TITLE: BOUND 2/2
AUTHOR: PhenDog
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Giles, Ethan, or anything else except my beloved computer named "Slate." (Obviously I don't own them, or I'd own a lot more than Slate and you'd have to pay to read this.) The Buffyverse belongs to Joss, ME (yes I know, old joke), and a whole bunch of alphabetical TV networks, `specially now that it's gone into syndication. Please don't sue, I know I don't have permission. Bad me. All my money went to bootleg X-files and Buffy episodes and Slate doesn't want to leave me!
WARNINGS: Unicorn, Graphic Slash, Bondage, Arboreal Abuse
FEEDBACK: PLEASE!!! Lay it on me at PhenDog@gmail.com Good feedback will be treasured, printed, and taped on my wall. Flames will be treasured, printed in large typeface, matted, framed, and hung with care on my door for all to see. Either way, you'll be encouraging me to write more! Constructive Criticism treasured above all else!

"Here," Ethan said as they reached the clearing. Ripper stopped beside him in the dusky twilight. "That one," he pointed out the large oak, perfect for their purpose. He'd already cleared the ground beneath it so all that remained was clean dirt until it met the grass and etched the pentagram into the ground, topmost point aimed at the tree for protection of those who would be within its design.

Ripper walked up to the tree, carefully avoiding smudging the chalked in lines at his feet. He ran his hands over the bark of the being that would come to represent their bond, letting his magic flow over it and feeling the smooth way it seemed to accept him. "Yes." He was too intent now to adopt the lower class accent. The tree was alive, practically breathing in his power.

"You like?"

"It's perfect."

Ethan handed him the knife large enough to be a machete, knowing Ripper handled the weapon with far more strength and surety than he could. "Do it then."

Ripper was uncertain at first, but was glad to have something to do so that he wouldn't have to think about what was to come. Choosing a spot at eyelevel, he caressed the rough bark, apologizing to the tree and offering a prayer to its keeper to minimize the damage he'd have to inflict. Then he used the knife to hack into it, cutting deep and making a perfect `V,' the slashes going deeper than the bark and showing as white wounds in its surface, highlighted by the light of the rising moon. This he crossed with a third slash, horizontally across the letter, dividing the top from the bottom and making an inverted `A' of sorts. Finally, he traded the knife for what else Ethan offered and pounded the hooked nail in at the bottom of the symbol before stepping away, taking care to avoid the lines of the pentagram as he moved outside of it.

"You still want this?" Ethan asked, eyes serious. Right now, they'd still be able to stop this—in fact, there was an opportunity to back out right up until Ripper's sacrifice was accepted as pure and the physical binds were set in place—though the costs to their energies would be high. Once they reached that point, however, there was no way out, not for Ripper. Either Ethan would claim him or the forces would take him as their own. Thinking on it now, the level of trust required astounded him, and Ethan silently promised he would do all he could to earn it.

The other man hesitated, and then a wall seemed to drop, leaving him looking as vulnerable as Ethan had ever seen him—moreso even than when he'd first shared the details of his past and what it was he was running from. "I do."

"You know the rituals?" he asked again for what had to have been the hundredth time that day, though they'd been practicing them since they'd awoken mid-morning. Still, the concern was a valid one. Once it began, only Ethan would be allowed to talk and move freely, and that made him nervous because it meant Ripper wouldn't be able to communicate with him except with the barest expressions of his body. The penalties if he broke out of his role would be severe, possibly leading to the same rejection he would suffer if Ethan failed to make the claim. It would tear his magic from him, shredding his mind and leaving his body to rot, bound to the earth.

"Yes, but…" Ripper looked down before making eye contact. "Guide me, Ethan, and, um—"

Ethan cut him off. "I'll be gentle, Rupert, I promise. I'll keep you safe." He leaned in seal his pledge with a kiss, wrapping an arm around his partner to pull him in as his other hand twined itself in Ripper's hair. He held Ripper's forehead in place against his own as he broke off. "Tonight you sleep in my arms, and tomorrow you wake up beside me. I won't lose you. This will be a good memory for you, alright?" His grip loosened.

Ripper was surprised by the use of his given name—a thing that was seldom spoken between them—but understood why Ethan had used it, and was silently comforted by it. "Alright," he breathed as he stepped away. Then he gathered himself and donned a cocky grin. "'Cause I'm gonna kick yer bleedin' arse if you're wrong, Ethan."

