Standing in line for security, shoes in hand, Kyle realized for the first time how terrible an idea it had been to attempt airline travel. And security was only going to be the first obstacle. The flight was only two and a half hours, not long at all, but on an airplane, he knew that would feel like an eternity. He made it through entire school days without a cigarette, but a short flight? Impossible. Torturous. And going back through security before the flight? He’d need to smoke again by the time he made it through. Not worth it.

Why did you take your shoes off? Not that I’m complaining.

Cell phones weren’t allowed at the checkpoint, meaning he couldn’t fake a phone call, so Kyle had to think his answer. He looked toward the front of the line, where people were walking through metal detectors and having the contents of their bags examined.

So, your whole species is paranoid, huh? You’re all out to get each other?

That about sums it up. Ryka laughed, and Kyle suppressed a shudder. What he needed, more than a cigarette, was for Ryka to stay quiet. If he did, Kyle could control his expressions, and therefore wouldn’t look like he was trying to board the plane with a bomb strapped to his chest. Which was the exact kind of uncomfortable Ryka often made him feel. And it wasn’t far off the mark. A hair trigger on an impressively destructive force.

The person in front of him shuffled a few inches forward, and Kyle followed suit, as though they were actually making progress.

Hey, at least if the plane crashes, while everyone else is busy praying and wondering what comes next, you can just sit back and relax. You know where you’re going.

Very reassuring, he thought. But the sarcasm was lost when he had to think about how true Ryka’s words actually were.

Slowly, the queue inched forward, and finally Kyle was dropping his shoes into a plastic tray along with his wallet, belt, cigarettes and lighter. Thinking he looked no more threatening or exasperated than any of his fellow travelers, Kyle was prepared to walk quickly through the metal detector and be done with this nonsense. But the security officer looked him up and down, then motioned to his left. “If you could step over this way, sir.”

A mantra of “oh shit” repeating in his head, Kyle nodded and did as he was told. His stomach turned over once, then seemed to solidify into a leaden mass that felt like it landed at his feet. The officer directed him to stand in one of the new scatter x-ray scanners, and Kyle did, confident that this man was about to harry his last air passenger.

Frozen in place, mostly in fear, Kyle waited to be told he could leave the machine. But the only thing the officer said when whoever was looking at the x-ray image contacted him was “Hmm.”

Still standing with his feet spread and arms over his head, Kyle watched, now with growing annoyance, as the officer called over a few of his colleagues. Even from where he stood, Kyle could see their obvious confusion. Finally, after what seemed like hours of consulting, the group dispersed, and the officer looked at Kyle. “Sorry about that. Damn thing’s broken. Come right over here.”

For a moment, Kyle thought he was off the hook. That maybe he could make it through security without an issue. But then he realized that was impossible. Anyone else would have been fine. Him, no such luck.

He got searched the old-fashioned way.

Whoa, what the fuck is this asshole doing? Ryka seethed as the officer started patting down Kyle’s legs. He sincerely hoped “signing up for a brutal mauling” wasn’t the answer.

He was the one that hissed a little when the officer’s hands felt like they went a little too far up his thigh. “You okay?” the man asked.

“Just nervous about flying,” Kyle lied. The last man who’d dared to touch him had wound up with broken ribs. And he was one of the lucky ones.

“You wouldn’t be the first.”

Hoping to distract himself, and Ryka, from the situation, Kyle kept talking. “It just seemed like a waste to drive all the way to Georgia for a three day teaching conference.”

The officer kept up the conversation, but certainly didn’t seem any less thorough in his investigation. “You teach?”

“High school history.”

“God Bless you. And I thought this was a miserable job.”

Because the words were spoken with such sincerity, they hurt. Doubling over in pain, Kyle nearly head-butted the officer. The man backed out of the way just in time. “Hey, hey, you alright?”

Kyle shook his head. It felt like he’d been kicked in the gut – he couldn’t take a breath deep enough to fill his lungs. The officer put a hand on his shoulder, and it was this well-meaning touch that finally set Ryka off. With a growl that bounced around in Kyle’s skull and made his ears ring, he forced Kyle’s body to behave.

Ages ago, Adam had asked how similar Kyle’s experience of possession was to what the movies portrayed. Normally, he’d say it was nothing like what Hollywood thought. And then there were these moments. Sucking in air through clenched teeth, Kyle’s body went rigid before he snapped back to standing. It felt mechanical, and he grimaced thinking how it must look. Certainly not natural movement. Never mind he was still struggling for breath. “Sir? You okay?” The officer removed his hand and took a step back.

One last gasp, and Kyle’s breathing evened out. Now back under his own control, his posture relaxed and he sighed. “Sorry, I just … ” What was there to say? “Sorry.”

“No problem. Do you need medical help? An ambulance?”

“No, I’m fine. Really. Must have put some bad milk in my coffee this morning.”

The officer looked doubtful, but moved out of Kyle’s way and motioned for him to pass. “As long as you’re sure. But we’re all set. Get your stuff and go have a seat. Get a drink or something. And the bathroom’s that way.”

Without a word, Kyle grabbed his items from the tray, and all but sprinted for the closest restroom. Maybe the blessing had worked, because not only had he just made it through security, but the restroom was deserted. “Shit!”

I was about a second away from tearing his spinal cord out through his-

“Not helping, Ry.”

He didn’t need to touch you like that.

“They do that to a lot of people. Stop worrying about it.” He paused, hands still shaking as he rested them on either side of a sink. Scared as he was to do so, he looked up to check his reflection. It was just as he had expected – his eyes were glowing faintly red. “This is getting better and better.”

It’ll go away.

“I hope so. And did you break that machine? Because, you know, my taxes are high enough. If they have to replace that thing ….”

I didn’t break it. Either it didn’t work on us, or they just couldn’t believe what they saw.

“I’ll hope for the former.”

You do that.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

They were only granted another minute of privacy, and as soon as Kyle saw someone else coming in, he bowed his head and ducked out of the restroom. Imagining that his eyes were glowing as brightly as Ryka’s, he bought an overpriced pair of sunglasses – which he immediately put on - and a cup of coffee, then settled himself in front of the gate to wait for his flight. Across from him, a man who looked like he was about to fall asleep in his own coffee managed a nauseated smile, and Kyle returned the gesture. Let the stranger think they were commiserating over a terrible hangover; it was safer that way.

As boring as the wait was, Kyle expected Ryka to be a lot more chatty. Instead, the demon seemed more intent on studying the people around them. His own eyes would briefly dart to some random passer-by, and he would know Ryka was carefully looking over their sins. But he kept quiet. A good sign, Kyle hoped.

They boarded on time, and Kyle crammed himself into the tiny coach seat with a grimace. He had considered first class, but it still felt strange to have disposable income. Besides, he was still paying off debts - now wasn’t the time to splurge. And Ryka’s words at the casino had left him shaken. He wasn’t ready to take advantage of Ryka’s skill again. Not yet.

The best he could hope now was that Ryka would drop him into a deep sleep, and he’d deal with the consequences of sitting with his knees bent nearly at chest level later on. Thankfully, Ryka didn’t need to be asked, and as soon as Kyle was buckled in and as comfortable as he was likely to get, he was asleep.

***

But it didn’t last.

He awoke with his legs going numb, and the woman next to him giggling uncontrollably at something she was reading. A baby was crying two aisles up, and the couple directly in front of him were making out, with her seat reclined so that he was forced to watch while they further crushed his knees.

Gee, this is a fucking blast. No wonder Lord Satan has to be so creative – you poor bastards practically live in Hell as it is.

Thanks for rubbing it in, he thought, trying to stretch out his legs and failing. The pack of cigarettes in his pocket gouged his thigh, and the need to smoke suddenly overwhelmed him.

And you say I’m bad.

Just when he thought he wouldn’t make it another second without nicotine, two stewardesses stopped at his row with the drink cart. “Anything for you, sir?” one said with a smile.

“A gin and tonic, please.”

“Of course. That’s seven dollars.”

Kyle almost choked hearing the price, but felt that this time, it would be worth it. So, he dug out his wallet and handed over his credit card, and she quickly swiped it and handed it back, followed by a mini-can of tonic water and one nip of gin. “That’s it? Just one?”

“For coach, yes. I’m sorry. They just changed it.” She passed him a plastic cup with some ice then directed her attention to the giggling woman on his right.

And that’s supposed to do what? Ryka asked.

Kyle shrugged. At this point, he’d need an entire bottle to take the edge off. One tiny little nip was not going to suffice. But he really didn’t have a choice, though Ryka disagreed. Let’s kill her and steal all the booze. There’s got to be enough there to at least get a good buzz going, right?

Tempting as the idea was, Kyle subtly shook his head and cracked open the tonic water. That one measly little drink didn’t placate him nearly as long as he needed it to, and he realized too late that having a drink would make him want to smoke even more.

Unable to stand it any longer, Kyle struggled to his feet and fought his way to the aisle. A window seat had seemed like a good way to distract Ryka, but he regretted the decision now. The demon had been on Earth too long to be impressed by something like flying, and Kyle wasn’t fond of having to step over people to leave his seat.

If you want a butt, I can make it happen.

“I just need to stretch my legs,” he muttered, though of course, that offer was even more tempting. But he didn’t even want to think of what would happen if anyone smelled the smoke. The alarm would never go off, and that would be an even bigger problem. He didn’t need federal agents on his case because his demon tampered with a smoke detector. And they didn’t need to be dismembered by an angry monster. So, he paced the aisle for a few moments then, realizing that he was attracting anxious stares, made his way toward the bathrooms.

