Complex

[frogs_of_war]

So I know this chapter's been read and you're ready for the next chapter, would you guys please hit the heart after your done reading? I've been feeling a little tender lately.

Title: Complex
Chapter: 1
Words: 1291
Summary: Steele finally makes the move on that junior he's crushed on, despite the compulsion of the cutie's ex to stay far away, and that move gets him further than he could have ever expected.



Steele walked gently up to the bench where beautiful Dal wept. The compulsion to stay away was strong—Dal had belonged to a demon until just two weeks ago.

But Steele wasn't going to let a little thing like that get between him and comforting the cutest Junior on campus. "Dal?"

Dal flinched then looked up through his wet lashes. "Sorry."

He was so pretty.

Steele held up a hand but didn't quite touch Dal. Dal leaned into him and changed into the prettiest, tiniest, speckled cat Steele had ever seen then climbed into his lap. Steele stroked him gentle until he calmed and insisted on less gentle caresses. Dal was purring, so he must be better.

So warm. Dal's voice was a tickle in the back of his mind.

"We'll be warmer inside."

Cat-Dal looked up. You can understand me? But you aren't a familiar.

Now how did pretty little Dal know anything about Steele? They'd only had one class together and Dal had withdrawn halfway through Western Swing Dance because his new demon boyfriend was a jealous fleabag. "I'm not a cat, but I can understand you."

Cat-Dal butted his head against Steele's chest. Take me inside.

"Baby, I'll take you anywhere."

Cat-Dal meowed. It couldn't really be translated. Steele folded Dal's clothes and put them in his backpack, then buttoned Cat-Dal into his jacket. Cat-Dal looked out his collar, then tucked himself inside.

Ash said it was a good thing that Steele had been bashful about asking Dal out two years ago as he would have been more hurt when the demon claimed Dal, but today they'd sent Steele pictures of Dal crying and told him where Dal was, so he'd thought they were okay with him going after Dal, but now they frowned at him from the corner of the Demon Studies building and wouldn't respond to his nods their way.

Steele wasn't asking them to breaking up with the demon who was perusing them. Akakios was nothing like Hezekiel, the demon who'd kept Dal cloistered when he wasn't in class, picked which classes Dal was allowed to attend, and sometimes sat behind him in those classes. A TA or two had tried to intervene, but demons were allowed to do what they pleased with their mates.

That was something that should really be changed.

~~~~~~

Steele opened his jacket when he got to his room. Cat-Dal jumped out and sniffed around the bed. Steele, being a senior, had a single which was almost as big as the doubles on the floor below and it had it's own tiny bathroom with a little shower stall. He opened his backpack, got out Dal's clothes, and set them on his pillow. He turned to put his books away. He had a essay due the day after tomorrow, and an exam the day after that.

When he'd given Dal enough time to get dressed, if he chose to, Steele turned around. Dal sat on the bed in unfastened jeans, playing with his shirt. Steele took his time soaking in the sight.

Dal blushed, bringing color to his pale cheeks.

Steele sat down in his desk chair. "Hungry?"

He had some granola bars stashed somewhere.

Dal pulled his shirt against his chest. "What do you know? About me?"

"Besides that you're the prettiest Junior on campus?"

Dal bit his lower lip, but the corners curved up. Steele wanted to kiss him. Bad. But bandages where best taken off quickly. "I know Hezekiel treated you abysmally." And that was before the unprecedented breakup. Demon's never broke with their Mates. "I think everyone does."

Tears poured down Dal's face. "He made me… But I loved him anyway. Why did I love him? Why does it hurt?"

Steele rolled his chair over and held out a box of tissues. Dal thanked him and took the box. Then he ranted and paced the room, laying out two years worth of horrible treatment. Steele sucked mints to keep his teeth from clinching and his kept having to slide his fingers under his thighs to keep from reaching out. This was Dal's time.

Dal's tears dried up, but he kept a fresh tissue in his fist. "But you know the worst part?"

"Worse than all you've said?"

"She's so nice. She sat down beside me, took my hand as if I were her good friend, and asked if I was pregnant."

"She? His new lover?"

After two years of dating in the most controlling sense of the word, Hezekiel had claimed the Mate thing was all a mistake, he'd just met his real Mate and dumped Dal.

"I held out. How bad he'd treated me." Dal wiped at his wet eyes. "All those lies just to be dumped. I was his Mate, then I was nothing."

"He still has a compulsion to stay away on you." It was strong, but Steele was stronger. He hadn't gotten his name by being a wuss.

"Aggh!" Dal pounded on the bed. "No wonder I have no friends. I will never, never ever forgive him."

Dal flopped forward. "But she was so sweet and gentle and I cried for the first time. Now the tears won't quit."

Steele laid a hand on Dal's back. Was it all right to touch him now? Steele just couldn't help himself. "I don't mind the tears."

Dal rose into his arms and held tight. "You don't mind the compulsion?"

"I'm not going to let some idiotic and jealous mutt of a demon come between me and a friend."

Dal licked his very kissable lips. "You're not scared."

"I've got friends with demon lovers. None that are even close to how bad your was, but." He got down on his knees, so he was looking up at Dal. "If you hadn't withdrawn from that class, I would have made you mine, demon boyfriend or no demon boyfriend."

Dal grinned. He was really pretty.

And his kiss was really sweet too.

~~~~~

After his last class of the day, Steele stopped at Gabe's. He needed to pick up dinner and see if Dal was still in his room, but safety came first.

Gabe's boyfriend, Bene, opened the door. "You smell like sex."

Demons had an excellent sense of smell and no social pressure to keep what they smelled to themselves. Steele just shook his head. "Takes one to know one. Gabe, do you still have any of your Tactile 3000s?"

Gabe made sex toys that worked on demons. Bondage and S&M had to be specialized to the species. Gabe laughed. "A new guy? Shouldn't you start with vanilla?"

Steele's entire college career was one night stands. He never got further than vanilla. But now…

Bene leaned closer. "Demon, but not demon."

This would be easier without Bene. "Gabe, you know that guy I've been mooning over since Sophomore year?"

Gabe grinned. "You get him?" Then he frowned. "Doesn't he belong to a demon?"

Bene perked up. He was just as controlling and jealous as all other demon—it was their nature—but he hid it better than the stupid ones.

"Not anymore. Hezekiel said it was all a mistake. Dal wasn't really his Mate after all."

"What!" Bene rose to his full height and his human skin slipped off.

Steele shrugged. "He met someone else."

Gabe bit the side of his lip. "That's not the way it works."

"That's how it worked this time."

Gabe looked a Bene, who shrunk as he slid to his knees. He looked pleadingly up at Gabe. "I know you are my Mate. The only one I'll ever love."

Gabe rested his forehead against Bene's. "I trust you. You wouldn't lie about something so important."

But Steele wasn't sure Hezekiel had lied.