"I'd expect nothing less."

"Good, `cause I mean it." He relaxed and stood still, giving the nod to proceed.

Ethan took a smaller knife and slashed his palms, one after another, hissing but willing himself not to flinch away, or show more than the slightest look of pain from the sharp bite. Then, he clenched his fists, letting the blood well up between his fingers. Ripper stared in the low light, watching the thick, reddish-black liquid running between the knuckles.

Ethan stepped up to the tree and pressed his bleeding palms against the slashes in its side, mixing the blood with the fresh sap and drawing it along the lengths of the wounds in the bark, filling white with red that appeared black in the waning light. Next, he took the silken cord from the bag containing their supplies where he'd lain it on the ground. He drew it along his palms, soaking it in his blood before hanging it from the hook and letting it hang down. The blood on the tree bound him to it and the cord would bind Ripper to him.

Ripper held stock still as Ethan approached and placed a hand to his forehead, marking him with blood and sap to complete the circle of three.

Ethan held his partner's gaze as he said the words to begin. "Adeii adsertor." I come to claim, he said, careful to pick the phrasing that would signify an equality relationship, rather than the claiming of an inferior. The spell would work either way, but the consequences would be very different.

Ripper answered with the proper response. "Adeii ser adsertoris." I come to be claimed.

Ethan drew a trail of blood down each of Ripper's cheeks, finishing his declaration of intent.

Then he looked at his hands and muttered a special spell just to mend them, knowing it would be a nuisance if he didn't. "Percurare." Heal. Wounds honestly earned were difficult and reacted to magic in unpredictable ways, but those inflicted for ritual were different, and the cuts on his palms responded readily, the edges knitting together and the dull throbbing pain receding. Ethan wiped his hands on his jeans and looked at them, finding only a fine white line across each one.

He traced his fingers along the strong jawline. "Wish you could see yourself tonight, Ripper. You're beautiful."

True to his role, Ethan moved his fingers down to the buttons on the other man's wide-collared pale blue shirt, silently pleased that for once Ripper had chosen something other than a white t-shirt as his long fingers unfastened each one. Unable to control himself, he began to follow with his mouth, kissing and licking along the skin as he exposed it, kneeling down in front of Ripper when he went lower. The skin felt hot and soft to his touch, and he savored it.

Finally, Ethan reached the tight black jeans and had to pull out the tails of the shirt before rolling it off the broad shoulders and down the slack arms. He was tempted just to let it fall to the ground, but a sense of ceremony overcame him, and he folded it carefully, laying it aside, before turning his attention back to Ripper. Next, he knelt down to attend to the feet, pulling and loosening the laces before signaling for his partner to shift his weight so he could pick up each foot and remove both shoes and socks.

Ripper stood barefoot as Ethan undid the snap on the faded denim and pushed it down, finding him naked beneath and already half-aroused. Ethan smiled. "Wish I could suck you and harden that up a bit, mate. Perhaps after tonight you'll let me?" Though they'd touched each other with hands, they'd never gone further. Tonight, that was about to change, and inhibitions would have to be broken. Ethan was tempted, now that Ripper wouldn't be able to stop him, but he had no idea what the other man's control would be like, and early release was something they couldn't afford. It was far better not to tempt fate.

He finished undressing his partner and then began to disrobe himself, slowly, deliberately, letting Ripper watch as he did so. As his clothes loosened under his own hands and were set aside piece by piece, the night air touched him, making Ethan shiver slightly at its embrace and making him feel oddly more exposed than he would have liked. It made him think of how Ripper had to be feeling, and suddenly his own nerves began to grow unsettled as the danger became real to him once again.

Inwardly, Ripper's own sense of anxiety was building. What if he couldn't perform? What if Ethan couldn't, or, worse yet, trapped him in the ritual and deliberately left him? His mind was racing, considering the various ideas as they came, and he tried hard to reign himself in. Watching Ethan as the other man revealed himself, Ripper grew calmer, reminding himself of the awesome feel of that velvet cobalt blue seeping in, touching him, and filling him in a way he had never been filled with anything else. After tonight it would be a part of him. Ripper had never thought he'd find himself attracted to another man, but the very thought of that power left him hungry and aching, even to the point of desiring the physical act that would sate the need. The image of Ethan performing fellatio was enough to excite him, and he realized then that he could no longer separate the sex from the magic. He found he didn't care.