Luckily, one was unoccupied, and he locked himself in. It was slightly less cramped than his seat, and washing his face with cool water made him feel a little better.

Ryka couldn’t have him feeling too relaxed, though, so as soon as Kyle’s heart rate slowed back to normal and his blood pressure seemed okay, Ryka asked, So, what’s this ‘mile-high club’ thing?

“I don’t think you really need to ask.”

I don’t, but now you’re thinking about it.

“I hate you.”

Bullshit. But you’re not getting drunk up here, and you can’t smoke. You need to relax, and I can help. So, how about it, stud?

“I’m fine.”

Quit lying. You’re already getting hard. Just tell me what you want.

With one quick look at the door, just to make doubly sure it was locked, Kyle leaned back against the wall and started undoing his belt. “Front and back.” He briefly met his own gaze in the mirror he now stood facing, and felt a hot flash of shame. Here he was, in an airplane bathroom, pulling out his rapidly stiffening cock and asking to get finger-banged. Who had he become?

Someone who likes having a good time. Don’t feel bad. You should never deny yourself. I’m here to serve, Master.

“Then hurry.” Just as he finished, his hands went numb, and Ryka pulled his pants and underwear down to his ankles.

Of course. But we have no lube, so you need to help me out here.

Kyle opened his mouth to agree, but fingers that were no longer his own found their way in before he could speak. Eyes closed, he sucked on them, weaving his tongue between the fingers. No claws this time, he noticed. A little disappointing, but he appreciated that Ryka was smart enough not to leave him bleeding in public.

Too bad all the fun stuff is in your suitcase, Ryka began. The security guard’s scrutiny had been bad enough without the added trauma of them having to see a ten-inch dildo in his carry-on. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him, so he only had checked luggage. If there was commentary, he hadn’t been around to hear it. I can tell a few fingers aren’t going to satisfy you. I wish I could give you what you really need: a nice, big prick up your ass.

Hurry and try, Kyle pleaded.

Gladly. But give me some room.

Kyle did, stepping forward so only his shoulders were resting on the wall and spreading his feet as far as the khakis around his ankles would allow. It was easy enough to imagine Ryka in this space with him, crowding against him and grinning while Kyle’s tongue chased his fingers, even as he pulled them away. Thumb and forefinger held his chin briefly before skimming down his lower back to his hole. He gasped a little, feeling the first finger slip inside. “More,” he breathed.

Yes, Master. Two more fingers quickly followed, and Kyle let his head fall back against the wall. Normally, Ryka liked to take it slow, make Kyle beg for release. But he wasn’t wasting time now, fingers thrusting in and out, letting Kyle tilt his hips to find his prostate faster. Even Ryka felt the electric jolt when - working together - they found it. “So good.”

I can make it better. Kyle didn’t see how, not with Ryka massaging his sweet spot, perfect pressure taking him close to the edge. You asked for more, didn’t you? Muscles spasmed, toes curling in his shoes, as the other hand fisted briefly around his cock before pulling away. Master always gets what he wants. No point arguing. Instead, when felt a thumb tracing his lips, he opened his mouth. The hand closed over it.

Lick. Kyle did, already tasting the salt of his precum on the palm. When Ryka deemed it slick enough, he lowered their hand again, stroking Kyle hard and fast.

“Perfect. Don’t stop.”

I wouldn’t dream of it. But can you open your eyes for me? I want to see your face.

Prepared for devastating embarrassment, Kyle complied. Maybe because Ryka’s own lust tinged his vision, it wasn’t as ego-crushing as he had imagined. His hair hung down over his face, flushed red, and only upon seeing his reflection did he realize was biting his lower lip. It was almost the same expression Ryka wore when Kyle pleasured him, and Kyle suddenly felt his pulse pounding all throughout his body.

That’s enough. I won’t be able to control myself otherwise.

“I can’t now.” Even needier, Kyle shook one foot free of his pants and rested it on the toilet lid. Ryka’s fingers went deeper, and Kyle moaned. He bit his lip and closed his eyes once more. “Oh, faster,” he quietly ordered.

Anything, Master.

Desperate as he was, Kyle never expected to last long. It was only a few minutes before he came into a hand that was quickly returned to his control. “Sink,” he panted, and the water turned on. He cleaned himself up as best he could, knowing it would have to do until they got to the hotel. “Thank you, Ry.”

Anytime, stud. But you owe me. I’m going to have a serious boner to deal with.

“I figured as much. I’ll take care of it.” Avoiding his own reflection, Kyle pulled his pants back up and readjusted his shirt. By now, he was pretty good at pretending nothing out of the ordinary had happened. “Do you think you can help me sleep through all that noise out there?”

Now that you’re not on the verge of having a massive coronary? No problem.

“Good, because now I really, really need a cigarette.”