Chapter 34: A Pitiable God

Song recommendation: pretending (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eBlE3TX6RE)

Ace's eyes flashed up. His mouth dropped in disbelief.

"What?"

"You heard me," Clover answered gingerly, "Take your clothes off. You said you would give me whatever I want. You can't do this much?"

"This is all you want from me?" Ace asked doubtfully.

"If I asked for the necklace directly that would be cheating," Clover said impatiently, "You wanted to play, we're playing,"

"This is part of the game?" Ace questioned in a subdued voice.

"Everything is part of the game," Clover smirked, "So what will you do? Don't you want to make me happy?"

Ace was quiet for a moment. He pulled off his shirt and stared down at Clover. He stood bare-chested as Clover examined the six-pack lining his midriff.

"Happy?"

Clover sat up, "That's not going to cut it this time,"

Ace's jaw clenched, he slowly undid his belt. When it was done, Clover beckoned him forward.

Ace hesitated but obeyed. As soon as he was within reach, Clover yanked him forward. They slid a hand across his olive skin. Ace shivered under their touch. He swallowed and averted his gaze.

Clover's hand reached Ace's face. He glanced down in surprise as both of Clover's arms came around his neck and dragged forward. Clover was eye to eye with him. They seemed to be absorbed in a study of his features.

"You have such long eyelashes," Clover observed.

"Do I?" Ace answered stiffly.

"And I've never seen anyone with eyes as dark as yours. You remind me of a little puppy," Clover giggled.

"I'm not sure that's a compliment," Ace tried not to redden under the intensity of their stare.

"Turn around," Clover instructed.

Ace frowned, "Do I have to?"

"I don't know, do you?" Clover answered bemused.

"Fine," Ace's bit his lip.

He slowly turned around. Even with all the time they had spent together, the idea of Clover seeing his back still made Ace feel sick. Whenever they were together he never let them see it if he could help it. He felt a lump in his throat waiting for the moment to be over.

"You never told me where you got the scars from," Clover said at length. "Was it Terre Sol?"

"No,"

"Then where did you get them?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Ace replied flatly.

"But you always ask me so many questions," Clover remarked drily, "Isn't it fair that you answer some? You never speak about the past unless I drag it from you and even then only that time when you were drunk was the only time you answered me fully."

"I might ask you a lot of questions, but you hardly give me any answers," Ace retorted, "Why should I?"

"I don't think you have a very good attitude going into this game," Clover tutted.

"How will telling you about my past make you love me?" Ace replied apprehensively.

"You really don't know much about relationships do you?" Clover sighed. "If you can't share this much, do you really think you can get me to say I love you?"

"I don't think there's anyone alive who can get you to do something that you don't want to do, Clover. I already tried being nice. I tried begging. I tried doing everything right before and I still couldn't get you to say the words," Ace turned to Clover abruptly. "Maybe I'm tired of doing everything you ask,"

Clover tilted their head to one side with an undeterred smile, "Good. I hate people who beg. I think people who are nice for no reason are liars. And people who do whatever you say are idiots,"

"You must have had a low opinion of me then," Ace commented.

"Well you have many redeeming qualities," Clover mused.

"Such as?" Ace questioned.

"See. Another question," Clover pulled Ace in by the waist. "I think we need a system in place."

"A system? For answering questions?" Ace raised an eyebrow.

"An answer for an answer," Clover grinned. "What do you say?"

"Will you really answer my questions?" Ace replied sceptically.

"For the sake of our game, I will," Clover stated without conviction, "Oh, don't be so suspicious. Here, I'll start with an easy one: What did you mean when you said you tried to do the right thing? You know there's no such thing right?"

"I disagree," Ace replied reticently, "but I know it's pointless to argue with you,"

"It is," Clover laughed. "But, you don't honestly still believe that there is such a thing as 'right' in this world, do you? You must know by now, there's no such thing as right and wrong. There's only winners and losers, Ace."

"Maybe here," Ace conceded.

"Not just here!" Clover shook their head, "Look at the human world! Suffering and pain are the rule, not the exception. If the meaning of life is to suffer, how can you think there is anything good about it?"

"You're talking about two separate things. You can be right by the world's standards but still, be unspeakably wicked. It's not just about trying to be right or trying to win. It's about trying to be good. Not by the world's standards but your own," Ace exhaled.

