Page 71 of Finn's Solace

He was wider than I'd thought he would be, and it didn't look like he'd be able to turn around. He made a soft roar that seemed to rumble throughout the tunnels, then slithered off.

I sat down on the ground and crossed my legs as I waited for him to return, checking on him through my connection to the land. It told me the places he passed from, and I knew it before he looped around and reached this tunnel again, though I was surprised by how quick he'd been. He was fast, despite his large size.

He slowed down as he came into the tunnel, and I was glad I'd added a loop from the starting point as well, or he would've had to shift back simply to turn around.

Finn stopped inches away from my face, his nostrils flared as he puffed warm breath onto my face, and I smiled up at him. If he'd expected me to be afraid of him, he was going to be disappointed.

Reaching up, I cupped his rough jaw, then ran my palm over his face. "You're magnificent," I murmured, and he snorted, his yellow eyes blinking slowly.

I reached up to touch his ear, grinning when the skin turned out to be as soft and smooth as it'd looked. I wondered if their purpose was the same as an elephant's ears. He must generate quite a lot of heat moving that fast in a body that big, so it would make sense if the ears were shaped like this to stop him from getting overheated.

Finn made a rumbling sound, then rubbed his head against my chest like a cat and almost bowled me over. I caught myself with one hand and laughed, making him pull back.

Even though his face wasn't exactly expressive like this, I could tell he was worried he'd hurt me, so I dusted myself off and stood up—and he was still taller than me, damn it—to show him I was okay.

"I'm all good, Finn. Do you want to explore a little longer?"

Finn snorted, then moved toward the curve in the tunnel, quickly disappearing down it. Wow, he really was magnificent.

I sat back down, glad he seemed to like my gift. I'd worked hard on building this place, and I hoped Finn would use it for a long, long time. Maybe we could invite Penny and Dean to use it the next time they came home. I might have to increase its size if they wanted to shift at the same time, though.

A problem for another day, I decided as Finn returned once again before quickly disappearing again after another soft head bump.

Fuck, I loved this man so damned much.

Twenty-Seven

Finn

When I'd first shifted after I turned eighteen, I'd lost control of myself almost instantly. My basilisk side hadn't harmed anyone or anything, but I'd hated not being able to manage my actions.

But it felt different this time. I still wasn't in complete control, but my basilisk side and I were in sync. He did what I wanted, as if he wanted it too. He was careful around Levi, and went fast around the tunnel bends like I wanted to, but he did it because he also wanted to. For the first time since we first 'met,' we were in perfect alignment, and I couldn't help thinking it was because of Levi. Well, him and the regular therapy sessions, but I'd felt motivated to go back to therapy because of him.

I couldn't believe he'd spent all this time building this for me. It wasn't small by any means, and I could see the care and love with which he'd made this place. Levi kept doing all thesewonderful things for me, and I'd been too chicken to even tell him I loved him.

On my next lap, I shifted as soon as I reached Levi, but since I'd been moving so fast, the momentum had me falling right on top of him. Again.

He wrapped his arms around my waist as he fell back, and I was glad he'd been sitting. I slammed my lips against his before he could say anything, and kissed him like my life depended on it.

My lips danced with his as I worked on the buttons of his shirt, then got frustrated by how long it was taking and just pulled, making buttons scatter everywhere as the shirt tore apart. Whoops. Maybe I'd gotten some of the basilisk's traits during the shift.

I slid my tongue into Levi's mouth as I unbuttoned his jeans, then pushed it and his pants down. Doing this in the dirt probably wasn't the most hygienic, but neither of us was human, so I thought we'd be fine. Levi would stop me if we weren't.

"Fuck," Levi mumbled against my mouth, then pushed my jacket off my shoulders. When he grabbed the hem of my t-shirt and started tugging up, I moved back just enough so he could remove it before kissing him again.

He unbuttoned my pants, and then his fingers slid under the waistband of my pants before sliding over my ass. He squeezed and pulled me closer, making our cocks rub against each other through my pants.

Levi pushed my pants and boxers lower, and I pulled back, panting hard as I met his eyes.

"I don't suppose you have lube," I asked, and he shook his head.

"Wait," he murmured, then put his hand against the ground. As I watched, a tiny sapling popped out of the ground, then grew before my eyes into a small aloe vera plant.

Levi broke the tip of one of the 'leaves,' and liquid flowed out of it and onto his palm while I watched, dumbfounded.

When he held his palm out to me, I broke out of my stupor and gave him a quick, hard kiss before dipping my fingers into his palm and then reaching back for my hole.

"You know, your eyes are still yellow," Levi murmured, a note of wonder in his voice as he cupped my cheek with his other hand.

---