Finally, Ethan laid his hand flat against his chest. "Adsequi." Come, he commanded, giving his companion permission to move into the pentacle. Once Ripper stood in the middle, he stopped, waiting, the full extent of his lack of control becoming clear. It was frustrating having to wait to be led, unable to move unbidden. He was an offering, a virgin sacrifice of the literal sense, and he was beginning to feel like one, no matter how equal his relationship with Ethan seemed.

Ethan placed the candles, five of them, one between each point of the pentacle. It would hold the power of the symbol even if the lines were smudged and obliterated, as they certainly were likely to be before night was over.

"Supplico." Kneel. He did so, moving next to the tree, leaning forward, and offering his wrists palms up, as if in prayer.

Ethan took a wrist and met no resistance as he brought it closer to the tree, wrapping the bloodstained silk cord around it and securing Ripper with a bowline and a pair of half hitches—not the best knots maybe, but sturdy enough considering they wouldn't really be holding him that long. Then he repeated the action with the other wrist, sliding the cord through the hook until it was even.

"Lean forward," Ripper felt the gentle hand, pushing him down further, giving him permission to move. He pulled the bonds that held his wrists tight and turned his hands so he could take the cords in his grasp, pulling down against their tension and using them for support as he leaned forward further. They seemed to bite into his flesh, but he welcomed it as a distraction and as a reminder that these were the bonds which had to hold tighter than any other.

He sat up on his knees until his back and shoulders were parallel with his outstretched arms. The combination of sap and blood drying on Ripper's skin made his face itch, but he forced himself to ignore it as it turned into an irritating burn.

"Good, Ripper," the voice of his partner soothed him quietly. Without warning, Ethan touched him again, this time with a hand on his lower back, and he reflexively tried to dip away from it before forcing himself to hold still. His stomach churned with anxiety tinged with excitement. It hadn't started yet fully, but once the forces of nature accepted his sacrifice, he would be committed. He wouldn't be released until the ritual was complete, and though he did his best to trust Ethan implicitly, it was one hell of a scary thought.

"Here. I'm going to need you to spread your legs more, alright? I'll guide you." The hand moved along the curve of his rear and down his inner thigh until it reached the knee, and pushed, commanding him to move it. Ripper did so, holding onto Ethan's guidance like a lifeline. It was an odd sensation, being bent over, disallowed from moving of his own accord, and having his knees apart, genitals hanging down and exposed to the cool night air in a way that felt both exhilarating and yet very, very vulnerable.

Ethan reached between Ripper's legs and ran a finger along the underside of his scrotum, forcing him to bite back a groan as he felt the blood rush downward. Apparently, however, Ethan was satisfied because he removed his hand and gave the next command, the one they both dreaded. "Adolui." Offer the sacrifice.

Ripper placed his hands solidly against the oak's surface, uncurling his fingers from around the cord but keeping it in place between his palms and the bark. His heart raced and his mouth was suddenly almost too dry to say the words. He managed anyway. "Sum Coniunx Catenatum. Se offerre ipsum." I am the Virgin Bound. I offer myself.

He pushed his magic outward, along his arms and through his hands into the surface beyond, reaching out to nature itself. At first, there was nothing, but then he felt a gentle tug and yielded. Instantly, he regretted it, as the icy-hot pain lanced through him, filling his veins so quickly he didn't even have time to scream aloud, and the air was torn from his throat in a silent gasp instead. The sole thought that managed to work its way through was that he had been rejected; somehow the forces had found him impure, perhaps through his earlier explorations with Ethan or even with himself. Was it possible they had misinterpreted the meaning of `virgin'?

But then the searing ended. It was replaced by a sudden warmth which seemed to flow back through the connection, flooding inward and healing. The tree seemed to dissolve, the bark becoming first almost spongy and then like a thick liquid to his touch. Ripper experienced the odd feeling of sinking forward as the living pulp drew him into its embrace, flowing around his outstretched fingers and admitting his physical presence into its own.

