Qrow.

Chapter 67 | Official

Kuza's chest heaved up and down as he fought to catch his breath. His dominant got off of him to give him room to breathe. Croc laid down beside him, pulling him in closer. A thunderstorm raged on outside. It seemed they're becoming more and more frequent. They didn't mind at all. Making love during a storm was extremely romantic to them.

"You wear me out, Baby." Croc admitted. He petted his hand over Kuza's hair, helping him to calm down after one of their most intense encounters yet.

"I never thought I'd see the day." He replied, "Maybe you're getting old." 

"Hm, I'll admit, I have been thinking about the future a lot. This whole planning ahead thing instead of being reckless does make me feel a little old. A lot of things are going to start changing. As soon as Covey's well enough, he's going to began thawing out Hell. Jasper's going to rebuild the kingdom, and Apollo will finally be allowed the thrown he deserved all along. 

Covey and Thursday have already decided they'll be staying with him in Hell. He'll need their help to make sure this goes right. He's asked me to come as well, to have a commanding role in the kingdom, but I'm not quite sure that's what's best for you and me. I'd like it to be your decision, though. Do you want to go with them, or would you rather stay here?"

"Honestly," Kuza glanced up at him, "I'd rather stay here. It's calm, but you know I'll support whatever decision you make. I'd understand if you'd want to be with your brothers."

"No. I want to stay here. I'll fight if I have to, when Jasper asks it of me, but I'm not going to go looking for trouble. I like my life to be simple." He smiled and kissed the top of his pet's head. "Vampires have something similar to branding, right?"

"Mhm, marking. It's permanent, since vampires mate for life. We consider it our equivalent of marriage. Of course, there are some people like Ghost and Ricky that have an actual wedding ceremony, but others like Chris and Ange never did." He explained. 

"It's very similar to how demons look at branding, except the placement of a branding determines it's meaning. When it's on the back of your neck, it means you're my property. That one can be removed, too, since some trade their slaves and pets. The one that can't be removed is a mating mark. They call it the Après La Mort. That goes right between the collar bones." He gently traced his finger over that very area, making Kuza giggle.

"Stop! That tickles!" He smiled.

"Sorry, lovely." Croc chuckled, intertwining their hands, "I can't help myself. Your smile is addicting. I never want to live without it. That's why I'd like to ask your permission to remove your branding and in turn, give you the Après La Mort."

Kuza turned from his back onto his stomach to be able to look at him better. "Are you serious?" He asked, "Isn't that the demon equivalent of a wedding band?"

"Yes, Beautiful. If you were to accept, I'd want you to mark me as well. I've finally made peace with my past, and I want to create my future with you. I know I've done some bad things before, but that's all behind me. I love you, and you're the only thing in my life that matters now. Will you marry me?"

His ruby red eyes welled up with tears, "Is that even a fucking question? Of course I will!"

Croc smiled brightly, wiping his submissive's eyes. "Don't cry, my love."

"It's happy tears. I'm sorry, I know I'm being a little bitch." He laughed, "Crying's not really my thing, but that's just how much I love you. You're the only person I'd cry for."

"Oh, Baby, I don't want to see you cry, though. Now, let me see the back of your neck." He spoke as he sat up. 

Croc pulled his legs under him to be sitting Indian style. Kuza crawled into his lap, sitting backwards so his neck was facing his. He gently brushed his hair out of the way to reveal the marking on the back of his pale skin. It stuck out among all his tattoos due to the shine of magic in it.