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Faint shimmers of light danced behind Ivlis’ closed eyelids. Steadily and groggily, he cracked them open. Expecting to be greeted by a nearby wall torch, the glow of dawn startled away the brain fog. The flame devil’s eyes widened, and a splitting headache pounded throughout his skull. Almost immediately, he slammed them shut with a groan. Slightly nauseous and dizzy, he contemplated what he’d done the previous night. Then again, that begged the question – where was he?
Truthfully, he instinctively knew the answer. Even without turning around, Ivlis felt the presence of another. A myriad of emotions flooded him, exacerbating his current headache. His mouth was dry and a mild burn lingered in the back of his throat. The flame devil was all too familiar with the sensation. He had been drinking again, and if that was the case, then he had surely made some horrible choices. Of course, he couldn’t exactly put all the blame on himself; the one behind him was notorious for taking matters into his own hands.
Ivlis groaned aloud again, burying deeper into the surrounding pillows and sheets. The familiar scent of roses and musk – further evidence he had royally screwed up. Of his own volition or not, he always wound up in this man’s bed.
“Good morning, sunshine!”
Ivlis squeezed his eyes shut, and an even more disgruntled growl left his throat. The first stirring of consciousness brought on a slew of new problems to deal with. He debated feigning sleep. It was foolish to even think such a luxury would be granted.
“Aww, don’t be like that ~ ! Are you hungover?”
Satanick’s cloyingly sweet voice grated on Ivlis’ ears as did his stupid question. The events of last night were hazy at best, yet he was sure the man behind him was the catalyst behind his current predicament.
“Quiet,” Ivlis murmured, mustering whatever strength he had left. It too every ounce of self-control to keep from snapping. He couldn’t quite place why he felt the need to spare the devil’s feelings when Satanick willfully did the exact opposite. Nevertheless, Ivlis would rather not deal with the repercussions of his rough tongue.
The bed shifted behind him, and Ivlis went rigid. Satanick was moving, and he dreaded what would follow. It was bad enough waking up in the man’s bed; now he would be used for something more despicable! Bracing himself would only serve as a temporary balm.
“Wait right here, Buri-chan. I’ll be back in a jiff!”
With that, Satanick extracted himself from the canopied bed. Bare feet slapped across the smooth flooring before the door opened with a click and closed with a thunk. Now alone in the quietness, Ivlis panicked. Where had he gone? Why had he left? He wasn’t exactly keen on having Satanick around, yet for him to run off was the height of peculiarity. Then again, he had said he’d return.
Spurred on by the looming apprehension, Ivlis pushed himself up. Gingerly opening his eyes, he scanned the area. Amidst the pounding in his head, he tuned his senses for anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps a lurking clue would provide a hint as to what was coming. As suspected, he was in Satanick’s bedchamber, wrinkled sheets covering his lower half. An indentation resided on Satanick’s side of the bed. Without really considering his actions, Ivlis’ scaled hand traced the warm spot. Goosebumps rose on his flesh.
Of course it was all real. Thinking it was anything but was pure ludicrousness.
With the moment’s peace, Ivlis assessed his current state. His body ached; no surprises there. Other throbbing areas were sure to flare up once he got moving. Letting out a heavy sigh, Ivlis hung his head. Strands of long dark gray hair swished around him, his ponytail no longer keeping them at bay. He should be used to this by now, yet it never got any easier to accept. The scene was so common it bordered on routine. As much as he appreciated the mundane, this was not a pastime Ivlis enjoyed.
At least, he told himself as much.
An indeterminate amount of time passed before a light thump alerted Ivlis of Satanick’s arrival. His heart leapt and his skin prickled, waiting for the grand reveal of what was in store. However, all his expectations were completely thrown out the moment the heavy oak swung open and revealed Satanick carrying a folding tray. Piled with an assortment of food, Ivlis stared at the array. Satanick beamed upon Ivlis’ inspection, and he sauntered over. As he did, Ivlis’ gaze shifted to the man’s getup. He hadn’t realized it earlier, but Satanick was donned in nothing more than a white robe. The overlapping edges were just loose enough to reveal the top of his chest; thankfully a sash obscured his other areas. Ivlis glanced down at his own form to see what he was wearing. Sure enough, the same white satin covered him.
The matching robes were highly disconcerting, and Ivlis’ cheeks warmed at the whole display. He couldn’t have agreed to wearing such a thing, right?
What… was he doing?
