It's been finalised.
_Chapter 3_
"You humans are always trying to bargain with me."
He shook his head, after which he stepped forward, towering over me with his amazing height. His face was put in a tight scowl, frowning at me with great discontent, simply put, he was glaring at me… I could only stare back, barely, so as to not offend the demon. I had managed to convince the demon before me to make a pact and contract with me, it wasn't easy. To be honest, I have not the slightest clue what those things are, but I read a bit about it from the book that came with the box...Speaking of which, I wonder where that book went? I haven't seen it since the whole fiasco of the summoning. Out of nowhere, I heard a grunt, it caught my attention straight away. It was from the demon before me known as "Runē", glancing up to meet his gaze, I stared into those cold, golden pools of his as he said, "Alright then. Let's get this over with.", He growled low in his throat, reaching out with a single finger to grasp hold on my chin roughly, tilting it upwards all the more, which was somewhat uncomfortable, yet exciting for me...in a weird sense…
"Alright..."
That was all I could stutter out. The little distance left between us was both teasing and unsettling, I felt suffocated, but at the same time, I didn't want him to move away. What was wrong with me? And to top it all off, it made our(𝘮𝘺) situation even worse how he seemed to be processing whether or not to actually commit to making the pact, for we stayed this way for a brief period of time, simply staring at each other… The heat radiated off of his body, sending strong signals and alerting mine. I didn't understand it, why was my body becoming weird for this 6-foot giant?
I ultimately, however, regained my composure and switched to being very serious, calm, and collected, I suppose he noticed, for he raised an eyebrow at me and hummed low in curiosity, but didn't say a word about my change in demeanor. With a small frown, I grasped his seemingly larger and longer finger, attempting to push it away as I said with a sigh, "So, how does this contract-making biz work?"
Runē flashed a fear-inducing grin at me for a split second before returning to that tight-lipped frown of his, amusement dancing on the depths of his facial features, despite him not showing it, whereas he responded with an intrigued tone while studying my reactions with his piercing gaze, "I hate it when people shorten their words…" He huffed and shook his head, his eyes alone belittling my very existence, "You humans have no class… How insufferable.." He would then say with much cruelty oozing from his voice, taking a short pause, his fingers crept further onto my chin, then after, forcefully gripping my jawline, drawing me in without a word on the matter and leaving me gasping for air. He was 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲, so very close!... His breath tickled my skin, his eyes staring directly into my soul, as the tip of our noses grazed each other. We no longer had any distance left to run, you could say "𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯", it made me feel very aware of him, more than I'd like to, "But, let's make this ridiculous contract." Shortly after, he let out a lowly growl before leaning down completely, leveling with me. The last thing I saw was a taunting spark in his eyes thereafter I felt his searing hot lips press against mine in a harsh yet oddly passionate kiss. His free hand curved around my waist, and pulled me onto his hard body, almost holding me in a tight, possessive embrace, his large tongue parted my lips and snaked its way into my mouth, licking my teeth and dancing sensually inside the corners of my mouth. I was left panting and gasping in between little breaths, struggling to stand upright, the kiss made me feel feverish, my body burning from the inside out like an overheating engine.
"W-wait...Stoo.."
I tried to say "𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣", trying my hardest to pull away from the hot kiss, but it was nearly impossible. His grip only tightened on me, overpowering me with substantial ease. In the end, all I could do was let him have his way till he was satisfied… But, the issue was that, if I didn't get some air anytime soon, I would die!! Is he trying to kill me??! Is that what this demon wants?!?!
It felt like years had passed, but I assure you, it was over a minute. He had finally let me go, and with being free, I gasped for air almost immediately, my eyes screwed shut while I staggered backward and fell to the floor due to my legs giving out on me. I could see my innocence, what was left of it anyway, shattered into a billion pieces on the floor before me. Such a kiss…that can only be performed by two lovers, this man…No, this demon did it without my consent. He truly is a demon. It took me some time, but I finally regained some self-control and managed to gather what was left of me, which, if I were to be brutally honest, wasn't much… Shooting my eyes open, I shut him a glare, only for my eyes to catch the bastard smiling, mocking me. His sinister grin never faltered, he announced lightheartedly, "Contract sealed, our pact has been made… Human." After which, he clicked his tongue at me and turned away, folding his arms once more with attitude, as if I was the one who did something wrong. The nerve of this demon… His carefree attitude on the matter upset me so, that my face turned deep red, my cheeks tinting darkly as I arose swiftly, saying, "What the actual heck, you seal contracts and pacts by kissing!? Why wasn't I informed beforehand??"
"What?"
The demon said, his tone daring me to continue speaking in such a way. He glanced my way from the corner of his eyes, a very dark aura omitting off of him, which made me quiet down a little, quickly shutting my trap and composing myself, I decided it would be best to let him explain himself, or he couldn't…trying not to die, folks.
