Chapitre 12: Too much to drink

There were many other rumors that Han Li desired clarification about.

It was a pity that he wouldn't be able to remember most of what Graham said and likely not much of what he himself asked either.

At some point, Han Li began drinking wine like water and Graham opened a new bottle.

Then maybe another one.

Was there another, as well? Han Li didn't know, he lost track. After a few drinks, the white leather couches no longer looked so taboo and Han Li soon found himself rolling on fluffy cloud-like cushions. He was laughing, but the reason why escaped him.

"Your face…it's because of your face, Graham!" Han Li laughed between giggles.

Graham sat next to him, which probably wasn't a good idea, because it gave Han Li the opportunity to cling to him, to rest his head on the other's wide shoulders. This was a bad idea, a part of his mind echoed but Han Li woefully ignored the fact that he was a touchy drunk when he was still sober so he had to pay the price.

Graham huffed, his brows knitting only slightly as he reached up to cup Han Li's jaw with those leather-bound fingers. "My face alone is no reason to earn a faerie's ire unless you are trying to say that she was envious. Which would be absurd."

A thumb brushed over plush lips and Han Li, in his intoxicated daze, opened his mouth. Graham took this as some sort of invitation, sliding his gloved thumb into between Han Li's lips, and brushed it over his teeth. It went to fondle Han Li's canine. It wasn't needle-sharp like a vampire's but it had definitely gotten a lot bigger than that of a normal human's.

Han Li groaned, a shudder went down his spine. Who knew that teeth could be so sensitive. A faint hunger bloomed in his stomach and Han Li instinctively flicked his tongue at the invasive thumb, only to be disappointed to taste dead leather. He wanted… he wanted something else.

"You've had too much to drink."

Oh please, Han Li grumbled internally, he was just having fun. What's so bad about a little bit of alcohol-induced excitement? It wasn't like he had anything important to do the next day.

Or maybe Graham was just antsy about staying up well past his eight o'clock curfew. Han Li grinned at the thought. "Maybe you haven't had enough."

"…" Graham hummed and finally withdrew his hand. "Your inhuman characteristics are beginning to show," he said.

That was all it took for Han Li to freeze, reason crashing through his intoxicated haze, cutting away any amusement he might have had from being drunk. He pushed himself off the couch and rushed to a full body mirror that was conveniently resting in the corner of the lobby.

There was a stumble in his step but Han Li didn't care about his lack of grace, wanting nothing more than to examine his reflection.

Dark eyes stared back at him. Oh good, that was still normal. Maybe it was just another one of Graham's pranks to tease him. Just when he opened his mouth to whine at the older man, Han Li noticed his canines.

Ah, they were definitely larger than normal, making him look a bit like a vampire.

Han Li's heart clenched with dread. Alcohol had never been a trigger for him before! There was no way… no way… maybe, maybe Graham put something in the alcohol to induce his demon characteristics. It shouldn't happen, not this easily.

Though his mind was now clear with the sobering thought, the poison of alcohol was still in his blood, making him wobbly when he tried to stand. He turned around, took a moment to find balance before accusing, "You— You did something. This… shouldn't be… this shouldn't be possible. It's never happened with alcohol before. Why would it have to happen now!?"

"Han Li. I need you to stay calm."

"I am calm!" He wasn't calm. A hiccup caught in his throat and Han Li realized he was breathing a bit too quickly.

"…Come here."

Han Li probably shouldn't trust him but he padded over anyways. There was a confused look on his face Graham pulled Han Li into his lap. "What are you—"

"A temporary solution to help soothe you. Worry not, I will get you something so suppress the symptoms later."

Han Li opened his mouth to protest, what he didn't expect was for Graham to take the opportunity to cover his lips with his own. A sinuous tongue slipped into Han Li's mouth, eliciting a small, surprised moan.

When he tried to pull away, a strong hand gripped the back of his neck, the other was on the small of his back, keeping him in place.

Graham kissed him as would a lover, slow and gentle but also firm. He wasn't sloppy when he caressed the sensitive point of Han Li's canines with his tongue. And he wasn't too rough when he nibbled at the bottom of Han Li's lips.

It was a kiss that Han Li found himself falling and sinking into but the blissful feeling was soon interrupted by an itching pressure at the base of his spine. It was sharp, hot, and painful and the hand pressing down on the small of his back made the pain tenfold.

Han Li whined loudly, trying as he could to wiggle free because his chest was feeling stuffy and it was getting hard to breathe. He felt like he was being scorched from the inside out.

But Graham only kissed his harder, pressing in with more fervor as though in an attempt to draw Han Li's attention away from the pain. His other hand, the one that was on the back of Han Li's neck circled around Han Li's back and drew him closer until they were pressed together, chest against chest.

If Han Li had any clarity in his mind he might have freaked out from how far up he was straddled onto Graham's lap. Han Li finally was able to pull away from the kiss, gasping, "What are you doing? It fucking hurts, you bastard."

He thought about fighting Graham, there was one side of him that really wanted to, even if it meant pulling upon the adrenalin letting what might be demonic power loose in his veins.

No, no, no. Han Li couldn't allow that, he couldn't…

"Shh," Graham shushed him, nuzzling the underside of Han Li's jaw. "I am suppressing your demonic energy. But I did not expect you to be so…unstable. Forgive me if it hurts. Endure it for a little longer."

Han Li whined, his fingers clawing into Graham's shoulder as the strange pain unraveled in the base of his spine even further, tickling his insides with scorching heat. His eyes were pricking as a harsh light assaulted his lids.

Was that…a halo glowing around Graham's crown?

Ah. He suddenly understood, mewling as he curled up against Graham's solid form.

Graham was using holy energy to force Han Li's demonic nature back into dormancy. It wasn't the most elegant way to go about it but it would get the job done. A strange sense of relief flooded Han Li's mind as he resigned to the pain that unfurled within him like tendrils that set his nerves ablaze.

His body felt like it was melting, his muscles tensed only to be forced to relax, drained of strength. He fell over Graham like a rag doll, eyes bleary when he couldn't resist the pool of hot, hot, hot, sharp, sharp, sharp that was jabbing him all over. From his chest, to his belly and inner thighs. Goosebumps appeared everywhere.

He whimpered, like a confused puppy. Graham shushed him, rubbing those long fingers through his hair and caressed his neck, running up and down his arm in comforting motions. Han Li shuddered. His body felt hypersensitive, like a live wire about to explode.

"Hurts," he complained.

"It's almost over."

Han Li had no idea when he passed out.

When he woke again, it was still dark, lain in silken sheets and a fluffy bed that threatened to devour him whole. The soreness left him immobile.

He wasn't alone in the room either. A dark shadow loomed at the foot of the bed, where a low lamp was giving the barest light. Graham's voice wasn't too loud but Han Li felt that it was sharp, aggressive even.

"—that is not something for you to decide, Mr. Walker. I will do as I please with my charge and take the necessary time to procure the best results. It will do you well to not test the limits of my influence."

Han Li wanted to ask what Graham was talking about because he had an inkling of a feeling that it was important. But he had no energy and couldn't fight the wave of fatigue that stole him back to the land of dreams.