The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Eighteen pt 3

"Do you feel lonely?" The demoness responded after the elf explained the strange sensation he was feeling.

The elf sat on his bottom with his knees bent up. He bought his arms around them and rested his face sideways on one knee. After a thought, he voiced his reflections. "I do think I'm a little lonely, but I don't think that's what I'm feeling. This isn't the only time! He makes me feel this often, more than anyone I have met, and I feel like I lose control of myself. And I don't like that."

The demoness pondered this for a moment and when an idea clicked, she quietly pfft-ed and turned away to hide her face. "Eial, I don't think you should feel bad about what you're feeling. But maybe you should talk to Drokn about it."

However, the elf was unable to talk about it. This behavior of his exertion continued with the demon still for a couple days, having both the demoness and the elf on distant watch. The demon had managed to be convinced to eat each meal with the promise of the soreness healing concoction. Which, by the way, the elf continued to not sweeten. Not for any reasons of playfulness. Rather, it felt like a way to ease the buzzing inside himself.

Eial had forgotten to bring up his feelings when they were eating as the bliss of the moment had distracted him. In other times, Drokn claimed he was too busy. Eial thought, he indeed is too busy, and wished he would stop being so.

The elf couldn't even figure out if the demon had slept. The demon had always been awake when the elf was, moving around for his so-called "training". That was, until one day Eial found the demon lying down on loose grass, stillness becoming of him. Quick on his feet, the elf ran over and called out his name, his pulse racing and mind frantic in worry.

With a jolt, the demon's eyes split open and his body bent up. When he turned to face the elf, Eial could see the demon's bloodshot eyes and dark circles caving under his eyelids. Not even another thought, Eial brought his hands to cover the demon's eyes, a light blue glow around them.

Drokn seemed mindless for a moment as the cooling sensation soothed his face. But in the next moment, as his mind grew more alert, he grabbed the elf's wrist and took them away from him with a, "No need," and shakily stood up, assuming to start working again.

The buzzing within the elf grew even louder.

This time, a large pour of water spilled from nothing in the air, drenching the demon completely. When the demon gaped his mouth open, ready to sputter, another wash of water rushed down, stunning him, silencing him.

After a standoff where the two had stared at each other, Drokn finally spoke. "This time, you will tell me why you did that."

Biting his lower lip, the elf's eyes unwavered from the demon's. "Oh Drokn, I don't understand what it is you're actually training."

"You don't need to understand. I know what I'm doing."

Eial's eyebrows curled in slightly. "You're not training properly. The way you're going about this, you'll only hurt yourself and gain nothing."

A twitch grazed Drokn's right cheekbone, and under his lips, his teeth clenched.

"I'm trying to help, but you won't listen."

"I didn't ask for your hel—" Was as far as the demon had gotten before another large dump of water splashed him from the front.

"Goodness!" Eial shouted suddenly. "You! Are! So! Stubborn!"

The unusual outburst from Eial caused Drokn to pause, stupefied. When yet another splash of water smacked the demon in the face, he regained his senses and began to yell, "You—!"

But before he could continue, the elf interrupted the demon with a swift kick to the back of the demon's thigh. The kick itself was not strong by any means, however, Drokn's sore muscles had already had a hard time standing, and the slight contact on his screaming muscles made his legs buck, causing him to fall backwards.

Immediately, Eial straddled the fallen demon, pinning his arms above. At this point, Drokn's aching body had no actual strength left to resist, so he just laid still under the weight of the elf.

Green eyes looking down on the demon's amber, the elf talked with a type of fury he could not distinguish. "You make me feel so—! So—!" Eial's mind stilled for a split second before he spat the word, "—Annoyed!" And like the sand of an hourglass, his thoughts passed through and settled, finally making sense.

Eial was familiar with the feelings of annoyance. Such as, when his cape would become caught on a branch. Or when raindrops continued to bounce on his eyelids relentlessly. But the only emotions he had usually felt with people so far had been warmth or loneliness. The demon, however, had been gifting him with a rainbow of emotions, some nice, some difficult. Yet in the end, all so interesting and new.

When the reasoning of his buzzings finally settled upon him, the elf could not help but laugh. "I was annoyed!" he said aloud, a face full of smiles. "You made me feel so annoyed and frustrated, it was unbelievable!"

The glee in his voice and the twinkle in his eyes contrasted with the words he was spewing confused the demon beyond reason. Unable to wrap his mind around the situation, Drokn continued to stare, wondering if the elf had gone mad, but covertly enjoying the lightness he brought to his chest.

Between his words and laughter, Eial had eased the knot of the red ribbon Drokn had worn to keep his hair up. The one he had once given Drokn beautiful and new, now completely wet. Before Drokn could notice, Eial had wound the ribbon around the demon's wrists, and earth magic seemed to have covered his feet with firm soil, immobilizing them.

And then,

He was kissed.

Drokn couldn't think as the elf's lips landed on his at this odd moment, but in the back of his mind, he remembered what he'd said to the elf:

["Whenever you feel ready, tie my arms and legs up if you want. And you kiss me."]

Soon, he started to care less of why it was happening, and cared more that it was happening. Although, not even a couple seconds into the kiss, Drokn had regretted even suggesting what he had to the elf. He desperately wanted to shove his fingers through the white threads of his silky hair and bring him closer, melting the moment. However, with his tied limbs, he could only be at the mercy of the elf.

The warmth of the elf's lips on his cold, wet ones was intoxicating. Perhaps it was the delirium of having no rest, but he could hardly think. Could hardly think when the elf had opened his lips with his own. Could hardly think as the elf's fingers drifted into his mouth, caressing his tongue, while his lips remained in contact. Could hardly think as his fingers seemed to have a distinct taste.

...His fingers had a distinct taste?

Back to reality, the demon's eyes stretched wide as he was made to swallow an odd and slightly sweet substance. "What did you put in me??" the demon demanded as he saw the elf move away from his lips.

"The sleeping medicine. I'm allowed to have a little revenge," the elf giggled, a playful grin painted on with glittering eyes.

"You..." Imp, the demon had wanted to say, but the sleeping medicine took effect on him faster than it had with the elf, and the demon grew limp.

As Eial saw Drokn's consciousness fade, he whispered, "Sorry," to his ears and smiled. Releasing the hold on his feet, he gently caressed the red ribbon around the demon's wrists before untying it and releasing him completely. An arm under the demon's back, and arm under the demon's knees, Eial lifted him up and carried his demon as if he were a princess. Drokn would have detested to be in such a position, but there was only so much one could do while unconscious. And what he didn't know wouldn't hurt his pride.