as Sync gagged on his own blood, the life dripping along the blade of Luke's sword.
"No..." Fon Master Ion murmured softly from behind them. "You are also a replica of the Fon Master..."
"Also?! Ion...?" Anise began.
Luke could not hear the conversation that was happening behind him. His eyes were on Sync, the Ion replica, and the deadening look coming to his eyes. With a monumental amount of effort, he suddenly pulled himself off of Luke's sword, blood flowing freely from the wound in his chest and dripping from his mouth. He stumbled backward, toward the edge of the ship.
"The only reason I am alive is because I am of use to Van," he hissed. "That's all the useful ones are good for; if they're useful, they're kept alive out of pity."
He smirked, spreading his arms out, before letting himself fall over the side of the Tartarus. Luke remained where he was, staring, that warm feeling still flooding his consciousness, before slowly settling down, leaving him feeling as he was before the tragedy of that morning. Hesitantly, he stood, moving to join the others... when a piercing pain suddenly shot through his head, and he let out a pained noise as he fell to his knees, blacking out barely a second later.
~.oOOo.~
Luke could feel gentle fingers slipping through his hair, and he opened his eyes to see he was in his little dream world. Szayel was curled up beside him, cradling him gently as he ran his fingers through his hair. Carefully, Luke sat up, though he did not leave the comfortable position they were in, leaning against the other man as the ghost’s arms wrapped around him securely.
"You frightened me there for a moment," Szayel murmured, nipping at his ear almost chidingly.
"What happened...?" Luke asked softly.
"A being known as Lorelei suddenly spoke through you," Szayel explained. "It said that you and your other were one and the same." He paused, adjusting his glasses. "Luke, I'm surprised at you. It seems there are things you have not told me."
"If I didn't tell you, it's because I didn't know," Luke answered softly, reaching up to cling to him.
"Hm..." Szayel mused. "At any rate, it also said that something enormous was absorbing its power. No doubt it meant Van and his little replication project."
"Van..." Luke murmured softly, falling silent for a long moment. One and the same with Lorelei... just like Asch was. Van must have known that and understood what it meant. Why else would he have gone to such lengths to keep one of them? He squeezed his eyes shut, taking a breath. He was not sure if he really wanted an answer to that.
"Szayel," he finally began, "why did I feel better after killing Sync?"
Szayel shifted uncomfortably. "That... may be my fault," he murmured. "It seems instead of separating us physically, our actions have only brought us together and you have taken on some of my... traits."
"Like...?" Luke asked, not liking where this was going.
Szayel held him tight, burying his face in his hair. "The reason why creatures such as myself are generally deemed as 'evil', is because we require the souls of the living to survive," he intoned mournfully. "I believe the reason you fell ill in Sheridan, was because of all those departed souls drifting around that could not be taken in by you."
He knew it; Luke shook slightly, looking like he was going to be sick. "Don't you think this is something you should have mentioned sooner?!"
"Forgive me, I did not believe it would happen like this," Szayel replied softly. "Every time you yourself take a life, it feeds us both. Perhaps a strong enough soul will enable me to separate from you, and enable you to return to normal."
Luke took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Szayel's strong arms around him helped, and he gradually found himself leaning back against him, breathing him in. They were silent for a long moment, the both of them lost in their individual thoughts, before the redhead shifted slightly, looking up at his ghostly companion.
"Szayel... what did it feel like for you when... you know...?" he began softly, biting his lip.
The pink haired man gave him a curious look, before a hand reached up, stroking his cheek. "I suppose you did not receive the majority of it, being human. Would you like me to share?"
Luke hesitated, but curiosity won out as he nodded shyly. Szayel drew him closer, lips brushing against his but not quite touching as something thin and thread-like slipped from his mouth. The boy inhaled sharply, a feeling he could not describe shooting through his body; it was like the best sex in the world, mixed with the joy of birthdays, holidays, and other happy occasions rolled all into one massive ball of elation. He shuddered as a faint moan escaped from his lips, clinging tightly to Szayel's shoulders, and a new sensation threaded through him.
It took him a moment to realize what it was, as he had not really known Sync very well, but the boy's inner pain, his rage and resentment being a replica, was now boiling through Luke's veins. He groaned, arcing back as if he was in pain, but it was far from that. It almost was... pleasant to feed off of the Ion replica's emotions, as if it were the only sustenance that he would ever be able to stomach. He let it wash over him, gasping as he slowly came off the high it brought, sinking back against Szayel.
"Th...that was..." Luke fumbled for words, but they refused to cooperate with him. After a moment he just shook his head, clinging tighter to Szayel as the ghost reached up to thread his fingers through his hair again.
A dark thought crossed his mind then, one that started out as a quiet thing, but at the same time, it was so loud that he could not ignore it. There was Van; his old sword master had more than enough power to not only feed them both, but give Szayel his freedom. Not only that, but he wanted to know what Van felt, what made him do horrible things, like slaughtering innocent people. A dark look came to his face as he clung tighter to Szayel, startling the ghost.
"...I'll do it," he murmured. "I'll kill my enemies, so that you can be free."
Luke nuzzled his head against his shoulder... missing the smirk that came to Szayel's face.
"Thank you, Luke..."
Rating: NC-17; non-con, dub-con, tentacles, manipulation... just some disturbing shit.
Pairing: Szayel x Luke
Summary: Luke's been having nightmares lately, ones that he can't even comprehend, not to mention tell the others about. But what can he do when the dreams start becoming real?
PART TWO - ENTRAPMENT
Things had changed so much in just a matter of a few weeks that thinking back on it really made Luke's head spin. By day, he conversed with his friends, their group now seven strong, as if everything were normal. They were out to save the world from plummeting into an endless sea of purple sludge, and one of their numbers was invisible to everyone but him, but things were fine otherwise, and that made everything enjoyable during the day.
By night, however, he was a different person, one that only answered to one of his companions, though that one was all he really needed. Once he fell asleep, his touch became his world; he craved for it, even during the long day hours, and wished the night was not so terribly short. The touch did not hurt him so much anymore, most likely because Luke had become more in tune with his presence, and he thankfully could actually rest through the night once they were done… not that he ever wanted them to be done.
A white gloved finger gently traced his lips that night as he lay on the floor of his dreams, obediently still as Szayel hummed softly to himself, just watching the slight rise and fall of his chest.
"What a docile creature you've become, Luke..." he murmured after a moment, fingers moving to trail lightly against his cheek. Luke canted his head toward him slightly, curious.
"Is that bad?" he asked softly.
Szayel mused faintly to himself, before leaning over and planting a soft kiss on his lips. "No... not at all."
Luke's eyes slipped closed as the ghost rolled on top of him, his head obediently tilting to the side as Szayel hovered closer to him. His teeth sank into his skin in the next moment, drawing blood as well as a delighted little cry from the young replica. His hand came up, clinging to the white sleeve of the other man’s uniform as he continued to suck at his neck, letting out a faint hum of enjoyment as he played with his little toy.
"Mm... I could torture you all night..." he purred against his neck, Luke able to feel that sadistic little grin of his that sent chills up his spine.
"Is that a promise...?" Luke murmured softly, getting the ghost to chuckle in amusement. Szayel lifted his head, placing another soft kiss on his lips.
"Perhaps when I've become visible in the real world, my first order of business will be to tie you up and use you as my personal plaything," he purred, fixing Luke with a smirk that sent another pleased chill up along his spine.
"W-why wait?" he found himself asking, drawing a small bark of laughter from Szayel that time.
"Patience," he murmured. "It would do no good to have everything before our connection is totally complete."
"But...!"
Szayel silenced him with a sharp nip, drawing another cry that tapered off into a small whimper. Luke ducked his head submissively, lowering his eyes away from the ghost's face, the action drawing a faint, pleased growl from him. A gloved hand came up, tilting the boy’s face toward him and forcing their eyes to meet.
