Visit Twelve
The next morning I gave him his food like usual but didn’t make eye contact and immediately ran away.
“Wait,” he called after me, “Did I speak too freely yesterday?”
I stopped but didn’t turn around, “No. I just. It’s a me problem.”
“You ask me to open up, and yet here you are shutting me out.”
I turned to him, “That’s not fair.”
“It’s perfectly fair.”
“It’s just… What you said yesterday.”
“So I did speak too freely,” he looked away.
“No, it’s what I asked for. You just made me think is all.”
“Of?”
I sighed, “This never gets easier.”
He looked at me expectantly as I approached his cell and walked in.
“Okay, I’m taking a risk here,” I said mostly to myself, “But I think. I think I’m catching feelings for you. You made me realize yesterday that I also felt quite strangely about you.”
“Is… is that what this feeling is?”
“Yeah, you’d think I’d learn to recognize it earlier.”
“Have you told Diavolo?”
“Yes, and he said he will not get in our way. If that’s something you’d even want to do with something as lowly as a human,” I specifically recited what he told me many times. Which caused him to look guilty for the first time ever.
“Through these months you’ve shown me genuine kindness and you are the first to have done so with such earnest. Never have I felt so comfortable with someone.”
“I’m worthy of being a someone now,” I questioned with a smile.
“Do not tease me. This is hard enough.”
“But. I still don’t really know if you like me, well, romantically. I’m plenty comfortable with people I don’t like romantically.”
“You can be very dense sometimes,” he picked me up and sat me on the table so he could better look at me. I expected him to kiss me but he hesitated, “I’ve always just taken what I wanted. But, for the first time, I want you to ask for it. I want to know that you also wish to kiss me.”
The vulnerability just solidified that I was in it for the long haul, “Please kiss me.”
In sharp contrast to all the other times his hand touched my neck, he didn’t choke me, but gently rested it on the back of my next to pull me into a kiss. It was so soft, like he was scared that he was going to accidentally break me, the weaker human. I put my hands on his jaw and pulled him closer. He pulled me into his lap and began singing to me again.
Until his stomach growled and we remembered that he hadn’t eaten yet. I created a floating chair, because making one with tall legs made me feel like a child. He grabbed his food and began eating.
“For someone who doesn’t eat anymore, you cook well,” he complimented for the first time ever.
“Thank you. I have to be more conscious since I can’t taste while I go, so I’m glad you like it. But if there’s anything you’d like me to change, let me know. I used to be pretty good at baking too.”
“Can you make poison strawberry muffins?”
“They’re actually in season right now. I’ll bring you some for breakfast tomorrow.”
He paused thoughtfully, “This feels odd.”
I smiled and chuckled.
“Don’t laugh at me,” he pouted.
“I’m not laughing at you,” I assured, putting my hand on his cheek, “I just find you cute is all.”
“Never would I think someone would find a Demon King that looks like me cute,” he pushed his empty tray away and pulled me into his lap again.
“You’re rough around the corners, but you got a cute side to your personality,” I leaned into him and I got rid of his wings so he could lean back, “Are you normally very physical like this?”
“Is it a bad thing?”
“No, just something I noticed.”
“I have never wanted to hold someone before.”
“It’s nice, right?”
He pulled me closer, “You are so small that it feels as though you’ll slip out of my arms.”
“Maybe we can use magic to make you smaller? Like how the others are shorter in their human form.”
“Are you saying I should have a human form?”
“Is it beneath you or something?”
“I do not feel comfortable with it.”
“Alright well, we won’t make you human. But you do need to be smaller if you want to go around in the Devildom. You’re a giant by modern standards and you won’t fit in many places.”
“Did you get permission for me to leave the cell?”
“You won’t be leaving permanently. But you will have time outside the cell supervised by me.”
He made a noise of disappointment.
“You still need to face the consequences of almost killing me.”
He sighed, “I know but isn’t two and half centuries enough time?”
“Maybe if you show good behavior during our outings we can talk.”
“Why does it sound like you’re in control of my sentence?”
“I am.”
“What,” he sat up, making me look at him.
“I am the one who determines if you’ve reformed enough to be let out. We can’t just let you out if you’re gonna go around and cause problems.”
“You still think I’m a problem?”
“Of course I do. You may be getting nice with me. But if a demon on the street bumped into you, what would you do?”
“Force him to apologize, with violence if I have to.”
“Yeah, exactly. You’re supposed to ignore it.”
“But I am royalty and meant to be treated with respect.”
“Right now, you’re a felon.”
He glared at me.