Ethan watched in morbid fascination as the forces accepted the offer and claimed him, effectively chaining Ripper to the earth. The fingers of his hands sank into the bark as wood welcomed flesh and grew over it, solid and flawless, trapping the man until he was encased up to just above his wrists. Roots came out of the ground, twining about his ankles, winding through the ground and looping along the calves, forming an intricate lattice work that snared him, making an odd hissing sound as the tendrils slid through the dirt. Ripper's naked back, his rear and thighs were all exposed, but the tree had taken him otherwise, asserting its right. Though Ethan's cord was now symbolic only, nothing compared to the physical reality of roots and wood, it was the only thing that established his prior claim and, reflexively, his eyes traced it down from the hook to where it was embedded in the wood, still binding Ripper beneath the bark.

Finally, it stopped, the process complete as the conflicting claims remained to be settled, and the nature of the threefold bond to be determined. Ripper was visibly shaking, and Ethan could actually see the tension in the broad back, the tiny muscles along the spine bunched and quivering, until it tapered off into the pair of buttocks, that, even with the legs spread, managed to be knotted so hard it must have been slightly painful, though Ripper managed to hold still otherwise.

When he gathered his senses, shaking off the feeling of awe and shock, Ethan thought of how it must be affecting the other man. Immediately, he fell to his knees and began running his hands over Ripper's long, hard back, sending his magic to run along the surface of the skin and offering comfort. He understood Ripper was terrified—if fear had a smell, it was virtually permeating the air. "I'm here, Ripper. Here with you. I won't leave you, alright, mate?"

Ripper was drowning in a sea of adrenaline. His mind was panicking, urging him to fight and try to pull away, but something deeper and more primal warned him of the danger in that. He remembered the page of the book with the woodcut depicting the spell, the offering male or female presenting his or herself to be bound as he was now. He had been aware of its physical aspects, but nowhere had it mentioned the extent of how deeply he would be connected to the forces. He could feel it; it was in him, wild and chaotic, tossing his own magic around in the tempestuous ocean of its vastness. The feel of everything, every blade of grass, every leaf, the sap of the forest, each worm burrowing beneath the soil, was threatening to tear his mind, even as he fought to block it off and maintain his sanity. Then he heard Ethan's voice and felt the hands on his body, anchoring him, giving his mind something to reach out to.

Ripper practically pushed himself into the touch, craving it, and Ethan gave generously, caressing until the trembling slowed. Feeling Ripper's magic nudging gratefully along his own, he continued to give what he could. Meanwhile, he continued his litany, repeating the words over and over again, aware it didn't matter so much what he said, but that he said it. Gradually, the muscles relaxed, the tension leaking out beneath his hands, and he knew Ripper was with him again. "It's alright, Ripper. Think of me; think of me flowing inside you, mingling with you. Not on the surface, but actually mixing. Delicious, fantastic, but beyond what either of us can imagine, alright?"

The easing of taught muscles was the only answer he received, and he took that as his cue to continue. "Homo meus. Ab vigorii adserui semut. Perago vigorii adecere ipse a semut. Homo meus. Ripper meus." This man is mine. From the forces I claim him. Through the forces I bind myself to him. This man is mine. Ripper is mine.

Ripper had managed to contain himself, but still he felt the rough wood achingly tight against his skin, possibly even under his skin, cramping his legs and fingers. The dirt beneath him smelled moist and verdant, filling his world. When he heard the words, he accepted their meaning. He opened his mouth to speak his response, but then Ethan added an additional line, his voice almost a whisper as if it were an afterthought. "Rupert Giles meus." Rupert Giles is mine.

The sound of his surname was almost painful after having tried for so long to obliterate it and wash it clean from his person, along with all it represented. He wondered at its purpose. Ripper was how he identified himself, now. That other life had no meaning, and he never intended for it to have one again. Still, given names were powerful, and he had no objections to deepening the spell. If Ethan wanted that part of him, let him have it. "Adiunctus eius. Is meus. Ethan Rayne meus." I am bound to him. He is mine. Ethan Rayne is mine. Again, careful to assert the equality.

Now that they'd declared themselves, it was time for Ethan to prove the claim. Ripper set his jaw and kept his eyes firmly on the darkened ground below, waiting for the penetration he both wanted and feared. There was more to sex than just plunging and thrusting, he realized. Penetration. To allow it, without having to be forced, was going to have to be an act of trust. Ethan had not claimed him as a slave, but rather as an equal. If he had to force himself on Ripper, the claim would be false, and they would both fail.

