THE STRANGEST MXM STORY ON WATTPAD! AND THAT'S NO JOKE!
(Cover by @rayraybites. I thank you for your excellent work.)
Do you want a relationship between a demon and a man that'll make you question your insanity? Do you want an gay romance where both...
Mallomor slept in the following morning. Niko had allowed Mallomor to sleep with him that night, and he was surprised to find him gone when he woke up.
He checked the time. 9:00 am
After checking all three levels of the houseboat twice, Mallomor was sure that Niko fell overboard, or worse.
He shook Tsarina awake. She glared at him, before stretching and yawning. She knew that Niko was fine, but she couldn't speak.
"C'mon, Tsarina, help me out here! If you know where Niko is, lead me to him, please!"
Tsarina yawned again and walked out onto the deck. Mallomor followed her, nearly running her over. Tsarina had to hiss at him to make sure he wouldn't step on her.
"Niko? Niko?"
"Right here, you red-eyed shadow!"
Mallomor looked down at the water to find a purplish floating terror, its sail high, drifting in the water.
"...Niko? Is that you?"
"I told you I could turn into a siphonophore, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did. I just didn't think you'd look like that. Can I join you?"
Mallomor began to put his hooves in the water.
"Don't! My tentacles are very venomous!"
Mallomor frowned. "Why is that just when I see you for the first time today, you're venomous?"
Niko groaned. "I was just going to turn back into a human."
"Great!
Why'd you have to turn into a floating terror?"
"If you must know, it helps me to relieve stress."
Shit! I forgot about that gallery showing today!
Niko turned back into a human, wearing his hat and a pair of swim trunks.
Mallomor got Niko a towel so he could dry off.
"Thanks," Niko kissed Mallomor because he felt like he wasn't affectionate enough.
Niko went to leave for the shower, but Mallomor kept him back.
"Are you really just going to kiss and run?"
"I am. Why? I'm a busy guy."
"Can you kiss me again?"
Niko and Mallomor locked eyes. Niko felt he should stop the facade of disinterest and snark for a moment.
The kiss was longer than either of them expected.
After the shower, Niko steered the boat to the nearest island where the gallery showing was.
"Will Morgana be there?"
"I told her where it was, but considering it's a queer erotic art showing, I wouldn't count on it. Most of the people there are very spiritually ignorant, so your disguise will be perfect."
Mallomor blinked. "I thought queer was an insult."
"Not in all contexts."
Niko went to his closet and got his special gallery costume: a prussian blue cloak in reference to Zdzisław Beksiński, his idol. It was good for branding.
Mallomor, as "Marcus" was startled by his costume.
"I'll explain later. Now, to the showing."
"Marcus" liked almost all of the art on display, but most of it was easy on the eyes and not very disturbing, save for certain anatomy mistakes.
But once he saw an incubus lying on top of a bloody corpse, he knew it was Niko's. The colors, both rich and desaturated, the delicate textures, the nightmarish imagery.
Most of the attendants couldn't handle much more than a glimpse or two, but "Marcus" appreciated the darkness of it. Niko stood next to it, and he could've sworn he smiled at him.
But soon, his fans arrived, easily identifiable due to them making a bee-line to the art piece by Niko and talking animatedly with him.
"Is this inspired by Otto's encounter with an incubus earlier this year?"
Niko nodded. "Yeah, that's why his eyes are purple."
"That corpse looks really graphic. How'd you guilt-trip the curator this time."
"I just pointed out that there was no neurodivergent representation among the artists, and they took it! You can't afford to look ableist these days."
"Is that your boyfriend?"
Niko looked at "Marcus", and gave him a side hug. "Yes, he is. His name is Marcus."
Marcus spoke. "We've been together for a week, if you're curious."
The fans spoke with him more, and Niko made autographs of prints as the other artists in the gallery looked on, envious.
"Go on, go on, take a look at the gallery. I can't afford to look like a cult leader. Well, any more than I already do."
The fans were released to cause havoc in the gallery. Well, annoy everyone else in the gallery.
"Now, can you tell me why you're wearing that blue cloak?"
Niko showed Marcus a painting of a blue, cloaked figure leaning over a cradle in what looked to be a labyrinth.
"Whoa...who made this?"
"Beksiński, a pole. Very influential to me."
Marcus nodded. "That's really fascinating. What's it called?"
"It has no name, None of his paintings do."
"Huh. That's strange."
"Not quite the word I'd use, but alright."
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