"And what are your standards, Ace?" Clover inspected him curiously.

"It doesn't matter. They don't apply here," Ace said bitterly.

"Why not?" Clover smirked.

"Because," Ace answered with a blank expression, "You can't be good if you're dead,"

"I guess you are a practical child in the end then?" Clover mused.

"Don't call me a child," Ace pushed Clover back lightly. Then he pinned them down on the bed. Clover looked on amused.

"I don't like it," Ace began to kiss their neck.

"Is that the end of the conversation then?" Clover let out a laugh. "You won't tell me what happened to you?"

"It's my turn for a question," Ace began to unbutton Clover's shirt.

"Go ahead," Clover watched him with a grin.

"Why was Yashtara so interested in Bird?" Ace questioned.

"To answer that, you need to know where demons came from," Clover replied.

Ace blinked confused but added, "I thought they were created by the demon God, Rhiann,"

"No, Rhiann only created the demon world,"

"So then where did the demons come from?"

"I guess you could say Rhiann was quite a pitiable god. He was once a god of the Ethereal Plane. Holy and pure. The humans called him the god of the moon. However, when those same humans ripped him from the heavens in a jealous rage, he fell to their world. Of course, the human world couldn't hold magic such as his.

He sank lower and lower in despair. The demon world formed from his tears, caging him in a dark and desperate realm of his own misery. Demons were humans who accidentally fell into the demon world with him. Years of exposure to Rhiann's magic mutated them. Changing them into something unrecognisable. Since then, some of them have had a morbid curiosity with their human counterparts. Even though they can't remember why anymore,"

"But you can?"

"Oh, I'm not that old, Ace," Clover grinned, "It was thousands of years before I was born. Lune is the one who told me about it,"

"The GrandMother?" Aces said slowly, "They say she is the oldest demon alive,"

"That's right," Clover replied with a forlorn expression."She was,"

They suddenly shoved Ace's hands away and threw off their shirt. Clover grinned and pulled Ace into a kiss. Ace could feel their skin against his. It was so smooth and soft. His hand slowly worked its way to the small of their back. He lowered them down and they continued locked in each other's embrace.

Ace couldn't get enough of the feel of their skin against his. He was enthralled by their touch. Clover shifted and flung Ace to the bed. They straddled him with a smile. He lifted his hands to their face but they pinned his arms above his head.

Ace was curious to look up. He had never seen that much of Clover before. He tried to sneak a peek. He glanced down at their alabaster skin imagining tracing his fingers over it. They had the fairest skin, milky white and flawless.

Suddenly, Ace quivered. He felt Clover's touch against his nipples. He felt a slight pinch and looked down startled as Clover. Their tongue skimmed Ace's chest. Ace's face went red.

"What are you doing?" he breathed, "It tickles,"

Clover didn't answer but continued to leisurely suck the tip of his nipple. Ace felt a shudder go down his body. It felt strangely pleasurable. He stared down at Clover. The sight of their face against his chest made Ace excited. His eyes continued along their body hungrily. He wondered how a demon lord in Clover's position could be so beautiful.

"If you're looking for scars, you won't find any," Clover remarked.

"Because you've never lost?" Ace asked.

Clover burst out laughing. "You're so cute sometimes!"

Ace huffed, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Nothing," Clover tried to contain the laughter. They kissed Ace on the forehead.

"No, tell me," Ace demanded.

"Fine, but a question for a question," Clover put a hand to Ace's cheek. "Agree?"

Ace nodded impatiently.

"It's my magic," Clover smiled, "It heals me,"

"You mean, you heal yourself?"

"No," Clover dismissed, "well, perhaps at first, but now I don't have to even try. My wounds just heal on their own. I was surprised too. My master once told me that magic like mine shouldn't exist. I suppose this is what they meant, "

"Your master was the last lord of the North? Lord Ma'an?" Ace questioned.

"That's right," Clover answered.

"Was Lord Ma'an a good master?" Ace quizzed.

"Hmm," Clover's eyes seem to glaze, "Yes."

"Then why did you really kill them?"Ace said in a low voice.

"Ah!" Clover held up a finger," That's more than two questions. You have to answer me first, remember?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Where did you get those scars?"