The Art of Sublime Possession

Like the link to this on the Flipside Stories page says, this story is not for kids lmao. If you're under 18 please read like literally anything else on this site; the vast majority of my writing is PG-13 so you won't be starved for kid-friendly writing lol. Anyway, specific content warnings are body horror (I think) and like.. idk man I wrote this as pure self-indulgence. If you think non-human creatures are hot you'll like this one.

It was 21:00, and Dimitri was about to go to bed after a long day. He tucked himself in just as Landon emerged from his phone. The demon crawled under the sheets next to him and kissed the back of his neck a couple of times. “Hey, Halo. Ready for me to feed on you?”

“Yeah, in a moment.” Dimitri rolled over to face Landon and looked them in the eye. They were eager to get another taste of their boyfriend’s precious emotions and watch him fall asleep, but he had something else on his mind right now. “What if you possessed me? You can do that, right? I’m curious.”

Landon’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I can. I haven’t really possessed anyone before, but I think it’d be easy enough to figure out.”

“I’m kind of surprised you haven’t. It seems like the kind of thing that every demon does at least once, and you’re…”

“Always thinking about how good it would feel if I was snuggled right up against your soul,” Landon finished, which made Dimitri blush. He’d been thinking about how Landon needed consistent physical contact, always stealing kisses and wrapping their arms around his waist. But either way, it made sense that someone as clingy as them would want to merge with their partner. “Well, I’m still young for a demon. I’m more interested in possessing friends than random people, and Katherine was my only friend for a while. I asked if I could possess her once and she said no, and I don’t think Sean or the twins would like it much either. I figured you might be okay with it, but…”

“But what?”

Landon’s gaze flicked downwards, then back to Dimitri’s dark brown eyes. “When I think about possessing you my instincts tell me to just jump right in. But your soul’s vulnerable because of how much you astrally project, so if I rushed into you I might get carried away and eat it.”

Dimitri recalled the first time he’d met Landon. They were mesmerized by how his projection looked and smelled, so much so that they’d tried to feed on it. Dimitri’s own instincts had told him to step away; there was a hungry look in their eyes that told him he’d die if he wasn’t careful. Landon’s self-control had improved greatly since then, but sometimes Dimitri still caught glimpses of that dangerous gaze. “Do you have to rush it, though?”

Landon scooted a little closer and laid a hand on Dimitri’s hairy chest. The hungry look was back, and they licked their lips, probably subconsciously. “I’m not sure. I’m having trouble focusing on talking to you, honestly. Possession just sounds so good right now, and you look so delicious, you know?”

“Hey, slow down.” Dimitri gently lifted Landon’s hand from his chest and rolled onto his back. Even though their hand was huge, their wrist was slender and his fingers easily wrapped around it. He still wanted to be possessed, but he wanted to take his time. “Think about it this way: We’re not the first human-demon relationship. I’m sure some other people had the exact same questions as us at some point. All we have to do is find the same answers they did. So, how about you feed on me normally now, and when I wake up we can do a little research. Sound good?”

“I can do that.”

“Great. Good night, Landon.” Dimitri would start projecting the moment he fell asleep, but not saying “good night” felt weird. He set Landon’s hand back down, and they promptly buried their face into his chest, moving their hand to the spot on his stomach where his happy trail started. They purred as a response and began absorbing his emotions, and his body drifted off into a deep sleep.

A couple of nights later, the couple felt they’d done enough research to begin the possession. They’d found multiple forum threads and even a free book about consensual possession, and each source had useful tips and tricks.

First trick: Both participants should get as naked as they feel comfortable, because the demon will be sinking into the human’s skin and clothes might ruin the sensation. Dimitri was naked save for a pair of boxer briefs and socks, and Landon had skipped the latter. This felt intimate, but it wasn’t exactly sex, so they could keep the underwear on. Landon mounted Dimitri, pressing their chest to his and burying their head in the crook of his neck. They took Dimitri’s hands and laced their fingers between his.

“You smell really excited. Are your thoughts the same?”

Dimitri grinned at Landon’s unique way of double-checking for consent. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready.”