It was one thing to imagine pushing into the warm body of another, but entirely different to imagine the feel of what it would be like to have another man in him, physically invading his deepest core. Though Ripper logically knew his body certainly could physically accommodate Ethan, the hushed whispers he'd heard, echoing in the hallways of the Council's schools and staying in the shadows, away from the prying ears of the instructors, had indicated that it could be a painful thing. He recalled the talk of burning, aching, and feeling as if it could split you open. And yet…his body was beginning to sing with the desire for it. He had thought he simply wanted Ethan's magic touching his soul, but he was beginning to realize that the bond encompassed all things, and he craved it. Still, he was apprehensive, and his body clenched, protecting itself.

Ethan noticed and guessed at his companion's thoughts. He ran his hand along the smooth back again, stopping just above the slit of Ripper's entrance. Leaning over, he pressed his lips to the man's lower back and began working his way up, kissing and lipping each bump of the vertebrae. When he reached the neck, he felt the subtle shiver. "I promised I'd be gentle Ripper, and I will. There'll be time for fucking later, alright? Tonight I get to make love to you." Ripper swallowed hard. "I won't do anything without telling you, so don't worry. Need to relax though. Right now, I just want you to concentrate on my hands."

Ethan moved so that he stood on his knees directly behind Ripper, between where the ensnaring roots rose from the dirt, and pushed himself forward slightly, so Ripper would be able to feel the half- hard erection against his inner thigh. He hoped that it would give him a chance to get used to it, but also reassure him of Ethan's position, so he didn't need to fear the moment coming too soon. Slowly, carefully, he pooled his magic warmly in his palms and began to brush them across his partner's flanks before spreading outward, feeling the slight friction as he moved them up along Ripper's ribs, following his sides as the torso widened out until he reached where the strong arms met the trunk. Ethan reveled in it—the ability to touch Ripper freely and feel that hard warm skin which offered the promise of more.

Then, he slipped his hands down along the skin, letting his arms encircle as he brought his own chest into contact with Ripper's back and felt the crisp dark sprinkling of curls on Ripper's chest beneath his fingers. Ethan did his best to hold his own weight and not lean too hard, knowing that with the greater exertion to come, there was no point in exhausting his partner more than necessary. Still, he wanted Ripper to feel him as his hands made slow circles across the thick chest.

"You know you're beautiful, don't you, Ripper? So well shaped, so hard," Ethan managed huskily, enjoying the freedom of finally having the body he'd desired fore so long at his full disposal. Ripper was well built, far thicker and more masculinely formed than his own lithe and slender lines. If the stories could be believed, this was the result of years of physical training spent preparing for a destiny that would now go unfulfilled. Instead, Ripper mostly used weights to maintain his form, but every now and then, he would pick up a pole, calling it a `stave,' and go through a series of exercises with it, using it as the pole it was, or, more commonly, pretending it was a sword. The others laughed sometimes, but Ethan found it breathtaking to watch, that deadly surety in Ripper's dancing steps and powerful thrusts, fluid movements confident in their execution. He could almost hear the actual clang of metal on metal at those times. He said the thoughts aloud, voicing them as he continued to stroke and pet.

Ripper accepted the comfort in the caresses, amazed and grateful. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it hadn't been this, exactly. Their other sexual activities, though carefully planned, had always turned quickly frenzied, rushing to the climax that was their final goal. This was different. It warmed him, helping him battle his anxiety as he tried to forget his bindings and the forces they were dabbling with, allowing him to concentrate instead on those warm, smooth hands, and the silken voice, flattering and seducing him. The warmth was beginning to pool, and an ache was beginning to form as his cock swelled and began to demand relief. When Ethan refused to touch him fully, it was horribly frustrating, but he understood. They had to wait until Ethan was inside—until the virginity which made him an acceptable offering had truly been lost by the definition of the spell, and Ethan brought them both to completion, sealing his claim.

