Chapter 91 - Devil's kiss

Oh, how his head hurt.

Blinking a few times, Gustavo took a while to open his eyes. His body felt heavy, wanting to sleep some more.

— Did you wake up?

The velvety voice immediately dispelled his laziness. Gustavo promptly sat up in surprise.

— What... Happened? Wait, where am I?

Looking around, the drummer realised the elegant man sitting in a velvet chair, watching him with a smile on his face.

That's right!

He had gone to meet Diablo as soon as rehearsals were over.

— You looked pretty tired, so I let you get some sleep.

Did he fall asleep?

Gustavo couldn't remember exactly what had happened. Just that he was chatting on the park bench, as always did. 

— My friends must be worried if I take too long...

— Don't worry about them, one of your friends came to find you and I explained that you'd been asleep. I guess it's okay to rest for the night.

— Huh? Does that make sense?

Diablo gave an innocent smile as he leaned his head on his right hand.

— Well, being friends with an Evilian has its privileges. This is a rest area for Dreamland employees, so you're safe.

Gustavo's cheeks reddened. He didn't much like the idea of taking advantage of his friendship with Leonardo, but he really had been tired lately.

Besides, it felt like he was in a tent. He couldn't hear any noise coming from outside. He picked up his mobile phone and the screen wouldn't turn on. The battery was probably dead.

Haa... What kind of trouble had he got himself into?

— I should have thought I'd pass out from exhaustion. I'm sorry for giving you trouble, Diablo.

— It's all right, it's all right — laughed the illusionist, getting up from his chair to approach the cushion where Gustavo was sitting — More importantly, are you feeling better?

Diablo reached out and gently stroked his cheek. The touch of his hand was gentle and delicate, which surprised Gustavo. It was warm and cosy, leaving him with a subtle sensation of not wanting to move away from that warmth.

— Uh-huh — murmured the boy, soon remembering something — Oh, and your hand? Did you take care of your wound?

Gustavo held Diablo's hand and watched as his palm found the piece of cloth he had rolled up earlier. There was a bloodstain on the fabric, a sign that the illusionist hadn't tended to his wounds as he'd said before.

Looking up at Diablo, Gustavo found those red eyes fixed on him.

— What?

— You're the strangest human I've ever met.

— What...?

— It's not like I'm going to die from an injury like that, so you don't have to worry so much.

Tilting his head, Gustavo remembered his most recent worry.

Small accidents could be more dangerous than expected.

The image of what happened to his sister sprang to mind as proof.

— Even if you didn't die... Even if you were immortal or never felt pain, I'd still be worried.

Diablo peeked his eyes.

— Why?

— Does there have to be a reason? — The boy replied innocently — I mean, we're friends, right? So of course I'm going to worry about you.

It was a bit embarrassing to say that out loud, even though it was true. Even more so with that man staring at him so closely as if he were analysing every particle of his soul.

In fact, it was hard to deal with someone so handsome paying attention to you.

— Anyway... don't you need to go home? Your family might be worried about you.

Stepping back a little, Diablo sat down on the upholstery.

— I don't have a family, so it's fine to stay here.

— Ah... I'm sorry.

— Is that something to apologise for? — Diablo smiled as he crossed his legs — Are you feeling sorry for me?

— Not at all! I don't know what your life story is like, and I might end up saying something that offends you...

Argh, why was it so hard to explain yourself when you got nervous? Gustavo usually kept quiet in conversations, and now he wanted to talk to that illusionist.

— My life story? — Diablo murmured with a faraway look in his eyes — How can I summarise it? I'd say I was born a long time ago and I've always been alone.

Oh, he was an orphan? 

Gustavo felt bad.

To think that the drummer had complained about his family's problems to someone who didn't even have one. Maybe at that moment he had already stepped on a landmine without even realising it.

— Isn't it lonely? — Gustavo whispered, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment when Diablo paid attention to him — Aren't you lonely?

Diablo just stared at him.

Without saying a word, the illusionist stared at him until a thin smile appeared on his lips.

— Not any more — Reaching out to touch Gustavo's messy fringe, Diablo continued — Lately I've become more ambitious than I usually am.

— What do you mean?

— You were the first human to show compassion for a creature like me. That kind of warmth... It's strange to me, which makes me long for this more and more.

He spoke in a strange way, Gustavo realised.

But he had seen circus people being weird too, to the point where it was hard to tell when they were rehearsing for their character or if they were really like that. Perhaps to be a performer such weirdness was a prerequisite. 