“Me too. I’m gonna start.” Second trick: If the demon has a large appetite, enter the human’s body as slowly as possible lest they get carried away. At first Dimitri didn’t feel anything magical. But then the pressure on his chest mounted, like there was an even yet heavy weight pressing into it. Dimitri glanced downwards and saw that he and Landon’s skin had already merged, tawny brown fading to dark in all the spots where their skin made contact. He tried wriggling one of his fingers out of curiosity, but it was glued to Landon’s. He was trapped in place, and even though this sensation would probably scare most people, it made him shudder with ecstasy and they’d hardly even started.

“You okay, Static?” Dimitri gasped at his own voice. It was a little deeper than usual, closer to how Landon normally sounded.

By now Landon was halfway submerged into Dimitri’s body, and they appeared to have shrunken slightly. Their lips were one of the only parts of their body they could still move without tearing up their merging skin. “Mm-hmm. I’m getting close to your mind now. This is the really overwhelming part, so you have to concentrate alongside me, okay?”

“Okay, I can—” Dimitri’s voice died in his throat, and his vision dimmed. He could feel Landon’s presence, a dark and churning whirlwind of love and hunger, directly inside his mind. It was all-consuming yet curious, poking and prodding at each part of Dimitri’s brain as it looked for a good place to settle. Dimitri’s conscious welcomed it, offering it a metaphorical seat at the table. But his subconscious was horrified at the foreign sensation, and it didn’t know how to expel it. Dimitri’s heart raced and it felt like he was forgetting how to breathe. He wanted Landon so badly, and they were so, so close, but now his soul was panicking and trying to wriggle out of his body—

Hey, hey, I’m just your partner. It’s okay. I’m not a threat. Landon spoke from directly inside Dimitri’s head now. Their voice echoed and had a slight buzz to it, and it was just as disembodied as one of his own thoughts. Somehow he could tell that Landon wasn’t talking to him, but his subconscious. Why don’t you take your mind off of this and focus on something fun? You watched another documentary about crabs yesterday, remember? Tell me about that.

Third trick: Learn everything that calms the human down so when they get overwhelmed, they’re easily soothed. A stream of fun facts about the ways in which crabs used methods of protection other than their own shells flowed into Dimitri’s brain. Landon was right; there really was nothing to worry about. Did they know that decorator crabs stuck nearby plants and animals onto their shells as camouflage?

Dimitri’s heartbeat and breathing weren’t entirely back to normal yet, but he didn’t feel panicked anymore and his projection had decided to stay in place. He found that he couldn’t move, but he could tell that the process wasn’t over yet. There were a few parts of his partner that he had yet to absorb; a fingertip, half a lock of hair, and so on.

Landon turned to face Dimitri’s conscious, even though they hardly had a body to face him with at this point. You’re doing a really good job, Halo. But I don’t want to finish possessing you until you shield your soul from me. I’ve never been close to it like this before and it looks tantalizing. You can feel how hungry I am, right?

The crab facts dried up, and Dimitri remembered who was inside him. He could feel Landon’s consciousness oozing towards his heart, where his soul sat vulnerable and exposed. He slowly started panicking again. How was he supposed to shield his soul when he couldn’t even breathe properly?

Landon gently shushed him, and Dimitri got the mental image of them ruffling his hair. I remember how quickly your heart beats. I know how often you need to breathe. I can look into your brain to see what calms you down, and I’ve gained control over all of those processes. Just leave the bodily functions to me and focus on protecting your soul, or I’ll get carried away and you’ll die. Even if Dimitri wasn’t being possessed, he’d know that Landon’s vaguely threatening words had good intentions. They cared deeply for him, and he needed to know the risks of being possessed if he was going to survive it.

They gave Dimitri just enough control over his body to let him nod his head in response, and in his mind he whispered a “thank you.” He could feel Landon shifting their attention to the medulla at the base of his brain stem, where subconscious functions like breathing were controlled. He had the inexplicable sense that Landon was gently massaging the medulla with their thumb, and his pulse and breathing returned to normal. Now he could actually focus, and he turned his attention back towards his heart. His soul was a periwinkle blue ball of magic and emotions that trembled inside it, anxious to escape his body and unfurl into an astral projection whenever it got the chance.

