My head snapped to the side when Luca slapped me across the face.
I gazed down at him then, lashes lowering when a hand print burned into my cheek.
“Bastard!” Luca yelled then, gritting his teeth when he stepped backward. “You tricked me!”
As I expected, when Luca woke up this morning, he freaked the fuck out when he found us snuggling. The poor thing.
I smiled a little. “How did I trick you, master? You’re the one who crawled in with me last night. I didn’t influence the situation at all.”
He started seething, breaths short and uneven. “You knew perfectly well that I wouldn’t be okay with it.”
“Are you a hundred percent sure that you are okay with it and are in complete denial?” I retorted.
His teeth cracked when he raised his hand.
My lashes lowered with my smile. “Be careful. I might be into that kind of thing.”
He dropped his hand then, glaring at me. “I hate you.”
“I know,” I responded with a grin, “your snuggling with me clearly states that.”
“How dare you.”
“Master, if I may...” I gazed up then, eyes dark, “it was you who came to me in the first place.”
He just huffed in and out his breaths.
“And why does it suddenly bother you?” I asked him, smirking. “You were fine when I was in your bed.”
“You weren’t pressed to me like you were!”
“You asked me to hold you,” I stated.
“You took advantage of the situation! That was unconsentual cuddling!”
I had to avoid a smirk.
He just glared, cheeks burning a bright red as he stormed to the bedroom door. “I’m going on a walk.”
My eyes glowed in amusement. “Master, you’re still in your night clothes.”
“I don’t care.”
“Would you like me to dress you first?” I suggested.
“No, I’m going on a walk.”
I arched my brows when he suddenly glanced back at the bed, and he silently stepped over to it before picking up his bunny plushie.
“Master, please do not leave the house,” I told him. “There are too many angels that keep coming here. It is not wise.”
He just hugged his stuffie and stepped over to the door. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
My smile widened as my eyes glowed a dark red.
He caught the door handle, and attempted to turn it, but it was locked in place.
He then gritted his teeth and set his foot on the door, trying to open it while pulling on the handle.
My smile widened.
He let go then and stood on his own to feet, catching his breath. “Unlock the door.”
“Sorry?”
“Unlock the fucking door.”
“The door has no lock, master,” I said smoothly.
He then hauled his plushie at me, and I caught it, smiling when his eyes grew in anger. “OPEN THE DOOR.”
I gazed up. “No.”
He gritted his teeth. “Excuse me?!”
“You want to go on a walk by yourself,” I explained to him smoothly, “which will not end well. So no.” I gazed up. “It’s too dangerous.”
He then slammed himself against the door, and I arched my brows.
“Fine then I’ll break the door down!” he screamed, crashing himself against the wood again.
I just sighed, setting his bunny plushie on the bed as I stepped over to him.
He cracked his fist against the wood before drawing back, about to hit his foot against it—
I caught his wrist and shoved him against me.
He gasped, eyes widening when his back pressed to my front.
“Are we done with this temper tantrum?” I asked him.
“Let me go!” He just fought me, reaching his hands out to catch onto the door again but he couldn’t reach it with my arm wrapped around his waist. “Let me GO!”
I pulled him back with my other hand, but he just pressed his feet onto the ground, shoving his hand against my arm as he tried to weasle his way out from my grip.
I just sighed. “Master.”
“Let me go!”
“Are we really playing this game?” I asked him.
“I said to let me go!”
I just shoved him backward, catching his arm before swinging his form toward the bed.
He suddenly cried out, tumbling onto the bed before he rolled to a stop.
He just gazed up, eyes glowing with determination.
He shot up and ran over to the door.
I just vanished and appeared next to him, catching his wrist and swinging him back onto the bed.
He rolled onto it, curling up so the impact hurt less.
I watched when he shot up again and hurled a pillow at me.
When I dodged it, he dashed over to the door again.
I caught the pillow at an instant and shoved it toward him, smacking him right in the face, hard enough so his body flew toward the bed again.
He cried out, tumbling back onto it.
I set the pillow aside when he sat up, catching his breath.
“Are you done now?” I asked him.
His cheeks were red, his nose, too. He was flushed.
He then thinned his lips and avoided eye contact, catching his plushie again before getting off the bed.
I watched as he walked over to my closet and opened the door, going inside, and closing it behind him seconds later.
I sighed, knowing that he needed somewhere to pout.
After adjusting my sheets back in place, I walked over to the closet and sat on the floor beside it, giving him space to hide his expression.
I knew very well he didn’t like to show emotion that expressed anything other than strength. When he felt emotions that showed the opposite, he would go hide somewhere so he didn’t show it to anyone.
It was a self-defense tactic he learned while in the drug trade.
Also... a comfort tactic, as well.
“Master,” I whispered kindly, “what’s wrong?”
He was silent.
“Are you really mad at me or is it something else?” I asked him.
There was no response.
I sighed and set my head against the wall. “Alright. If you don’t want to talk, then I’ll just sit here and wait until you’re ready.”
I closed my eyes then, remaining in place because I knew—despite his angry and hiding behaviors—he needed someone close to him when he was upset. He just didn’t know how to ask for it without sounding weak.
Almost two minutes later, the closet door opened.
I glanced over.
His knees were pulled to his chest as he sat on the floor, and the bunny plushie was in his lap.
