SOTUS: The University Days (and Other Universes)

The King of Hell

"We need more wars," Prem says.

Arthit sighs, bringing his focus back to the mountain of paperwork that needs to be done.

"Arthit. Wars."

"Prem," Arthit finally answers.

"Stop calling me that!" Prem—or rather, Wrath—makes himself known, eyes blazing red as flames begin licking across his skin, raising the temperature in the previously-chilling office quickly.

Arthit looks up, boredom and exasperation evident on his face. "If you want wars to happen, then make them happen. Why do you have to come to me for help?"

Prem retains his fire. "Because apparently, I am not enough to make wars happen. I need Greed and Pride to cooperate, too, but Knot is busy counting his heaping pile of useless money, and Prae hasn't stopped staring at herself in the mirror for the past decade!"

Rubbing the skin between his eyes, Arthit growls under his breath, feeling a migraine starting to form. "I'll see what I can do about that later," he finally says, trying to appease Prem.

"When is later?"

"Your anger hasn't made you blind, right? Can't you see the amount of paperwork I have to do?" he asked rhetorically, motioning to the messy desk between them.

Prem reluctantly acquiesces, his eyes changing back from fiery orange to its normal deep red. The room also starts to feel less like a furnace when he makes the flames disappear. "Fine. Thank you," he mutters, because as angry as he may be, he knows he won't survive if he gets to enrage the King of Hell.

Arthit lifts one side of his mouth as a response.

Finally, Prem leaves him alone in his office, and Arthit can now get back to work. However, not even five minutes later, he's once again interrupted by someone who's able to distract him far more than the other six Deadly Sins combined ever could.

"Arthit," the sultry voice says. It makes Arthit suck in a breath even though he doesn't really need oxygen.

Kongpob closes the heavy metal door behind him before he turns to Arthit with a grin, and Arthit is barely able to collect his face into a look of polite indifference in time.

Lust is wearing another one of his weird are-you-really-Lust? outfits: white button-up tucked into a pair of dark slim-cut jeans that mold perfectly along his strong legs. Whenever Arthit sees Kongpob wearing these sorts of clothes rather than his stereotypical open chest shirts and leather pants, he wonders if the devil has just been to earth and disguised himself to attract humans' wagging tongues and blatant ogles. The total look is less of the sexiest demon in Hell and more of an everyday next-door heartthrob who's going to water your plants if you're out of town. For Arthit, however, it kind of has the opposite effect.

He becomes way more aware of how inhumanly beautiful Kongpob is, and it irritates him a bit because he isn't this affected with the others. Wrath could touch him with his tongues of fire, and Arthit wouldn't bat an eye. Gluttony could burp in front of his face, and he wouldn't feel any less full than he had been seconds ago.

But angelic-looking Lust in front of him is really, really doing it for him.

Arthit doesn't know if it's because lust is really just a stronger emotion, but he accepts that explanation and leaves it at that. He doesn't really want to find out the "or" to that sentence.

"Isn't that the same amount of paperwork you had yesterday?" Kongpob asks, walking closer to Arthit's desk and surveying the piles on it.

Arthit sighs for the nth time. "Stupid devils dropped by to add more."

Kongpob shoots him an understanding look, but Arthit avoids his eyes, lest he ends up getting hypnotized by them and grabbing the unassuming demon for a kiss.

"Come on. Let's take a walk."

That statement makes Arthit meet Kongpob's eyes in bewilderment. "What?"

"You're going to burn out if you don't take a break. Pun very intended." Kongpob winks and holds out his hand.

Arthit doesn't accept his hand, and he's still looking at Kongpob like he's crazy.

"I'm sure hell and hell-on-earth can still function without its boss for a few hours," Kongpob reasons, his hand remaining outstretched. "Come on, it'll be fun. Maybe we can visit your favorite Circle of Hell."

Arthit imagines walking along the shores of the sea of lava full of tormented souls and smirks. He then looks at the papers in front of him, and then at Kongpob's hand. He sighs again, because he knows Kongpob is the closest thing to heaven that he'll ever be. And he knows that he has already lost the battle the moment Kongpob has walked inside his office.

Or maybe even before that.

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a/n: happy new year, everyone! 💖💖