Title: A Cruel Lesson
Theme: #22 - 一期一会; ichi-go ichi-e (never again)
Disclaimer: I do not own Demon Diary or any of its characters.
Summary: Raenef realizes something about his fate while grieving a friend's death.
Sobs wracked the demon lord's body, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the balcony railing. Eclipse stood silently behind him, watching his shoulders shake. He offered Raenef no comfort, though it was killing him not to do so. His lord had to learn about these things eventually.
Raenef had not stopped crying since he'd heard the news of Chris' death. The cleric was old and had died peacefully after living a full life of doing great things. But this knowledge was not enough to console him. Chris had been one of his dearest friends. If Raenef had known then how hard this would be… No. He shook his head. He would not regret his friendship with the human; he could not. But many more years would pass from this day, and many more friends would meet their mortal deaths. And Raenef would have to lose them all. He would never see them again.
Turning abruptly from the railing, Raenef clutched at Eclipse's robes, burying his face against his servant's neck. Eclipse willed his arms to stay by his sides and made no move to embrace the other. But he let him stay where he was until he was done crying and only then did he place his hand on Raenef's back, gently reminding him that out of all the people Raenef would have to lose, he would not be one of them.