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A black tail dangled from the stage alongside Qi Xiaotian's swaying legs. With the monkey's face snug against the human's stomach Xiaotian worried about being bit out of nowhere, his memories took him back to the gleaming little fangs under the lantern's purple light.
Long, slender fingers sneaked their way through black untamed hair, there they met with bits and pieces from unknown origin of which Xiaotian tried his best to ignore. His eyes roamed the empty theatre's stalls, lingering on the traces of the battle still adorning the woody structure of the place.
Xiaotian’s red staff rested next to his hanging legs as he sat on the stage's edge, the little troublemaker was sleeping on his lap, his soft snores were muffled by the human's clothes.
"If you're feeling this guilty, just talk to him" Mei had said when they were leaving, her hair was ruffled and her jacket was taken off, all weary and drained from being trapped in that monkey's lantern. "But know this" the image of her turning her head to look at him was vivid in Xiaotian's head, her eyes held a dangerous glow. "If you had gotten hurt, I would've killed him, it wouldn't matter if he was a kid".
"Just so you know you're a good person, no one else would go easy on a demon"
Biting the inner of his cheeks Xiaotian eyed the teenager’s exposed neck, the dirty scarf was taken off for the human to treat his wounds properly, and there he saw it, an old circular bruise, it surrounded that area so perfectly Xiaotian felt the urge to vomit. He caressed the mark for the hundredth time, his tired eyes were narrowed in disbelief.
Immersing in adult life and taking on the responsibilities of being this city's protector took a great toll on the once cheerful young man, seeing him exhausted and worn out his friends insisted on a day off. It was supposed to be a day off, until...
Stirring, two black hands clenched the behind of Xiaotian’s shirt, their claws sunk in the loose fabric, their ends poked the bare skin of the human's back. The monkey buried his face farther into the man's lap, his legs stretched so wide, awakening from sleep. He drowsily turned his head to face up, and his eyelids revealed a purple eye. Xiaotian couldn't help the pained gasp, he guessed it from the scar, and tried to think it wouldn't be this bad. But it was, the kid didn’t have a second eye.
He was using glamour when they fought.
“Slept well?” Gathering a fistful of hair away from the monkey’s face, Xiaotian enjoyed watching the realization spreading through his features. Instantly washing the sleep away was the look of horror, the human could almost swear he felt the teenager’s back muscles contract absorbing the tension. The young demon’s arms that were surrounding Xiaotian’s waist in a sleepy hug moved to escape but the human forcefully kept the one in front of him pressed against his stomach, his hand that was atop the monkey’s face stayed where it was, heavy on the demon’s head.
“Stay still, I’m not done with you yet” there was a headache growing right under Xiaotian’s occipital bone, his eyes burned, lacking sleep, and overexertion pain was catching up with his muscles, he should have just let that demon injured and alone in his wretched theatre after hurting his friends, a man in his thirties got more urgent things to do, a crazy bone lady to stress over and a self to loathe and blame. Yet still he didn’t, he turned around and stayed with him.
He could feel the silent vibrations sent by kid’s beating heart in his lower abdomen, he saw his ears bent down and his fur puffing up, but Xiaotian was tired, so very tired. “What did you want from us?”, holding the struggling arm tighter he looked down at the monkey on his lap, years ago he wouldn’t have imagined he could manage an intimidating voice, but the gasp he heard told otherwise.
Years change people.
“Those were my friends you tried to hurt, you know?”, making sure to lock eyes with the kid, he tried delivering his words slowly, “I don’t think any demon is ignorant about my existence, especially demons of this city” Xiaotian was strong, feared, and respected, attacking him or his friends, not to mention when they were together, was definitely what foolishness meant. Xiaotian didn’t think that kid was foolish.
The demon's black tail surrounded his arm, the kid thought he didn’t notice but Xiaotian did notice, he just let it be, he knew the brat wouldn't be able to do anything all injured and weak. "It's eleven pm, you've been asleep for at least three hours". He said, massaging the demon's forehead, "I've got things to do, you know? I can't wait for you all night", the teenager's eyes shrank and widened as Xiaotian slid his fingers up and down, and oh, how he wished Mei were here to do it for him.
The cold breeze coming from the ceiling tousled the human's hair, his other hand kept a firm grip on the struggling demon, his legs swung from the stage's edge out of habit, waiting for the teenager's answer.
"I wanted to steal your power" his voice was rough, still had a hint of childishness, Xiaotian absentmindedly wondered if he sounded like that too starting puberty. He raised an eyebrow, "by attacking my friends?" And though his voice lost its stern edge, Xiaotian’s heart felt tight looking at the seemingly innocent eyes of the little demon.
The monkey’s knees flexed, with the human’s hand firmly holding him he didn’t have a wide range of expressive movements, his tail circling the hard arm tightened its grip, Xiaotian could clearly see the gears moving through that purple eye.
“I’m not afraid of death”
“…Look” Xiaotian knew he wouldn’t get anything out of the demon waiting for him to answer, “there was something odd about our fight”. Sliding his fingers down the monkey’s furry forehead Xiaotian kept them on his eyebrows. He lowered his head down until he heard the little hitch of breath, “kid, you weren’t protecting yourself”.
Once those words were out of his mouth the demon’s hand that was still around his back dug so deep into his skin he actually felt something wet, but he didn’t raise his head, nor did he remove his eyes from that horrified expression growing on the younger’s face. “You aren’t scared of death alright, you are asking for it”.
Hearing enough, the demon clenched his teeth and shook his body hard, wriggling left and right “let go!” he screamed.
“Do you know how fucking scared I was realizing I wasn’t defending myself anymore?” he was Megapolis’ protector because he got the strength, not the wisdom nor the patience. Xiaotian was tired, so very tired. “I was only attacking you!”.
It was a moment of adrenaline rush, a demon trapped his friends inside a freaking lantern, and he had to get them out. Angry, sleep deprived, and on his day off. It soon turned from a rescue mission to him just beating the kid up, and he only realized it when the demon passed out.
“Kid, did you want me to kill you?”
“Let. Go!” Xiaotian let a pained scream out when the monkey bit his fingers till they bled. Seeing his chance, the kid leapt from the human’s lap and off the stage, he climbed the area between the stalls aiming for the hidden exit door.
Oh god, Xiaotian did not know how to deal with kids.
“Fuck…” trails of scarlet red fell down his palm, his fingers pulsed with pain his eyes teared up a little. Never again would he allow his friends to take him for a day off. He jumped down from the stage, his arm was spread in front of him in a stupid way, drops of blood stained the floor beside his legs.
When he looked up his eyes met with an angry black monkey standing on one of the stalls, despite the pain he smirked, “you’re already back?”.
“Where is my scarf?” the little one asked. And Xiaotian couldn’t help the chuckle, he was in so much pain, but he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to annoy the kid.
“It smelled so bad I had to send it for a cleaning”
Hearing him the kid’s stance changed, his tail stood in agitation and his ears flattened, “you wh-“ but before finishing his frustrated scream a red piece of clothes hit his face, thrown by the human.
“Take this to cover your neck instead” yeah, Xiaotian’s fingers hurt like nothing else, his head throbbed, and he so badly wanted to sleep, but there was a last thing he had to do. “It’s an old thing I used as a bandana”.
“Come to Pigsy’s Noodles next Saturday, your scarf should be ready by then”
The demon’s fingers curled around the warm, wrinkled fabric, silently he gave the human one last hateful look before disappearing. And from the sound of the door closing violently Xiaotian knew he was finally out.
The man took his old smart phone from his jacket’s pocket, he sighed when he noticed it was already midnight.
The End.