Ivlis blankly watched Satanick approach the edge of the bed. With finesse, Satanick climbed atop the bed with the tray still perched in his hands. Shifting delicately, Satanick placed the legs of the makeshift table over Ivlis’ lap. The dazed flame devil stared at the odd gesture. Pancakes, eggs, and a mix of fruits each held a respective space. He had to admit – it was aesthetically pleasing. However, food was not something Ivlis really cared about. After all, lacking taste buds really put a damper on eating. It wasn’t like he even had to eat out of necessity; it was just something some demons did for enjoyment.
For a few seconds, Ivlis made no move to do anything with the proffered breakfast and lined-up utensils. Satanick reached out, and Ivlis jolted in place. However, the man’s lithe fingers wrapped around the fork. A strawberry slice was soon stabbed onto the prongs and held it out ot him. Ivlis blinked in confusion. What was with the sudden kindness? This side of Satanick was definitely the most off-putting, and Ivlis was uncertain what the appropriate reaction would be. If he were to flat out refuse, would he been punished? However, eating it posed its own risks. For all he knew, the maniac had poisoned or drugged it. He felt like crap enough as it was; getting severely ill or high was not on his agenda today nor any day.
“Go on,” Satanick gently coaxed. “Open up and say, ‘Aahh.’” He inched the utensil closer and closer until it touched Ivlis’ lips.
The cold fruit snapped Ivlis back to reality, and he raised an arm to nudge Satanick’s wrist away. “Knock it off,” he grumbled, turning his face to the side. It was instinctive, and he feared retaliation. He waited the span of three breaks for the attack. However, when Satanick showed no signs of doing such, Ivlis swiveled back to look him in the eyes. No hint of malice lurked in his purple pools.
“Just what is with you today?” The words left his lips before he could even think them through.
Undeterred, Satanick tilted his head, his thick dark locks shifting around his face. “Hmm, what do you mean?”
Was he really that oblivious? Ivlis couldn’t help but wonder. This was all surely a ploy to get him to let down his guard. He shouldn’t even entertain him with a response, yet Ivlis reluctantly caved. “You clearly had your fun last night, so why are you doing all this?” His eyes travelled up and down between the tray and Satanick’s curious expression.
For a moment, the devil stared in bewilderment. His lips soon curved upwards in a self-satisfied grin. “Oho, what’s this? You don’t remember?”
The teasing jab caused Ivlis’ heart to skip a beat before plummeting into his stomach. His lips drooped into a frown, hackles rising. He tried to keep his composure, not wanting to alert Satanick to his clouded brain. No – he didn’t remember anything, and that’s what freaked him out the most. He silently stared into those gleaming amethysts, refusing to give an answer.
Unluckily for him, Satanick was more than willing to provide him some answers. “Oh, Buri, Buri – it was magical!” Satanick swooned, placing his free hand to his chest, practically swooning like a schoolgirl in love. “You were so passionate! I thought you’d end up pregnant again with how into it you were, though I worry if Licorice would get jealous.”
Ivlis’ face was unsure which direction to take. His mouth gaped as a look of disgust threatened to crunch it together. Speech failed him, and all he could utter was, “Excuse me?”
Satanick’s lips twitched, debating whether to laugh or retain his smugness. Choosing the latter, he lowered the fork back to the plate. “You were all over me, Buri-chan,” he cooed. “It’s true, it’s true! Everyone saw!”
Everyone? Who was everyone?! Ivlis dug his claws into the sheets, his teeth gritting. “Like hell! What are you talking about?”
Satanick chuckled, only inciting Ivlis’ ire. “Now, now, calm down. It was quite beautiful actually. After you mercilessly berated me in front of the other bar patrons, you practically launched at me. Ahhhh,” Satanick gave a longing sigh, his eyes fluttering shut in bliss. “It was truly magical! You’re so much more passionate when you’re drunk. Even with your sloppy kisses, it was pure – .”
“Shut up!” Ivlis’ cheeks brightened as did the tips of his ears and hair. His golden eyes sparked, trembling in trepidation. There was no way this could be true! Satanick was clearly making it up to rile him. If he lashed out, then he’d be justified on “correcting him.” It was illogical, yet nothing Satanick ever did made sense. The continuous headache and potential humiliation left the flame devil reeling. With another defeated sigh, Ivlis raised his hands as he lowered his head. Resting his forehead in his palms, he shook his head back and forth, trying to dispel the creeping thoughts. Faint recollections of what he assumed were hazy memories played behind his eyelids.