"I will possess you when the time is right," he growled softly. "It doesn't matter either way. You belong to me, not matter what."
Luke cast his eyes down anyway. "Yes... master," he replied, a bit of a smile coming to his face, knowing very well Szayel liked it when he called him that. Sure enough, the ghost growled again, forcing him into a heated kiss that time, one that damn near stole Luke’s breath away from him.
"Such a disobedient thing..." he purred once he pulled away. "Perhaps I'll have to punish you after all..."
~.oOOo.~
Guy was in the middle of brushing his teeth when the sudden scream ripped though the wall, making him jump and nearly choke on his toothbrush. Damn; he had heard Luke scream a lot over the past few weeks, and it was taking every bit of him not to give into instinct every time he heard it, but that had to be the loudest one yet. Whatever him and that Szayel guy had to be doing had to be ridiculously painful for the poor replica...
"Shouldn't we do something about this?" he called out to the main part of the room, where Jade was preparing for bed. He could practically hear the amused smirk on the colonel's face as he responded.
"Well, I don't see much point."
"Much point?" Guy echoed, tossing his brush in the holder and going out into the room. "Some nights it sounds like he's killing Luke. And you can't tell me you didn't notice those burn marks."
Jade merely gave a nonchalant shrug. "Luke has taken perfect care of the situation so far. Besides, at this point, I doubt he would appreciate us trying to stop him."
Guy paused at that, staring at the Malkuth colonel. "...you know what they're doing, don't you?"
Jade always had that certain look about him when he was keeping things from the rest of them. As he held his arms out in a sheepish gesture, so too came out that "certain look".
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Guy grumbled under his breath, turning back to the room to finish his cleaning. "Yeah, right. Of course you don't."
~.oOOo.~
Luke let out a faint noise as he woke up the next morning, sprawled out on his stomach with his ass sticking straight up in the air. Beside him, he could hear someone chuckling faintly - no doubt Szayel found the unflattering position amusing as hell - and he tilted his head to the side to grumble at him, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He raised his sleep fogged head toward that movement, only to see Tear seated in a chair, her hands folded carefully on her lap as she watched him, eyeing the burns on his arms with concern.
He flushed slightly, fumbling for a gummi and swallowing it as he flipped around and sat on the bed. His focus was on Tear, but he could still feel Szayel beside him, a faint shadow that was wrapping his arm around him possessively.
"What's up, Tear?" Luke asked, ignoring the ghost for the moment. "I didn't oversleep, did I?"
"No..." Tear began, glancing away. "I... just..."
Luke frowned, tilting his head slightly. It was not like her to hesitate like this. "What is it?"
She hesitated a moment more, before she sprang from her seat. Before he knew it, she was before him, pressing her lips softly to his forehead. Luke turned a vibrant shade of red, especially as Szayel growled in irritation, and Tear was much the same shade as she pulled away from him.
"Please... whatever you're doing with this ghost..." she began, "please don't let it hurt you. Please don't let it change you."
Abruptly, she spun on her heel and fled from the room, leaving Luke at a loss for words. Where had that come from, and why was it stirring up a funny feeling in his gut? Before he could dwell much longer on it, he felt Szayel pulling him closer, his other arm wrapping around him possessively, and Luke shuddered, not quite sure what to do now.
~.oOOo.~
Their efforts to save Auldrant had finally come to this point; after making the outer lands as stable as they were going to be at the moment, measuring the vibration of the core, and coming up with plan to stop the vibration and preserve their life, their group stopped at Sheridan to finish the construction of the equipment they would need. It seemed like everything would go according to plan and that they would stop the vibration and restore the world. Unfortunately, at Sheridan was where everything went wrong.