Ethan's slow messaging circles on Ripper's body moved downward, tracing the dusting of hair to where it thinned to a fine line, past the powerful abs and then spread into a much thicker mass of curls. When he reached that, he carefully veered away, accidentally brushing the erection just enough to know that it was there and feeling Ripper's efforts not to buck his hips. Painstakingly, Ethan worked his way back up, verbally describing in low detailed tones his pleasure in what he found until he reached center of the pectorals and found his partner's nipples once more. He rolled them with long, slender fingers until they were hard points. When he felt Ripper squirm slightly, he knew it was time to move on.

While small movements were allowed to Ripper, and those truly elicited in passion, the spell was not only about submission, but also discipline and self-control. No point in tempting him more than Ethan had to.

Ripper heard the noise as Ethan carefully drew away and stood. He panicked slightly, afraid of being abandoned, when the night air brushed where skin had touched skin moments before. He wished he could turn his head to see where his partner had gone, but knew it was better to continue staring straight down, studying the slight patterns in the earth, barely visible in the shadow he cast, his body blocking out the moonlight. In his peripheral vision, he could see the candles, guttering in a slight breeze then burning brightly as all was still again. There was the sound of a zipper among the other night noises, and he realized Ethan was retrieving something from their supplies, though he wasn't sure what.

"Mineral oil," Ethan explained, seconds before Ripper felt the slight chill of the liquid being poured on, running down his slit and across his opening, then further down. The tones were slightly sheepish as Ethan elaborated. "It's not the very best stuff, I'm afraid, but it's natural at least. No bloody way I'd want to take you dry….We'd both regret it." His hands coaxed the oil further in; then, reaching between the legs, he used the extra to coat Ripper's scrotum and cock as well, finding him just as hard as he suspected. "But this will make it easy for us to move against each other, sliding against each other. Lovely sensations, Ripper."

Satisfied, Ethan ran a light finger back up and found Ripper's opening, circling it gently, teasing. Even though he was nicely spread by the position, he managed to tighten slightly, and Ethan cautioned him. "I'm at your entrance, Ripper—the way I'm going to get inside you—but I'm going to need for you to just relax, let me in. Just one finger for now, though. I'll warn you when I'm going to do more."

Ripper tried, and then suddenly, before he even quite realized what was happening, Ethan's finger had found its way inside, slipping in without resistance. There was the slight sensation of invasion and fullness where he hadn't expected it, but nothing worse. Ethan curled and twisted, and Ripper did his best to calm himself as Ethan played with him and pushed against his inner walls. Finally, he felt Ethan draw the finger most of the way out, letting it slide around the innermost lip of the rim before he thrust it forward once more. It was new, different, and Ripper found himself enjoying the way the finger caught the fragile skin at his sensitive outer ring of muscle.

"Liking that, aren't you?" Slowly, Ethan repeated the action, drawing out, then plunging in, several times more, establishing a slight rhythm until Ripper found himself trying to push back on it. Immediately, the stimulation stopped. "Careful there, love. Not yet."

Ripper caught the appellation and silently wondered whether Ethan meant it as a simple endearment or attached deeper meaning. Knowing him, it could be either. Certainly, what they were about to establish would force them to be much closer to one another, and he found he didn't mind.

"Two fingers now. You're tight as hell, and I need to stretch you out." Ethan slipped easily past the first ring of muscle but met a slight resistance provided by the inner sphincter. Again, he encouraged relaxation, before he began to slowly spread the fingers apart, stretching the opening and urging it wider. "Good. That's it, Ripper." Ethan changed his angle and moved the fingers until he found what he was looking for and was rewarded with a not-quite suppressed shudder. "You feel that? That's what it'll feel like when I'm inside you. Half of sex and magic is the sex. Don't forget that."

As if he could, he thought wryly. Nature's magic continued to swirl through his consciousness, vying for his attention, but he found himself concentrating solely on those hands and that voice, trusting them to guide him, giving himself over to them. Ripper felt himself throbbing, cock and ass, and let himself get lost in that desire, letting the more pleasant ache overwhelm the smaller discomforts of cramped muscles, enforced immobility, and the slight chill as the night air touched areas covered with sweat and oil that dripped and tickled.

"I'm ready to claim you now, Ripper. I am going to make you mine." Ethan always did like the dramatic, though the words, combined with the velvet quality of the voice, served to heighten an arousal already becoming painful. Ethan paused for a moment, and when he spoke again, Ripper could hear the slight tones of amusement. "Sounds a bit, cheeky, doesn't it, mate? Oh well, it's true."