The wet smack of lips and labored breathing echoed in his ears.
What had he even done?!
He was going to be ill.
“Hey, hey, it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Satanick soothed. He grabbed ahold of the tray, pushing it aside on the expansive bed. Sliding closer, he reached out and placed a hand on Ivlis’ head. As if comforting a child, he patted him between the horns. “In fact, I was quite flattered! I still am, hence why I brought you breakfast in bed. It’s the least I can. It’s quite romantic, isn’t it?”
Ivlis wanted to scoff at such a ridiculous notion. How the two things equated was beyond him. Nevertheless, he had no interest in going along with Satanick’s makeshift compensation. “I’m not hungry,” he mumbled from his makeshift cocoon.
Such a statement did little to deter the eager devil. Pressing onwards, Satanick leaned back with a methodical hum. “Hmmm, you might be right. Perhaps it’s too early for breakfast,” he mused aloud. He soon gasped as a brilliant new idea popped into his mind. “I’ve got it! We can do something just as enjoyable.”
Ivlis’ eyes enlarged as he feared the worst. If this maniac was going to force him into another precarious positon, he had another thing coming! He may have been drunk and unaware last night, yet he was lucid enough now to refuse such advances. However, for all the mental fortitude Ivlis imagined, he neither said nor did anything the second Satanick crawled forward. He turned around, propping his back against the mountain of pillows at his headboard. With a cheeky grin, he reached across himself, ensnaring Ivlis’ arm. Ivlis opened his mouth to protest, yet all that came out was a gasp and grunt as he was tugged on top of Satanick.
Ivlis braced his hands beneath him before he fell face first into Satanick’s chest. With his palms on either side of him, Ivlis met the enamored man’s eyes. A bloom as bright as the rising sun splayed across his cheeks as Ivlis stuttered out, “W – What the hell are you doing?!”
Satanick responded with a hearty chuckle, the rumble vibrating his chest. Bristling the flustered man, he snaked his left arm around Ivlis’ waist. Dragging him down, Ivlis’ hands slid from beneath him, landing directly atop him. Every sense was filled with his warmth and scent. Fighting the heady inebriation, Ivlis’ face darted up, gauging the next attack. Met with Satanick’s free hand, his chin was delicately pinched between his thumb and forefinger. Ivlis shivered. The devil’s gaze bore into him, yet nothing overly sinister shone in their depths. Instead, they appeared somewhat… caring.
Gently twisting the Ivlis’ face towards the left, Satanick whispered out, “Let’s watch the sunrise together, shall we?” It was posed as a question, yet his guiding hands maneuvered Ivlis against his breast. With his cheek placed on a hard surface of silken fabric, Ivlis remained frozen.
What was happening? Just what was all of this? It was too… tender. It wasn’t uncommon for some of these moments to leak through, yet they always left him stunted. Ivlis wasn’t sure how to feel, and the uncertainty left him on edge. All the same, the familiar body and smells were somewhat soothing to his aching body and twirling head.
Once he was certain Ivlis would stay put, Satanick lowered his hand. In its place, his left arm snaked around Ivlis’ waist, momentarily jolting the flame devil. However, that was as far as he went; Satanick wasn’t taking advantage to progress things his way. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. The man’s moods shifted as often as his world’s crazy weather patterns. All the same, tranquility settled over Ivlis – a feeling he’d thought would be impossible upon awakening to his circumstances. His supposed actions the previous night hovered over him, yet in this moment, he head felt a bit clearer. With enough time, perhaps he’d remember everything that happened. In retrospect, he wasn’t exactly sure he wanted to.
Slightly shifting beneath him, Satanick took Ivlis’ hand in his. Porcelain white flesh laced together with rough red scales, a start contrast.
Before he could focus on this newfound gentleness, rays of light steadily fractured the night sky to reveal more vibrant shades. Gazing ahead through the balcony’s glass doors, Ivlis watched in awe at the piercing yellow glow. Bit by bit, the backdrop was sprinkled in color. A menagerie of blues, purples, and reds brushed across each other seamlessly.
Funny how something so opposite complemented each other. In many ways, it was fitting.
Perhaps it was the filtering light creeping over the bed. Maybe it was the soft shades painting the horizon. Whatever it was, the experience wasn’t… unpleasant.
As the crushing in his skull receded, Ivlis basked in the warmth of both the rays and the devil beneath him.
The day dawned and so did the stirrings of something strangely new inside Ivlis’ heart.