As they were going to get on the Tartarus and dive into the core to stop the vibration, they came out into a whole army of Oracle Knights, led by Legretta the Quick. Everything fell apart shortly after; the Knights laid siege to the town, not caring who they hurt... or even killed. The elderly scholars that had been helping them thus far covered their retreat, but that did not save them from Legretta's wrath, or anyone else for that matter. Everyone was bothered by all the death around them, but Luke even more so. Every dying body he passed, every dead body laid out in the street sent a shock through his system and made him feel weak.
By the time they got to the port, Luke felt like he was going to throw up. Of course, it would have to get worse. Van Grants appeared then and the last of their elderly supporters blocked his path, letting them board the Tartarus and escape. They were just pulling away from the port when he felt their lives fading away, and Luke had to cling to the railing in order not to fall over.
"What's happening...?" he murmured softly, tears falling out of control. "Why am I feeling this...?"
No response came, even though he could feel Szayel's comfortable presence beside him.
They made it to the Core dive point nearly an entire day later, though Luke felt no better in all that time, and his ghostly companion still remained silent. He watched with the others as the light of the Core passed by the main viewport, his heart hammering loudly in his chest. He felt the ship shudder to a stop, but it did not put him any more at ease.
"The preparations are done," Jade announced suddenly, jerking Luke out of his thoughts. "Let's get out before our shield deactivates."
Luke followed the others out of the Tartarus, to the deck where the Albiore II would bring them away from the crushing pressure of the Core. Unfortunately, they were not the only ones there, and a lone figure in green and black with a bird-shaped mask stood between them and safety.
"Sync!" Guy shouted, drawing his sword.
The young God General smirked, crouching into a fighting stance. "I won't let you get away. I'll make the Tartarus your grave!"
The Tempest struck, lashing out so fast that Luke could not even follow his movements. He kept to the back, his stomach lurching painfully. No, no... they could not die here, he could not die here! But he was still feeling ill from that morning in Sheridan, and Sync was moving so fast that it hurt to watch and...
Kill him.
Luke started at Szayel's voice, turning to where he could feel his presence.
"What...?" he whispered faintly.
Kill him, and you will feel better.
A cry from Tear drew his attention back to the fighting. Sync had knocked her down, sending her bouncing along the deck like a rag doll, before coming after him. Luke threw his sword up as the God General jumped toward him with a kick to his head, managing to block that, but not the follow up that landed on the back of his skull. He landed on the deck, stars dancing before his eyes, as Sync landed behind him, whipping around to deliver a blow that would put him out of the fight for good...
Kill him!
Luke rolled over onto his back, missing the foot that would have crushed his skull if he had not moved, while his sword hand snapped up, clinging tightly to his weapon. There was a sickening thunk, and it took a clattering sound to make him realized he had squeezed his eyes shut. A warm feeling started to flow into him and, hesitantly, he opened his eyes...
...to find himself staring at Ion's face.
"I-Ion...?" he whispered, staring as Sync gagged on his own blood, the life dripping along the blade of Luke's sword.
"No..." Fon Master Ion murmured softly from behind them. "You are also a replica of the Fon Master..."
"Also?! Ion...?" Anise began.
Luke could not hear the conversation that was happening behind him. His eyes were on Sync, the Ion replica, and the deadening look coming to his eyes. With a monumental amount of effort, he suddenly pulled himself off of Luke's sword, blood flowing freely from the wound in his chest and dripping from his mouth. He stumbled backward, toward the edge of the ship.
"The only reason I am alive is because I am of use to Van," he hissed. "That's all the useful ones are good for; if they're useful, they're kept alive out of pity."
He smirked, spreading his arms out, before letting himself fall over the side of the Tartarus. Luke remained where he was, staring, that warm feeling still flooding his consciousness, before slowly settling down, leaving him feeling as he was before the tragedy of that morning. Hesitantly, he stood, moving to join the others... when a piercing pain suddenly shot through his head, and he let out a pained noise as he fell to his knees, blacking out barely a second later.
~.oOOo.~
Luke could feel gentle fingers slipping through his hair, and he opened his eyes to see he was in his little dream world. Szayel was curled up beside him, cradling him gently as he ran his fingers through his hair. Carefully, Luke sat up, though he did not leave the comfortable position they were in, leaning against the other man as the ghost’s arms wrapped around him securely.