Does this mean that Diablo liked their friendship? Since he'd never been affectionate before?

— It's good to know that you like me.

Diablo leaned his forehead on Gustavo's shoulder. Surprised, Gustavo wasn't sure what to do. It was probably at that moment that his new friend was opening his heart.

Considering that in all the conversations they'd had, Gustavo had been the one chattering non-stop, this was a big step forward. He was getting to know more about Diablo, discovering that behind that good person there was a loneliness swallowing him up.

Stroking his dark hair, Gustavo soaked up this new sensation. His heart beat slightly faster as he felt the warmth coming from Diablo's body. His long, straight, dark hair was soft too.

Her fingers tangled in the smooth strands, which slid into her palm. He was so handsome...

— If you act like that, it's hard for me to contain myself, human.

— Hm? What do you want...

Gustavo had always been a shy boy, it was difficult to get close to people and talk to them. When someone spoke to him, his brain would go haywire and he'd hardly know how to keep the conversation going.

But with Diablo, conversations always flowed well. It was comfortable that someone was willing to listen to you when you had so much to talk about. And even better that he took his concerns seriously.

However, if Gustavo lacked friendly interactions... Romantic interactions weren't even close.

That's why he had no reaction at all when Diablo kissed him.

So suddenly.

While their lips were touching, the drummer thought of absolutely nothing. His mind went blank as if it had been covered by a fog. 

And even with such sensations, he still felt the warmth coming from Diablo.

When Diablo pulled away and stroked his cheek, Gustavo blinked dazedly, processing what had just happened.

— I've made up my mind. I'll keep you for myself.

— Is that... some kind of confession? — Gustavo asked — Do you... Do you like me?

Diablo just smiled, a different smile than usual. There was a slight malice there that emphasised his beauty. 

It was sexy.

What the hell was he thinking?

Was he really having dirty thoughts about his new friend?

Perhaps they were both misunderstanding the situation.

Gustavo was snapped out of his thoughts when Diablo grabbed his chin. Having to stare into those red eyes, he felt increasingly nervous.

— I'm greedy. Many humans call out to me, but then want to run away because they can't stand the real me. I wonder, will you run away too?

— Hm... Maybe these people are afraid of having a serious relationship.

Gustavo often heard about his friends' love problems. Rafael and Juliano always told him about their fights with the girls they were with, something about complaining about their bad habits. Even then, he realised that not everyone was willing to get into a relationship.

In fact, it was as if people were looking for an empty shell of beautiful appearance that they could fill with the qualities they dreamed of. 

They completely ignored each other's true selves.

Weren't your parents like that?

Isn't that why your mum always fought with your dad? The unhealthy jealousy that gave your father no room to understand. A relationship that gradually wore down, leaving only resentment at not having your expectations met.

— Would you run away from me too?

— I don't know. I've never dated anyone before... — Gustavo admitted with shame — What if I'm just like my mum? Shouting and suspicious... 

Wait... Was he really considering kissing Diablo again? Or even worse, staying with him?

Gustavo's cheeks flushed. 

It was the first time anyone had shown any interest in him. Diablo seemed to be a lot older than him, and he also had a strange way of talking. But...

Gustavo had to admit that he was happy that someone found him interesting. And he didn't want that feeling to go away.

Hearing a low, muffled laugh, Diablo took Gustavo's hand and brought it up to his face. When their gazes met, Diablo kissed his knuckles, exuding an incomparable sensuality.

— As long as you keep looking at me, giving in to your compassion and staying by my side, I'll be the most haunted creature in the underworld.

— Haunted creature of the underworld? Didn't you mean happy in the circus?

— I need to keep my character as an illusionist, don't you think?

Frankly...

Diablo was the strangest person Gustavo had ever met.

He imagined that his weirdness drove many people out of his life, leaving him always alone. Gustavo could only think of this as justification for him asking the drummer not to run away.

But that didn't mean he didn't like him. Considering that everything was so new, maybe it was time for Gustavo to experience his first relationship. Besides, he knew that his friends wouldn't judge him, since they had accepted Leonardo's relationship well. 

So... It would be fine if he tried to make it work, wouldn't it?

This time, the initiative came from Gustavo. Resting his hands between his legs, he leaned in and kissed Diablo gently. A shy kiss, but one that was his definitive answer.

— You kissed me first, so... Take responsibility for that.

Diablo's smile was tender.

Just like his kiss.