“Do not look at me like that. You know that you’re the cause of these problems. I’m not saying it to be a dick. But so you actually think about your actions.”
He looked away from me, angry but not doing anything further.
I shifted in his lap to face him and wrap my arms around his neck, “I didn’t mean to make you so upset. Would like a kiss as an apology?”
He answered by kissing me.
“I like this reaction to anger a lot more than hurting me,” I teased.
“Will you not bring that up,” he asked quietly.
“Right now I’ll stop. But I’ll tease you about almost killing me for forever.”
He playfully glared at me and kissed me again.
“Maybe you’ll just kill me with affection now.”
He gave me a look and I laughed, patting his cheek. I sat back down in his lap and started our usual morning practice. I don’t know if it was because I was more comfortable or if it was our closer bond. But it seemed easier after today. The flow didn’t seem like it was being ripped through the dam. Instead, it was a more gentle pull. Much more like the flow of water through a brook, rather than rapids.
“Your hold is steadier today,” Ensharra noted.
“So you noticed as well,” I questioned, looking up at him.
He nodded and hummed, “Why do you think that is?”
“Maybe because our bond is closer? The tension between us is alleviated and it doesn’t feel like you’re ripping your magic from me anymore.”
“I also no longer wish to get away from you, and my magic is possibly acting accordingly?”
“Possibly. Kinda hard to tell exactly though. I guess it doesn’t really matter, right?”
“I suppose not. Does it make it easier on you magically?”
“Yeah,” I nodded, “I’m not nearly as tired and we could probably make a lot of progress pretty quickly now. I also don’t think I’ll need to take nearly as many rest periods.”
“Does that mean you no longer need me to sing to you,” he joked.
“Absolutely not,” I leaned into him, smiling, “I always want you to sing to me.”
“I believe that happens after lunch.”
“Is it lunchtime already,” I checked the time on my D.D.D, “I’ll go make you some food.”
“What exactly is that?”
“My D.D.D.?”
“What?”
“I’ll explain when I bring your food down.”
He looked like he didn’t want to let me go but allowed me to climb out of his arms either way. I gave him a kiss on the cheek before I hopped down and left to make his food. When I gave him his food he put his hand on my back until I moved to sit in my floating chair.
“Did you make your chair float to show off,” Ensharra teased, smirking.
“Actually making a chair with tall enough legs to reach up here would make me feel like a child,” I explained, leaning my head on my fist, “Even by human standards I’m short.”
“You are quite small.”
“And you’re quite big. Like I said, you’re considered a giant by today’s standards. Dia is already considered larger than normal and you have a whole foot on his demon form.”
“A… foot?”
“Sorry, that’s the measurement system from my area of the Human World. A foot is 12 inches.”
“But why is called a ‘foot’?”
“I’unno,” I shrugged, “Just how it be I guess.”
He looked weirded out. Seems like he wasn’t a fan of feet for measuring. He changed the subject, “You said you would tell me about your… what is it called, again?”
“My D.D.D., which stands for Diavolo’s Devildom Device.”
“He named it after himself?”
“He’s not very creative with names, to be honest.”
“I see. What does it do?”
“Hm,” I thought for a second, “It’s kinda hard to explain to someone who doesn’t know modern technology. But it allows me to communicate with anyone at any time and search the world for information.”
His eyebrows raised, “How does it manage that?”
“Now that’s really hard to explain because I don’t really have a deep knowledgebase either. You’ll probably end up pretty confused. Let’s take it one step at a time.”
“Then why don’t we start with how it allows one to communicate.”
I started showing him around on the phone, removing his claws so he doesn’t damage the screen. It was pretty small in his hands so he had a hard time being accurate with it. But he seemed interested in it so maybe I can bring him a tablet sized version. When it was time for me to leave for dinner and spend the evening with my lights Ensharra didn’t want to let me go.
“You have to let me go,” I tried to get off his lap but he held me closer.
“You can just stay here,” he negotiated.
“No. As much as I like sitting in your lap, I do have 2 husbands I want to see.”
He scowled, eyebrows furrowing.
“Don’t be so envious. You knew that.”
His chest vibrated as he made a noise of discontent.
“You cannot monopolize me from the other two. Now let me go.”
“Fine,” he somewhat angrily let me go.
“Please don’t be like that. I spend all day with you, it’s only fair if I spend the evenings with them.”
He continued to pout.
“Can I get a kiss goodbye,” I looked at him expectantly.
His pout intensified for a few seconds before he turned and gave me one last kiss, “Good night.”
“Good night. I’ll see you in the morning.”