The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Thirteen pt 3

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That night the moonlight was dim, barely existent. The rustle of the trees played melody along the forest bugs. Under the obsidian night, Drokn laid across from Eial, beds on opposite walls. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could barely make out the figure that dipped with each curve. Again, he felt an irresistible urge bloom inside of him, asking to be near.

His long nails clicked against the firm bed in rhythm as his eyes carved deep into the elf's back. And finally, with a frustrated huff, he swung his legs over and walked to the other side. Hands patting and measuring the width of the empty surface, he seated himself next to the sleeping being whose chest lifted and sank in a pattern.

Drokn brought his face closer to the one below, getting a closer view. Because he couldn't see. Because of the darkness. Because he wanted to soak every single detail the elf had to offer.

The loose black strings of his hair grazed the soft cheeks. His left hand lifted to land on the straight silver draping from the elf's head and slowly brushed it to the side, layers of thread intertwining between his fingers.

He noticed the light crease between the elf's brows, and lifting a thumb, he gently laid the slender pad upon the fold until they smoothed as if liquid in his touch. When the skin was completely flat and no longer strained, the faintest of a curl touched the ends of Drokn's lips.

Lashes black drooped down and up. The weight of his body felt heavier. He longed to spend the night in contact with this warm being, remembering the comfort of the elf within his arms earlier, hugged as if a large stuffed bear.

Suddenly, Eial shook and a long wind of air flowed out from his nose. "Silly," the rose lips blew airily, barely audible, and with a couple taps of his tongue on the roof of his mouth, breathed in a steady pattern again.

Booming heartbeats rushed inside the demon in panic. Coming back to his senses, he stiffened, trying to not make sudden movements that could wake up Eial. What the fuck am I doing? What the fuck am I thinking?

Slowly, carefully, he stood back up and glided back to his bed. But looking at the surface, he had an intense urge to kick the damn thing as if to destroy it. Eventually, he settled to just lay down with his brows drawn in, mumbling to himself between his teeth.

The next morning, the demon woke up well into the day, making up for the lack of sleep as of late and the added emotional exhaustion. When he slid out of their underground room, he came across a bright smile with rosy cheeks.

"Oh, you're finally awake," the sweet voice said, a glow seeming to illuminate around him. "Good morning. Or, afternoon?" He followed with a giggle and made his way to the side, glancing back at the demon on occasion. Before he went too far, the demon heard him softly whisper, "Silly."

And the demon froze. Was he awake last night? Chaos rid his mind all the way up his stride to where Eial had begun preparing a meal for him. In the wait, he popped in a berry. And another. And a feigned cough— "What's brought you to a good mood?" The words slurried out before he could even contemplate it as a choice.

"Oh, just," the elf glanced once again at the demon, "it's nothing."

Now, Drokn's eyes widened and the tips of his ears brushed red. "Tell me!" he shouted, his voice louder than he intended.

But it shook the elf none. Eial just giggled to himself a little more with his eyes distant as if recollecting memories. "I had a dream about you."

The demon's pulse rose and his throat dried. He started to stuff berries into his mouth in mindless movement.

"In this dream...

...you danced."

Drokn immediately choked on a berry and started coughing. Processing what the elf just said, he almost gagged at the thought of him frolicking like a street performer.

"...And when I complimented you, you huffed out your chest and exclaimed, 'of course I'm amazing!' and danced some more for me." Eial could hold back no longer and he started to laugh merrily, reminiscing at the images playing in his mind. "You're so silly."

"I'm silly? You mean your dream is! What kind of person do you even think I am?" grated the demon, his face red. Any thankfulness he had felt that Eial wasn't awake last night was completely drowned by the humiliating thought of him waving his hands and feet for the elf's enjoyment.

Behind him, he suddenly heard a quiet, "Pfft." Instantly spinning his head counterclockwise, he made eye contact with another pair of amber eyes, both widened.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to intrude. Just needed the fire for a bit. I heard nothing," the woman said in one breath with a hand over her mouth. But not even a minute later, she strained again before letting go and laughing wholeheartedly.

Boiling blood seethed within and Drokn flew to stand, his claws digging deep into the thick skin on his palms. Before he could spin around and storm away, Eial engulfed the demon's fists within the curve of his hands and landed himself on the demon's chest, his own chest and right cheek laying against the broad warmth. The vibrations of his joyful giggles resonated past the linen and into the demon's own skin.

And like sugar in boiling water, Drokn's shoulders melted and dropped. Oh, he wanted to be upset so much, but he felt swallowed within the elf's cheers.

His hands still on the other's, Eial eased back to look at his mother. "He's silly, isn't he? Has he always been this way?" he asked as if sharing a mutual understanding, smiling with sparkles in his eyes.

The demon's mood dropped. As if she knew anything about me—

"Always!" the demoness exclaimed, still displaying her mischievous glee. "Back then, he'd come to tell me the weirdest things. 'The clouds are actually made of turtles. You probably didn't know!' he'd say proudly with his stubby little nose pointed up." She wrinkled her nose as she said the last few words. "Oh, and get this. When I took breaks from work, I'd always find him sleeping with a mouth full of drool. Tell me Eial, does he still do that?"

"Of course I don't!" Drokn's face paled and flushed at the same time. He never would have said or done such absurd and humiliating things! But a fleeting warmth caressed his chest as she spoke of her observations. So fleeting, however, one could say it never existed. He gulped and his eyes wandered, seeking something, yet not knowing what.

"Silly silly," Eial said, looking up warmly at Drokn. Letting go of the demon's hands, he then encircled the other's waist, grazing his sides in passing. With his arms wrapped snugly around the demon, he repeated, "You're so silly."