His heart beat fast as the tips of two fingers entered him again, spreading him wide as he felt Ethan position himself at his entrance, hard and more than a little imposing. He expected Ethan to warn him, and hopefully go slow, giving him time to adjust.

Instead, before he realized what was happening, Ethan's free hand reached down and found Ripper's own cock, immediately falling to practiced touches as he whispered a brief spell that Ripper felt as a rush of heat and energy flaring through him. It was only in the less occupied areas of his mind that he registered the intruder slipping into him, forcing his entrance.

Unfortunately, the spell died as quickly as it came, mere moments, and the invasion continued slightly longer as Ethan thrust again, not quite having managed it all the first time. Ripper was dazed with the abruptness of it all, and his body's sudden need to adjust itself. The small discomfort at his entrance was there, but it was simple fact at that point. What was alarming, was the feel of that hardness working ever deeper into him, when it felt as though his body wouldn't be able to take any more. Moments later, he felt Ethan pressed firmly against him and it stopped.

Ethan kept his hand warm and firm around Ripper, reassuring, encouraging him not to try to move away. The man's arousal had softened slightly, but that wouldn't take long to remedy, he knew; right now it was more important to get him used to the new situation. With his other hand he began to stroke firm circles on the other man's abdomen, remembering the feel of what it was like to have another buried deep inside. "All the way, Ripper," he whispered, almost in awe himself. "I'm in you all the way. You are lovely, welcoming and hot, Ripper, just as I knew you would be. No longer quite a virgin though, I'm afraid," he admitted cheerfully.

That cock. That cock inside him filled Ripper's mind, occupying him. The hand on his own arousal was a mere distraction, and the one working his heated belly on the outside provided external pressure, only emphasizing that which was inside. He could feel Ethan began to move slightly, grinding and rocking gently, building a slow burn inside which pooled behind his cock, at the very root. Different than when warm hands stroked him to a similar state. As if hearing his thoughts, Ethan's fingers began to move again, working the head, finding the slit and pushing back the foreskin to caress his most sensitive spots, urging him to painful hardness again, assaulting him with sensation from both sides.

Ethan began to slowly withdraw a few centimeters before plunging forward again, trying to gauge his partner's reactions as he felt Ripper start to draw up tight around him. He wanted to get past this initial delicate phase and find a rhythm that would begin to bring them closer to the edge and to finishing the claim. Slowly, he increased his thrusts, trying to describe for Ripper how it felt for him, and reminding him of what was to come as he sent his own magic questing for that elusive green. He found it, and reached for it, discovering that all he could do was nudge it and brush past as their essences engaged in an odd dance, reaching for each other, teasing and flirting, but never quite finding.

Thrusts became longer, and a more established rhythm formed, sliding in and out. Ethan changed his angle slightly, and heard Ripper's gasp, alerting him of his success in finding the prostate.

The raw aching build was suddenly replaced by pinpoints of gold, filling his vision, and Ripper found himself wanting to thrust not only forward into the hand, but also back on the source of this new stimulation. His body tried, straining at the bonds that held him, but to little avail as they refused to break, so he held still, letting Ethan do the work, building him higher and higher as Ripper reached out, longing for the mystical connection as well, needing to feel it. Then Ethan was there with him, bright and blue and tantalizing—weak, but growing, pushing through the cracks that were forming in the mystical barrier that separated one power from another.

Ripper trembled beneath him, the enforced position and their exertion taking its toll, drawing out the aching cramps in arms and legs, but Ethan pushed on, rocking in and out, slamming forward to find his goal and hearing the sharp panting gasp each time, driving out the discomfort with waves of euphoric pleasure. The magic began to tingle, green, but also rich and wild, mixed with something inexplicably different, until he realized it was the forces of nature themselves—that with which he fought for the claim, and that through which he would have to establish it.

His own control was getting shaky, and Ethan found that as he continued to slip into Ripper, feeling him hot around him and sensing him reaching out to complete the bond, he felt the tight heat begin to form that told him he was dangerously close to his impending orgasm. He felt the throb of Ripper's cock hot and heavy in his hand, straining as he continued his stimulation, hoping Ripper was nearing release as well. It was time, he knew, to invoke the final words, and he did so, panting and gasping and fighting for coherence.