I sat up then, glancing over at him gently.
I didn’t say anything, just prompting him to do or say whatever he wanted.
Luca just watched me for a moment, but his eyes clouded over with a sudden darkness, and he stared at the floor.
My eyes softened.
Something’s bothering him.
“Master, you can talk to me,” I said to him.
He shook his head.
“Alright,” I said then, sighing as I pushed my hands to the ground, “I’ll give you space.”
“No,” he said immediately.
I blinked, gazing over at him.
“Stay,” he said then, eyes dark. “Stay right there.”
My eyes softened.
He just gazed down at the floor, looking slightly uncomfortable.
“Alright,” I said then, settling back in place, “I’ll stay.”
He laid onto the floor of my closet then, and I watched as he picked up a blanket that was folded on a rack in there and draped it over himself.
He then snuggled with his bunny and gazed up at me.
I just watched him.
He then looked down and stayed there.
Master... I thought, what are you hiding from?
“How long do you want me to stay?” I asked him then.
“Forever...” he whispered.
A small smile peeked through my lips. “Forever, got it.”
I then shuffled down and laid with him, the enterance to the closet seporating us as I set my cheek on top of my hand and watched him.
We were silent for a couple minutes, just watching each other.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked me then.
I smiled then. “I like red. You?”
“I’m tied between red and black.”
“Mmm...” I said then. “Those are pretty great colors.”
He sniffled and shuffled his bunny under his cheek as a pillow. “If I was an animal, what would I be?”
I smiled a little. “A bear.”
He blinked. “Why?”
“Because you’re adorable sometimes, but other times you’re horrifying.”
He giggled then, making me smile.
“What about me?” I asked him. “What type of animal am I?”
He gazed up at me curiously, searching my features. “Mm... a cat.”
“Oh?” I adjusted my head a little. “Why?”
“Because you’re quiet, slick, and smooth when you kill. You have a smirk and coolness of one. But you also are...” he hesitated, “soft sometimes.”
My smile widened a bit.
“Dante,” he said then, gazing up, “I’m glad you’re here.”
I smiled. “Are you being nice right now? Wow. That’s concerning.”
He just puffed his cheek in annoyance and looked down at the floor.
I just gazed up at him, lightly moving my hand when he looked up curiously.
I just held my pointer-finger out to him. “I’ll stay with you forever, master. Until the universe ends and the lives of everyone deteriorates. I swear on it.” I gazed up then.
He just reached out and touched his pointer finger to mine.
I smiled gently.
His lips parted when he gazed up at me, and I just realized that his cheeks were still flushed with red.
He pulled away when I did, and we went back to staring at each other.
“So,” I said then, “what are you hiding from?”
He just lowered his lashes, shaking his head to let me know he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Are you in danger?” I asked him.
He shook his head again.
“Alright,” I said, settling back in place. “I’ll drop it then.”
I knew he was being honest because I would’ve sensed he was lying, or the contract would’ve told me.
He just sniffled and stared at the ground. “Dante....”
“Yes?”
“How would people react if they found out the Prince of Hell liked bunny plushies, dancing, and snuggling?”
I just smiled. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
He just gazed up, eyes sparkling.
Something told me it was not what was bothering him, but I told him anyway:
“What does it matter how you act around people you know? You’re the Prince of Hell, master.”
He nodded shyly.
I just smiled. “I can give you a senario.”
He gazed up.
“Just think of a couple days ago, when you encountered that Garner guy who was trying to buy the opera from you. Do you remember how you dealt with him?”
“Yes.”
“He was afraid of you,” I stated then, lashes lowering. “Only if you could see the fear swarming in his eyes... it was glorious, his fear of you.”
Luca smiled as he recalled it, telling me he was almost as twisted as I was.
I just set my head further onto my hand. “That’s how they see you. But... does it matter how I see you, master? How Jess and James see you? Does it matter?”
He just watched me.
“The answer is yes,” I said then, smiling, “it matters.”
His brows drew together.
“Do you want to know the reason why I find you intruiging?” I asked him.
He nodded.
“It’s because you have different sides. You’re like a coin with two sides... the dark side of the moon, and the light side of yin and yang.” I locked eyes with him. “Your dark side is cool and sadistic. You desire vengence on those who dare harm others, you kill them mercilessly. You are cool, calculated.”
“And the light side?” he asked me.
I smiled slightly. “Look at you right now, master. Do you see yourself right now?”
His lips parted.
“You took in the other two servants because they were homeless, you are very attached to that bunny stuffie.”
He gazed down at it, seeming oddly shy now. “My sister, Mable, gave it to me.”
“Exactly,” I said then, making him gaze up, “what I mean is... you’re adorable to put at the very least. You like stuffed animals, sweets, candy, snuggles... endless options of fluff and cuteness.”
He then puffed his cheek in annoyance again.
“That’s what makes you intriguing,” I told him then, lashes lowering. “And that’s why it doesn’t matter how people see you, master. If they are bad, you will show them cold and darkness, and if they are good, you show them kindness. It’s automatic for you.”
He just gazed up at me again, raising his pointer finger.
I pressed mine to his again, smiling.
“Stay?” he said then, pulling away.
“I’ll stay for as long as you want me here,” I promised him.
He smiled then, staring down at the floors of the closet.
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSnnnhWmCR
34Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3HwgLBhtg
