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Except for Khoth’s warmth. That pulled him back to himself. Wanting to be against that warmth. Wanting to be a part of that warmth. Needing to be with Khoth. Not caring about anything else.

He crashed back down into his body, but somehow Khoth didn’t not fall under the renewed weight of him. But, of course, his body hadn’t gone anywhere. It hadn’t fallen down from the skies above. It had always been in Khoth’s arms while his mind and soul had… he didn’t know where they had gone for a millisecond. But this was where they wanted to be. Wanted to stay.

His arms were around Khoth’s neck. His forehead rested against Khoth’s left shoulder. The Thaf’ell kissed the side of his throat softly, gently, eagerly. He rocked Jace and was humming. A lullaby. A lover’s tune. Something low and soft and unutterably sweet. It soothed Jace, washing away all the fear and pain and uncertainty that he’d felt since the Khul had attacked.

His eyelids were shut, but he was seeing a soft blue glow behind his lids. He slowly opened them and realized the light was real. An electric blue cutting through the water and reflecting against the white stone. Jace blinked and squinted. Where was the light coming from?

And then he realized where it originated.

From Khoth himself.

The glowing came from Khoth’s back. Jace must have made some sound in response to seeing it. Khoth stiffened. Jace pulled back so that he could see Khoth’s face. His beautiful, beloved Thaf’ell though wouldn’t quite meet his eyes.

“Khoth?” Jace touched his chin, trying to get him to look up. But Khoth’s gaze remained downcast. “Khoth, what--”

“I am yours,” Khoth whispered.

Jace blinked slowly. The remnants of his release perhaps still clouding his mind. What was Khoth saying? Had this been more than just sex? Of course, it had been for Jace. For him, it had been an out of body experience. One that he wanted to repeat. But it was more than that. He swore he could feel Khoth inside of him. He could truly feel him much like he did the Osiris or Gehenna, but deeper. He couldn’t quite explain it.

“You do not have to feel the same,” Khoth’s voice was low and raw. “But I am yours, Iziel.”

“Khoth,” Jace repeated, awe filling him as he realized--at least, in part--what had happened. “We… mated?”

“I am yours,” Khoth simply repeated.

Why was Khoth so sad then? Wasn’t this cause for celebration? Jace wanted to pop champagne and scream it to the heavens! Did Khoth not want it then? Did he regret this? They had just met after all. Jace was not Thaf’ell. He wasn’t even human. He was something other. As other as there could be. And yet… no, that wasn’t it. The mournful tone in Khoth’s voice was from anguish that this connection was not reciprocated.

Khoth, I love you, Jace said, but not out loud. In his mind. The words stuck again. Too large to speak.

Yet Khoth heard him.

Khoth’s head lifted. Eyes widening and still filled with stars. “Jace, is that you?”

Yes, it’s me! Can you hear me? Can you--

“I hear you.” Khoth touched his temple. “I hear you!”

I love you, Khoth. I love you. I love you. I love you, Jace repeated endlessly.

Khoth made a little cry and was kissing Jace again and again and again. And Jace could feel just how deeply he was loved back. He could feel Khoth in his body, his mind and in his soul.

After Glow

“And what does this one mean?” Jace’s breath whispered against Khoth’s back before he kissed the first birth ta’na. Well, it wasn’t a birth ta’na anymore. It was a binding ta’na.

“That appeared upon my birth,” Khoth answered as he shifted his head on the pillow.

They were in bed, naked, but covered by a light-as-air comforter. Khoth was lying on his stomach, head turned to the side resting on a pillow, while Jace traced the glowing tattoos on his back. This first one was just above the swell of his buttocks and it was star-shaped.

“So it’s your start?” Jace asked as his fingers trailed over Khoth’s spine.

“Yes.”

Khoth flexed his toes. He felt so good. His Xi and Xa were in perfect harmony. The constant need to keep control of himself was gone. He could just be himself. Open and warm and released. Jace was his mate! He could hear-feel Jace in his mind. It felt as if they were mentally holding hands. He had never felt alone before, not truly, but this connection made him realize how singular he had been before. He never wanted to go back to how he’d been.

“And this one?” Jace touched the second binding ta’na on his mid back.

“That was my first battle,” Khoth answered. Echoes of long dead voices cried his name as Jace touched it.