"Nos adiunctus." We are Bound.

"Nos adiunctus." We are Bound, Ripper repeated, and, instantly, their connection flared. Blue rushed in to meet green, mixing, exhausting their joining as a third more primal force served to bind them together and make them indistinguishable. Ripper couldn't even tell what part of the enormous energy was his, but something deep inside told him that if he completed the bond, it all would be, so long as that bond existed.

The ecstasy of the magic took them both and Ethan's movements grew frantic, desperate to bring his partner release, fixed on that final step that would make the bond permanent between them. When it came, he didn't sense it physically in terms of feeling Ripper draw up, spill his seed, or pulse around him as much as he felt it deep inside, welling up with their combined essence and seeking to bubble out of him, unwilling to be contained. It wasn't even a choice. The instant he felt Ripper begin to plunge over the edge, Ethan felt himself being pulled along as well, powerless to stop the orgasm that rolled through him. He yielded it to it, letting it rise up to consume him, burn through him and make him anew, overwhelming his senses to the point of ending awareness itself.

Ethan's nerveless fingers no longer encircled him as Ripper's seed spilled to the ground unnoticed. A shock seemed to run through them from the very earth itself, then the tree withdrew, releasing its hold on Ripper. He collapsed to the earth, abused muscles unable to hold the combined weight without the support. Only his arms remained held up by the silk cord—Ethan's bond, firmly asserted over all others. He went down gasping and trembling, body still caught in the throes of passion. Ethan was still releasing deep inside, and followed with him to the ground, arms wrapped around his lover as they twisted onto their sides.

There was a glow and, as their senses returned to them, both continued to bask in it. Ethan slipped from his partner's body and held him, marveling at the force of their shared experience, but Ripper moved restlessly to relieve the wrenching tension in his arms where the silken cord continued to suspend his wrists above them.

"Ethan," he managed softly and Ethan struggled to shakily make it to his knees. He touched the cord with a tentative hand and cursed when he noticed the knots were pulled tight. Without thinking, he uttered a spell and the power surged through them both, bringing its own sort of joy as the cord fell away effortlessly. The power was strong and seductive, velvet smooth and there for both of them, the product of their combined energies made ever stronger through the combination.

Ripper lay back down on the soft loam, too exhausted to do otherwise. Ethan made a quick decision and somehow managed to retrieve the blanket from their supplies. Braving the English summer night risked exposure, but he knew neither of them was prepared to leave—not yet. He reached out to wrap it around them, and moved to place his head on the other's chest, for the moment just enjoying the closeness. He saw the red, chaffed fingers and ligature marks around Ripper's wrists, and began to gently massage the warmth and feeling back into first one and then the other as Ripper winced.

Finally, Ripper felt the light touch as Ethan looked up at him and brushed a hand against his cheek. "Mine."

"Yours," he agreed. "All of me."

"You gave yourself to me," he observed, voice tinged with wonder as he continued to explore the tingling connection.

"I did." They were silent for a bit, breathing in and out. Ethan felt the heartbeat strong and steady beneath him and let himself be lulled by it.

Suddenly, Ethan grinned and whispered against the skin. "My bonds in thee are all determinate. For how do I hold thee but by thy granting?"

Ripper moved to that he could see him and looked at him oddly. Ethan liked to use the archaic forms, but the lines felt familiar, as if he'd heard them before. A sonnet perhaps, though he could hardly recall which one. "Shakespeare?" he hazarded.

"Heard it the other day. It stuck in my mind," Ethan admitted, suddenly wishing he'd paid more attention and remembered more of it.

Ripper reached inside, swirling the blue and green, revealing in the deeper, richer tones Ethan brought to his own lighter, airier essence. Ethan moaned in response, enjoying their newfound union as well, and, as a reward, slid his hand up along the other man's ribs and around along his back to pull him closer and writhe against him, the physical closeness intensifying the sensation.

"Well, I'm hoping you'll hold me for a long time, then," Ripper grinned. "Though next time, I get to be the one shagging you, letting you deflower me from the other end of things."

"Looking forward to it," Ethan agreed honestly, his tone utterly serious. Ripper felt the words as a soft whisper against his lips, moments before they greeted each other once again, mouths opening greedily to take each other in, the connection flaring to encompass them both and bind them further and more securely in its embrace.

NEXT