"You frightened me there for a moment," Szayel murmured, nipping at his ear almost chidingly.
"What happened...?" Luke asked softly.
"A being known as Lorelei suddenly spoke through you," Szayel explained. "It said that you and your other were one and the same." He paused, adjusting his glasses. "Luke, I'm surprised at you. It seems there are things you have not told me."
"If I didn't tell you, it's because I didn't know," Luke answered softly, reaching up to cling to him.
"Hm..." Szayel mused. "At any rate, it also said that something enormous was absorbing its power. No doubt it meant Van and his little replication project."
"Van..." Luke murmured softly, falling silent for a long moment. One and the same with Lorelei... just like Asch was. Van must have known that and understood what it meant. Why else would he have gone to such lengths to keep one of them? He squeezed his eyes shut, taking a breath. He was not sure if he really wanted an answer to that.
"Szayel," he finally began, "why did I feel better after killing Sync?"
Szayel shifted uncomfortably. "That... may be my fault," he murmured. "It seems instead of separating us physically, our actions have only brought us together and you have taken on some of my... traits."
"Like...?" Luke asked, not liking where this was going.
Szayel held him tight, burying his face in his hair. "The reason why creatures such as myself are generally deemed as 'evil', is because we require the souls of the living to survive," he intoned mournfully. "I believe the reason you fell ill in Sheridan, was because of all those departed souls drifting around that could not be taken in by you."
He knew it; Luke shook slightly, looking like he was going to be sick. "Don't you think this is something you should have mentioned sooner?!"
"Forgive me, I did not believe it would happen like this," Szayel replied softly. "Every time you yourself take a life, it feeds us both. Perhaps a strong enough soul will enable me to separate from you, and enable you to return to normal."
Luke took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Szayel's strong arms around him helped, and he gradually found himself leaning back against him, breathing him in. They were silent for a long moment, the both of them lost in their individual thoughts, before the redhead shifted slightly, looking up at his ghostly companion.
"Szayel... what did it feel like for you when... you know...?" he began softly, biting his lip.
The pink haired man gave him a curious look, before a hand reached up, stroking his cheek. "I suppose you did not receive the majority of it, being human. Would you like me to share?"
Luke hesitated, but curiosity won out as he nodded shyly. Szayel drew him closer, lips brushing against his but not quite touching as something thin and thread-like slipped from his mouth. The boy inhaled sharply, a feeling he could not describe shooting through his body; it was like the best sex in the world, mixed with the joy of birthdays, holidays, and other happy occasions rolled all into one massive ball of elation. He shuddered as a faint moan escaped from his lips, clinging tightly to Szayel's shoulders, and a new sensation threaded through him.
It took him a moment to realize what it was, as he had not really known Sync very well, but the boy's inner pain, his rage and resentment being a replica, was now boiling through Luke's veins. He groaned, arcing back as if he was in pain, but it was far from that. It almost was... pleasant to feed off of the Ion replica's emotions, as if it were the only sustenance that he would ever be able to stomach. He let it wash over him, gasping as he slowly came off the high it brought, sinking back against Szayel.
"Th...that was..." Luke fumbled for words, but they refused to cooperate with him. After a moment he just shook his head, clinging tighter to Szayel as the ghost reached up to thread his fingers through his hair again.
A dark thought crossed his mind then, one that started out as a quiet thing, but at the same time, it was so loud that he could not ignore it. There was Van; his old sword master had more than enough power to not only feed them both, but give Szayel his freedom. Not only that, but he wanted to know what Van felt, what made him do horrible things, like slaughtering innocent people. A dark look came to his face as he clung tighter to Szayel, startling the ghost.
"...I'll do it," he murmured. "I'll kill my enemies, so that you can be free."
Luke nuzzled his head against his shoulder... missing the smirk that came to Szayel's face.
"Thank you, Luke..."