Fortunately for me, he explained, responding with a less irked tone than before as his eyes trailed elsewhere, traveling across my room, "Something as simple as a formality like that needs no such thing, don't be childish, you humans do much more than a simple kiss." He later scuffed and rolled his eyes, his tail which had been stagnant for a while seemingly came alive again, wagging earnestly behind him as he continued, but in a lower tone, more of a grumble, "How is it my fault that it's the silly code of conduct for us demons?... Tch."
He sounded like he was deeply insulted, perhaps I was taking the kiss too personally?... Well, I had to say something to appease him, so, "Right, of course." I voiced politely, "My apologies, Runē-sama. I guess I got a tiny bit weird there." I said sheepishly, letting out a cute, bashful laugh, hoping that maybe it would lighten the mood, "But for future reference, please inform me beforehand so I can mentally prepare myself, thanks.." I then added, clearing my throat awkwardly right after. In response, he stared at me strangely, analyzing my words and expressions, taking in all that I've said into what I hoped was possible reconsideration, before responding calmly, "Fair enough."
Hearing him agree to that was a huge relief, with everything he has said and with how he has acted, I thought that that too would be another battle, but thank heavens we came to a mutual understanding quickly. Although, it's strange. The kiss most likely meant nothing to him, but yet, for some reason… my heart won't stop racing, while my body won't calm down. What is this feeling?...
While I was busy trying to understand my strange behavior, Runē called for my attention, "Human, your wishes? Please don't waste my time." The towering demon demanded with a huff, waving his hand almost dismissively at me, but urging me to speak swiftly. I watched him with a small frown plastered on my features, my eyebrows furrowed faintly, "Oh right," I said at first, only just now coming to terms with my new reality. I wonder, just how long had he been trying to get my attention while I was busy spacing out. "I actually haven't really thought of anything yet, could I ask for a bit of time?" I said, tilting my head and staring up at him, meeting his gold-shining orbs. He stared down at me, his eyes glistening with amusement, giving me a short nod of agreement, "Very well then, you will have three days to think of your wishes." Later shrugging indifferently. He turned away from me, and headed for the door, or so I thought, but stopped briefly to glance over his shoulder with an almost mischievous glimmer in his eyes. "Oh, and just so you know, Human," he added casually as he turned around, walking backward and slowly seeping through the wall, as if becoming one with it, "Kissing is a standard in the making of contracts and pacts, that is true…However, I think you should know that it also comes naturally to me." With that, he completely fazed through the wall, his voice echoing his final words to me upon vanishing,
"So be prepared."
And that was it, he was gone as fast as he appeared, and I was left to deal with the aftermath. Thinking deeply about his words, I simply scuffed and said out loud to myself, "Silly demon." then shook my head and began to clean up. Clearly, he was trying to tease me. And unfortunately, it worked. I was concerned, certainly, but for the time being, I concluded that the right thing to do at the moment, since he was gone, was to clean up the mess the summoning made. Gazing down at the scorched-up mess of a room, I sighed and got down on my knees, gathering up what was left of the candles, "Maybe I should wish for my room to be clean." I wondered, thinking out loud once again, but erased the idea. It didn't make sense to waste a wish on something I could easily do myself.
After tidying up my room, and putting away the remnants of the tools I used for summoning, I took a seat on my bed, letting out a very much-needed sigh of relief. Cleaning my room ordinarily doesn't take so much energy but after everything with Runē? Of course, I'd be exhausted, anyone would! It wasn't very helpful that my mind kept wandering back to the kiss of earlier, despite it not having any real significance, I can't help the fact that it was my first kiss! And stolen without a thought by a demon for that matter! Maybe I shouldn't have gone to that shop in the first place…
I groaned and grabbed a nearby pillow, covering my face and letting out a short yell of frustration, before falling backward onto my bed.
"Well, I won't be feeling lonely any time soon."...
------
After that day, a week and a half passed and I never saw Runē again. I wasn't sure how the whole contract, pact thing worked, so I didn't dwell on it too much, I just assumed that he'd show his face when the need for me to make those wishes arose. The choker that was given to me from the box, I wasn't able to take it off. I tried, but it only burned me when I became forceful, yet, another thing that most likely comes with making a pact with a demon. All in all, I kept getting weird stares and compliments from my pairs. After all, it's not an accessory of choice I'd normally wear, so it's to be expected.