Fourth trick: If the human has inherent magic, they can just imagine a barrier around their heart and one will appear. Dimitri’s projection-induced narcolepsy counted as inherent magic, so he would be fine. He closed his mind’s eyes and envisioned a metal box surrounding his soul. Then he remembered that Landon loved boxes and their instincts would tell it to pry the box open. He tried to imagine a sea urchin instead — a magic urchin whose spines were enchanted to be demon-repellent. He heard a faint giggle come from nearby, which probably meant Landon approved of his choice. He opened his eyes and saw that his heart was actually set in a block of ice. Not what he’d been aiming for in the slightest, but he wasn’t complaining. His soul was frozen in place, but his heart miraculously beat without issue. The sight was surprisingly beautiful.

I bet you have an affinity for ice-related spells, Landon mused.

Dimitri didn’t have control over his mouth anymore, so he responded within his mind. Probably. Am I safe now?

Landon’s consciousness seemed to have stopped in its tracks after Dimitri formed the ice block. He could feel it returning to his brain as they said, Yep. We’re at the most difficult part now. This is where I finish possessing you, and you can see into my mind. You remember how the book said that human brains aren’t equipped for that kind of thing, right? Dimitri knew that Landon could look into his hippocampus and see that he remembered. It was cute how they chose to ask him anyway.

I think I’ll be fine. Technically I can possess people too, if I’m astrally projecting. If there’s any human who can take this it’s me, Dimitri assured him.

He was presented with the mental image of Landon looking at him sheepishly. Are you sure you can take me? I have a lot of thoughts about you. They’re all good thoughts, but… I don’t want to hurt your feelings.

Yes, I promise I can take you. Dimitri’s voice was a little amused by the wording of his sentence, but mostly needy. Possession was scary but it was also wonderful, and he had to see what happened next. Please, he begged, adding just a hint of a whimper to his voice because Landon loved it when he whimpered.

His plan worked, and Landon couldn’t help but smile deviously, white teeth glinting in the corner of his mind. Suddenly, he felt slender fingers squeeze the nerves connected his eardrums to his brain. He questioned Landon for a split second before realizing why. They were a noise demon, so the thoughts that poured in were LOUD. Their interference lowered the volume a lot, which Dimitri was grateful for, but he struggled to process the sheer amount of thoughts. All of them were about him, directed towards him, urging him and caressing him and drowning out his own thoughts until there was nothing left but

I love you I need you I love you I love you give all of yourself to me let me pour myself into you I love you and want you I’ll consume you I can't let go of you I hunger for you you’re scared but I can protect you let me live as you I love you I respect you I yearn for you I love you I AM you—

Landon managed to tamp down their thoughts just before they drove Dimitri insane. The block of ice in his heart cracked and he let out a moan, but he couldn’t be sure if it was from pleasure or pain. His face felt wet, and Landon raised his left hand to his cheek so he could feel it. Tears poured from his eyes, and he let out a few sobs. Dimitri felt Landon bring his body’s knees to his chest so he could cry more comfortably. I didn’t realize you love me this much. There’s so much love, Landon. No one’s loved me like this before. Why did I moan? Why am I crying? I can’t— I can’t feel my emotions still, and you love me so much, I just…

Landon shushed Dimitri again, and he felt the phantom sensation of a gentle hand running down his back. You’re sobbing because you’re so touched by how much I love you. That moan was pain and pleasure, because you love me back but I’m a lot to handle. I tried my best not to let you see all of that, but I messed up. I’m sorry.

S’okay, Dimitri mumbled. I’m loved so it’s okay.

Okay, then. Great. Let’s just sit here for a while so you can calm down.

Calm down, Dimitri echoed. He could calm down. Landon was in control of everything but his own thoughts now. They made him take deep breaths and wipe his tears away. After that, neither of them spoke for a bit. Landon peeked at Dimitri’s muscles, bones, and organs, and Dimitri could feel them marveling at how different his body was from theirs. It was strange being the one detecting Landon’s emotions instead of the other way around, but a little funny too.

Of course, Landon was the first to break the silence. I like this organ in your neck. It’s shaped like a butterfly. They lightly poked at it and let out a tiny cha-ching sound that was tinged with wonder.

Dimitri didn’t have the energy to consciously articulate the difference between a gland and an organ. He directed Landon to the corner of his brain where he kept all of his medical knowledge. When they found the memories about the endocrine system, they ooh-ed and seemed to settle down in that spot. So it’s a thyroid gland, and it… does hormone stuff? I don’t really understand what some of these words mean. Calcium homeostasis…?

Dimitri imagined a neon arrow pointing to a file cabinet filled with info about homeostasis. Landon flipped through the files inside and found the memory on calcium homeostasis. Oh, so it’s how your body regulates calcium levels. And calcium is the stuff that makes your bones white, right? I remember you telling me that once.

That was easy enough to answer. Dimitri showed Landon a big thumbs-up and said, Yep.

Landon giggled again and spent a while more picking through Dimitri’s memories, trying their best to avoid the spot labeled I’m only telling my therapist about this. They were fascinated by how complex human bodies were, and how Dimitri used to be a whiny ten year old, and how little hunger played a part in most of his decision-making. They were fifty years old, old enough to be his dad by human standards, yet there was so much they didn’t know.

Eventually, Landon’s consciousness swelled with the urge to get up and walk around, which wasn’t too surprising; they didn’t like staying in one place for too long. They sat Dimitri’s body up, but frowned. “I want to get up, but my— your legs feel heavy. We’re stuck.” He spoke with the vocal chords this time, and it was his low voice that poured out.

This also wasn’t surprising, at least to Dimitri. I’m still exhausted. You’ve been possessing me for thirty minutes, so maybe in another thirty we can get up.

“I don’t really get it. I know you’re tired, but this whole thing was easier for me because I’m a demon, and I’m the one controlling your body.”

Dimitri felt Landon consider forcing his body to stand up and interrupted him with another memory. This was from when the narcolepsy had just begun to set in, and he was facing the new reality that there were some things that he just couldn’t do anymore. He was a high schooler, lying in bed and breaking his never-tardy record for the first time. The moment he regained just a tiny bit of energy, he used it to force himself to get dressed and make it to school. But he was too exhausted to properly understand anything that was going on, and he ended up leaving school early anyway. The situation was a lose-lose for him.

“Oh.”

Now you get it.

“I thought I got it before, but I guess I didn’t,” Landon admitted apologetically.

It’s fine. You’re sympathetic and making an effort to understand now. I appreciate it.

Landon wrapped Dimitri’s arms around his own chest in lieu of a real hug. “So now we just wait.”

It actually took forty-five minutes for Landon and Dimitri (no, Dimitridon — or Landimitri, that sounded the best) to get up. They stumbled out of the bed and leaned on the bedside table for support, then decided it’d be a good idea to look at themselves in the mirror. The trek to the bathroom was awkward, since Landon didn’t quite understand how to work short legs that were low on energy, but they made it.

Landimitri gasped at their appearance. Landon had been completely absorbed, but the body had his eyes, black voids surrounded by cracked skin. Landon poked one before Dimitri could suggest that might be a bad idea and howled at the sudden pain. “Why did that hurt? It doesn’t hurt when I poke my own eyes!”
Dimitri winced. He could feel the pain just as much as Landon did, even if he wasn’t in control. I think it’s because at the end of the day, they’re just human eyes. Magical, but human. Be careful with my mortal body, okay?

“Sorry again, Halo. I’m gonna play with your hair, then.” Landimitri ran fingers through their hair, which had somehow gotten messed up during the possession, and tried picking it out again. When Landon lost interest in Dimitri’s fluffy afro he moved on to pulling at individual hairs on the body’s arms and legs, getting extremely confused at how that seemed to sting. They tried singing in Dimitri’s voice and were pleased at how that sounded, and Dimitri was surprised at how much better his own voice sounded than Landon’s. They still missed some notes, but overall they were on key.

Landon was about to make Dimitri’s body do a full split when he commanded, NO. I’m not nearly flexible enough to do a split. You’ll tear something if you try that. He added in a gentler voice, And I’m getting mentally exhausted again. I think I’m ready for you to stop possessing me.

This time Landon whimpered, although it was more like the sound you’d hear a depressed puppy make. I guess you’re right. You know, I have been getting pretty comfortable in here. It’d probably be best for you to kick me out now so I don’t resist too much and try to live up here, they conceded as Landimitri returned to the bedroom.

Dimitri remembered some of the intense thoughts he’d been flooded with. Deep down, Landon wanted to merge with him permanently. No matter how much he loved his partner, he still needed his personal space. So, it was now time for the fifth and final trick: Let the human handle the separation process. They have an immune system dedicated to kicking strange things out, and they don’t have an interest in feeding on the being they share a body with; they can totally handle it.

Dimitri let Landon lay his body down, then tried to will the demon out. He reminded the white blood cells in his veins that there was a foreign, dangerous substance inside him, told his lungs that they could cough Landon out. He could feel their presence shrinking, and slowly he regained control of his body. He flexed a few fingers, then bent his legs. It felt good being able to do that on his own. But Landon hadn’t materialized on the bed next to him. He could still feel a viscous, swirling something deep in the recesses of his mind.

“Landon, why are you still in there?” He asked, pleased to use his own vocal cords.

I guess you could say I got stuck? Logically I know I shouldn’t be possessing you anymore, but my instincts won’t listen. I think it’s because your ice cracked. I’m sensing weakness and going in for the kill.

Dimitri had been so disoriented earlier, he hadn’t even considered that might be an issue. But now he could feel Landon creeping through the veins in his neck, closer and closer to his coveted soul. Landon was a lump of morbid curiosity that would kill him if he didn’t act fast enough. “What should I do? Should I strengthen it again?” He tried to focus on doing just that, but without Landon’s help his body started slipping into panic mode again.

All I can think of is saying my true name, Landon offered.

“Your what? But demons never reveal their true names. There has to be another way.”

I don’t mind revealing mine to you. You know how much I love you, and I trust you just as much.

Dimitri gulped. True names held a lot of weight, and it felt like just knowing Landon’s would hurt them. But his only other option was getting devoured from the inside, and he definitely didn’t want that. So he nodded and let the demon whisper their true name to him, so quietly he wasn’t entirely sure he’d heard it. Somehow he knew that they would never repeat it. He steeled himself and demanded, “Shakoze, please stop possessing me.”

Shakoze — No, Landon, Dimitri didn’t want to make a habit of thinking that name — let out a startled scream that made Dimitri’s ears ring. His body was yanked forward by an unseen force that ripped Landon from his chest and flung them against the wall with an audible THUD. “That was scary, Halo. I thought physical attacks couldn’t hurt me, but it really hurt when I hit that wall.” They pulled their lanky body off of the ground and rubbed their back.

“I was scared, too. You almost killed me,” Dimitri pointed out. He sighed and stared at the ceiling. He’d be thinking about this night for a long, long time.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a lot worse when you think about it.” Landon sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at Dimitri. “So, that’s what being possessed is like. I’m not sure how much you liked it. I know there were some moments you felt good about, but others were the opposite so I can’t tell.” Even with their ability to detect emotions, they found mixed messages extremely confusing and usually need further clarification to understand what someone was thinking.

“Honestly, I’d do it again. I did almost die, but you were trying your best to keep that from happening, and all of the positive moments were phenomenal. We just lack experience, and we could probably stand to do a little more reading too.”

“Really? You liked it?” Landon perked up as they smelled the satisfaction that confirmed that Dimitri really did like being possessed. “That’s good, because I liked possessing you. I’m really glad you’re my boyfriend, Dimitri.” They held up their arms for a hug.

Dimitri shook his head; he needed a physical break from them too. They got the message and lowered their arms. “And I’m glad you’re my partner, Landon. I’m going to rest my eyes for a bit, maybe get an hour or two of sleep in. I love you.” He tucked himself in and lowered his heavy eyelids.

“And you know exactly how much I love you,” Landon said with a wink. They blew him a kiss, complete with a cartoon-y sound effect, and watched him wind down once again.