Moving on, I returned home after a long day of university. I didn't bother to cook and chose to make instant ramen, after which I headed straight for my room, a single bedroom with simple things you'd find in a young adult's room, only that it was ever so lonely. Glancing to my left, I saw at the corner, just by my closet, sat my full-body-sized mirror. There it stood with all its glory, and in it stood a very visibly tired, tall, fairly good-looking, dark-skinned young male, with curly hair dreads, baggy clothes, a frown, and the only feature, aside from my dark skin, and curly hair, that stood out from the rest of the crowd here in Japan…my pink, cherry blossom colored eyes. I was a strange one, I dare not deny. My appearance alone raised numerous questions that would at times hinder my way of life, but I've learned to embrace the weirdness that set me apart from others here in this wonderful country. Another thing that set me apart was my size, I was bigger than most, if not, all the guys in my major, not that I was fat, like that would be a issue, but I was rather bulky?.. muscular? If that's what you wanna call it, hah... Don't mind me, I'm just complaining considering how skinny everyone else is compared to me, only few times I see guys like myself over here in Kyoto, so I'm just lamenting.
Gazing elsewhere, slightly annoyed from just seeing myself, I worked my way to my bed and collapsed on it right away, heaving a huge sigh as I called out with a whine, "Runē-sama! I've finally come up with a wish, show yourself. " I then sat up straight and ruffled my hair a bit, muttering under my breath, "Runē? Are you there?... Ah, jeez, come out from wherever the hell you disappeared to."
There was a momentary pause in the air, as if time had come to a complete halt, it worried me for a moment, that was until Rune's figure appeared in front of me, his eyes studying me with amusement. He inclined his head slightly, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "You have called me here, mortal?" His voice was like silk and honey mixed together, seductive yet dangerous at the same time. How can a man be so attractive both with words and looks, yet omit such a deadly aura? It was beyond me. Repeating myself once more, he gave a nod of understanding, replying simply,
"Very well,"
He murmured as he stepped closer to me, causing an invisible current of energy to stir between myself and he. "What is your first wish?" Gazing up at his, I allowed my eyes to take in his features once more. And, my goodness!... He was the literal word for Sexy. His facial features were bold and mature, his jawline built perfectly in absolute perfect symmetry, his dark radiant skin, those beautiful unwavering golden pools that stare gaping holes into any soul, those lips that once grazed mine, so full and soft, yet tightly held in a grimace, his hair short, silky black, just like mine, only that it appeared far more richer than I could ever hope to achieve, as his shoulders stood broad, the muscles ripped and enticing to any who lay eyes on it. He was built, very muscular, and covering such a muscular frame was lovely Egyptian-like fabric, cotton soft but shining like silk, each fabric coming in different vibrant colors, clothing his lower body, and masking his shame yet exposing the rest of his glossy frame. He was a masterpiece, truly. I could make a lot of people jealous with him, just putting that out there…
"...My first wish.." I mumbled out absentmindedly, somewhat left in a trance from staring at his amazing psychic. "..is to have you keep me company from here on out, no disappearing like you did before!" I finally said with boldness, tearing my eyes away from his body and meeting his gaze, all the while doing my best to hide the possible blush of embarrassment that was slowly creeping its way onto my cheeks. Rune raised an eyebrow, impressed by my boldness. His golden eyes flashed as he considered the request. "Ah, I see," He chuckled softly, I could sense a bit of tenderness from it, "So you wish for my companionship and presence. Very well."
He leaned down slightly so that our faces were leveled, his warm breath brushing against my cheek and causing me to tremble involuntarily, "Then let it be written; Rune is bound to you in arrangement until such time when either of us wishes to end it. But know this..." His voice dropped low, a warning tone lacing each word that sent shivers down my spine, "I am not your pet nor your plaything, Human. Remember that." He gave me a stern glare, one that had a raised eyebrow to it, expecting me to say something or reply, noticing that it was my cue to speak, but could not conjure up any sort of verbal response, I nodded my head swiftly in understanding, which granted me a small smile that graced his lips. Later he stood erect and straight, allowing me space to breathe.
"Anything else?"
He asked, his voice showing mild concern as his eyes were busy elsewhere, looking anywhere but here. I, on the other hand, was still recuperating and couldn't think of anything tangible, simply replying with a shake of the head, "No. That's all." Now that that was settled, and that I had calmed down completely, I returned my attention to Runē, noticing that he was lost in thought, staring outside my window. I found it to be rather alluring, but will never voice out such a thing. I cleared my throat and called out to him, "Hey, could you come sit over here? If you don't mind, that is." Once more, making sure to be courteous as possible. Rune averted his attention to me, raising an eyebrow as a small smirk played at the corners of his lips. He grunted and moved over my way, taking a seat by me. In the end, he occupied most of the space and left me scouting to the very end of the bed. Without much thought behind it, I randomly said out loud, "Gosh, have you always been this big?" And before I could even catch it, I had already said it. Darting my gaze his way, I watched his expression to see any signs of irritation on his face, but luckily, he didn't seem bothered by my comment, "I have always been this big, yes. But that is beside the point." He shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable on the bed before leaning back against the headboard with both arms crossed over his chest.
"Now then," he began casually,
"Since we are bound together by this hellish contract, why don't you tell me a little about yourself? No need to hold anything back; after all, 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙."