No matter how many pages I flipped through, nothing caught my eye. Teachers have always claimed that reading was good for you, that it sharpened your brain, but I found it downright boring. It was rare for any written word to pull me in and refuse to let me go. I sighed deeply, shutting the hard cover with a blunt thwack. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek into my fist. Everything was so pointless and mundane. I wanted to escape so badly, but nothing ever changed and nobody ever came to sweep me off my feet. Well, except him, I suppose.
I stood to my feet, walking over to the large windows of the clown's office. I watched intently over all the people who walked by on the streets far below—stupid, naïve people. Didn't they realize how pointless life was? Recently, I've failed to even discover a reason to rise from my bed, sleeping away hours upon hours just to escape the misery of emptiness.
Again, I sighed. I was alone in the room. Why? Who was I even waiting for? Him? The clown? I didn't know, really. Being alone wasn't really that big of a deal. In fact, it was nice most of the time.
"Kato?" I heard a familiar voice call.
I turned my head to the door, plastering a forced smile onto my lips, "Oh, hey, Rin-san."
"Hey," he replied. "Why are you here?"
I turned back around, cushioning myself atop Mephisto's brightly colored, pink sofa, my arms over my knees. "I could ask you the same."
He chuckled as he scratched his head. "I guess you're right."
We dawdled in the silence for several minutes as I continued to stare mindlessly through the stainless windows, the sun's radiant rays swallowing up everything on the horizon.
Rin kicked at his heels as he interrupted the stillness. "The clown has a lot of nerve, calling me to his office—not even here," he muttered.
I smiled again lightly. I've never really considered Mephisto a clown, but ever since I heard Rin call him that, I've gotten into the habit as well—a patronizing endearment, even though a part of me still didn't much care for him.
"Oi~!" his voice suddenly boomed throughout the room as Mephisto entered, a conniving, toothy grin stretching across the entirety of his face. He walked in with open arms, that typical expression of his adorning his visage. I rolled my eyes as they turned their concentration back to my previous subject.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" he said as he landed stylishly in his seat. He folded his long legs and crossed his arms. Then he noticed me, and a look of intrigue sparked in his emerald eyes before returning his attention to Rin.
"You wanted to talk to me about something?" Rin asked intolerantly.
"Yes, yes!" Mephisto rang. His lack of earnest jabbed at my mind with annoyance, yet at the same time, I admired his nonchalance. However, deep down, I knew he always had some sort of master plan forming in his mind. He got bored easily, too—even worse than I did.
I nearly blocked out the totality of their conversation, only catching every few words: "This favor…need…carry out."
How droll. I smirked ever so slightly, listening to the tone of Mephisto's voice rise and fall dramatically as he spoke. Surprisingly, I had yet to hear Rin protest against any detail. I guess he loved and hated Mephisto in much the same way I did.
"Huh? Why don't you do that yourself?" I heard Rin shout abruptly, his objection pulling on my ears. 'Then again, maybe not,' I thought.
"But it would mean so much more from you, Okumura-kun~!" Mephisto chimed.
A scowl decorated Rin's normally pleasant face. I sighed, standing up, and then stepped between them. "I'll do it," I suggested sheepishly.
"Look here, Shijikku-kun has offered to do your chore for you."
Rin growled in the back of his throat.
"You're excused," Mephisto said as he waved his hand in dismissal.
"Stupid clown," Rin mumbled before slamming the door behind him.
"My, my," Mephisto exclaimed calmly as his lips, once again, curled into a Cheshire's grin accompanied by that typical keen-edged look in his eye.
What was it I had agreed to exactly?
"You know how I like it, Kato-chan," he then said with a wink.
"Huh?" was all I managed to say, having no clue as to what he was referring. My mind drifted to the bottommost corners of the gutter, preconceived innuendos swimming through the sludge. I blushed lightly—against any will of my own.
"My tea?" Mephisto cooed, almost as if he'd read my mind.
"Uh, oh, right! Of course," I stammered, snapping out of my not-so-innocent thoughts, not that I've had many innocent thoughts lately, anyway. Mephisto and I? No. Never. My eyes were fixated upon someone else.
I handed Mephisto his tea carefully. The last thing I wanted to do was have to clean up any messes. I hated cleaning. That was pointless, too. He thanked me with a disconcerting kindness, and soon, I found myself attached to the sofa again, my knees pressed to my rounded chest, waiting.
I felt Mephisto's gaze devouring me, but he said nothing.
I was growing impatient. Where was he?
After a few more minutes, my resolve shattered, and I arose from my station. As I made my way over to the door, Mephisto turned and said, "Leaving so soon?"
I looked at him strangely. I've been waiting for hours. "I guess so," I replied, refusing to say anything more.
Mephisto sipped loudly on his fourth cup of tea, a look of disapproval adorning his face. "Ah, but he should be here soon."
"Who?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Amaimon," he said sharply, a hint of mischief flickering in his eyes.
"Who said I was waiting for anybody?" I retorted. It wasn't really any concern of his. I averted his gaze, saying nothing more as I clasped the door knob in my hand.
"Hm," was all that escaped his throat as he smirked wittily, watching me from the corner of his eye as I walked through the doorway.
oOo
"Blasted clown, always acting as if he knows everything," I groaned, talking to myself in my private dorm room. I flattened a pillow against my face, contemplating over what I'd just said. "Maybe he really does."
It was dark, and the only light that illuminated the room was a lone candle—a vanilla-scented candle. It smelled so wonderful that it was enough to make even me drool. I rested my back against the wall before shutting my eyes, the wick's flame still casting shadows across every inch of the room.
I was waiting anew; and in my waiting, I grew more and more impatient and frustrated with every passing second. Few things supplied me with passion anymore, and I had begun to believe that I may never have any of them. I glanced toward my bookshelf—more boring books with which I could no longer become involved. Not many things gave me joy, either. I just wanted to feel something, but I didn't expect him to want to see me—an averagely boring human, with an averagely boring face, and an averagely boring life. I hugged my pillow tightly, hoping to hear his voice.
oOo
"Kato-chan?"
Huh?
"Kato-chan?"
What?
"Kato-chan!"
"Ow!" I shouted as I held the back of my head firmly, pain rattling throughout my brain. I shot my head up right away in an attempt to identify my assailant, but my vision was blurry. When had I fallen asleep?
"Kato-chan," I heard clearly this time.
"Amai-chan?" I called out softly.
No answer.
Yep, that was him. I faced him directly until I regained my ability to focus upon his features. Delight ransacked my mind then, and I bit my lip as I glanced into his teal eyes.
"Your room smelt like ice cream, so I wanted some."
I looked at him curiously, the expression on his face as vacant as ever, although I could sense his overwhelming desire for sweets. Was that the only reason he had come? My head hung lowly. "Sorry, Amai-chan, I think you only smelt my candle."
His eyes narrowed and brows furrowed so discreetly that I had barely been able to see it happen. He glanced over his shoulder, peeping at the candle, but his interest quickly came back to me, leaning in closely and staring deeply into my eyes—accusation bubbled inside them. "So, no sweets?" he asked finally.
My eyes were cemented to his overbearing gaze. I'd almost forgotten how to speak as I felt my cheeks turn red. "No," I replied after recollecting myself.
He leaned back, his posture reverting to its normal cross-legged, slumped over position, but continued to glare at me with round eyes. I had to think of something—anything—to make him get close to me like that again.
Once I'd noticed that he had begun to make his leave, I blurted out, "But, I can buy you some tomorrow!"
He gave me one more expressionless, impossible-to-read stare before he leapt from my open window.
I sighed heavily as if his presence had drawn all the air from my lungs. That's when I decided, without a shadow of a doubt, that I wanted him, even if that meant only being used for his own selfish desires. I dug my fingers into the folds of my shirt that covered my chest. My heart was pounding. 'Does he even know what he does to me?'
oOo
Once I had finished my shopping, I headed back to my dorm, staring up at the sky. Nightfall had always seemed to come about too quickly, which I liked and hated at the same time.
As soon as I closed the door behind me, I dropped all the bags on the ground—all except one. I gripped it limply in my hand, staring at it, less than hopeful, as I once again left my room.
oOo
The air was crisp as it nipped gently at my bare skin, the sparse clouds sporting a variety of ever changing colors. I stared off into the distance, ignoring the occasional passerby, while I slumped into the bench, basking in the touch of the air and the whispers of the trees around me. It was quiet yet peaceful. I enjoyed this much at least, but my mind resorted to boredom and longing as I, again, waited, the bag still clutched diffidently in my grasp.
I sensed the air whip behind me, the breeze passing through the loose strands of my hair. Before I could investigate, I felt a couple of thin, strong arms wrap around my neck securely and a pair of lips caress the side of my head.
My eyes widened and my heart began to race. "Amai-chan?" I whispered.
He was quiet for a moment, his upper body still fastened to mine. Then, I felt his lips move against my burgundy locks as he spoke, "I smelled something sweet, so I came to see what it was."
My cheeks grew hot as he spoke, but I knew he was merely referring to the bag of candy in my hand. Before I had a chance to say anything, I noticed the warmth of his body leave me unexpectedly. He leapt over the bench upon which I sat skillfully, kneeling atop his feet as he swiped the bag from my hand, rummaging through it curiously, licking his lips in anticipation.
I observed him silently as he took hold of a handful of treats and packed a few into his mouth, his cheeks round and full. I smiled gently as I continued to watch him. I'd never seen anyone so addicted to sugar in all my life. I enjoyed the occasional treat myself, but Amaimon took it twenty levels further. In fact, I often wondered how he maintained such a smallish figure and kept his teeth so flawlessly white. I hid my smirk beneath my hand. I didn't want him to see it. I knew that he was only taking advantage of me to exact his sweet tooth, but I couldn't deny my true feelings for him—as unrequited as they were.
"Is it good?" I asked, my eyes focused on his hand as it went back and forth between the inside of the bag to his open mouth.
"Yes," he sang between mouthfuls.
"Hmm, but you shouldn't stuff you face like that," I cautioned him.
He seemed unfazed by my warning as he shot a glance at me before guzzling down more of his crystalline treasure.
Grumbling noiselessly, I added, "Or I won't buy you any candy tomorrow."
He glared at me then with disbelieving eyes that almost seemed to say: "How dare you deny me my pleasure!" but he said nothing. Then he looked away and resumed eating his snacks, but painfully slowly this time.
Again, I grinned. Why was he always doing that to me? Why was it that I even liked him? Was it his emotionless expression—impossible to decipher, or his childish mannerisms—seemingly innocent yet laced with unmasked malice? Maybe I found him relatable, or maybe he just interested me. Did I interest him? My smile faded as I stood to my feet, certain that I didn't.
Without so much as looking in his direction, I said, "I'm glad you like your candies, Amai-chan. I'll see you again tomorrow after I pick up more for you."
It had become a customary routine. Nearly every day, I brought him new treats and presented them to him, hoping it would somehow capture his affections and lavish them upon me, but he only ever seemed interested in the sweet smell and taste of his precious candy.
Before I had been able to completely turn around, long, narrow fingers snatched my wrist with a matchless strength.
"Amaimon?"
I looked back to see his outstretched arm attached to mine and wide, dark-rimmed eyes peering into my own. Even then, I couldn't have begun to imagine what he was thinking. My expression softened as I faced him, and then he said, "Kato-chan, you know I don't like to be ignored."
I held in my snicker. I knew being laughed at was another thing he detested so furiously. "I'm sorry," I submitted as he pulled me into his lap roughly, much to my surprise.
My eyes were the size of moons and my face burnt like fire. I swallowed painfully as I felt his arms wrap around me while one hand combed through my hair. I exhaled shakily, Amaimon looking down at me with a single lollipop hanging loosely from the corner of his mouth. He stared at me inquisitively before running a clawed finger down my jaw line, across my lip. Shivers coursed wildly throughout my entire body, and a breathy sigh slipped from between my sealed lips.
"Kato-chan," he sounded.
In a daze, my chest rising and falling rapidly, it took me a moment to realize he had even spoken my name.
"Y-yes?" I answered, wanting more than just his finger to glide across my lips.
Why was he even doing this? I doubted that he saw me as anyone special, other than his personal candy delivery girl.
"Why do you act this way every time I touch you?"
"Huh?" I interjected.
"Your face gets red and you breathe real heavy."
"O-oh, I don't know," I responded, lying through my teeth.
He cocked his head to the side, obviously not believing my answer, but he did not persist in the matter. Instead, he changed the subject to something even more embarrassing.
"Kato-chan, also, always brings me sweet things…but I often wonder how Kato-chan tastes," he stated bluntly before spitting out his now bare lollipop stick.
Again, I was taken aback. At this point, my heart was more than prepared to spring from my chest as shivers teased my body. I felt his arms shift underneath me, instantly bringing me closer to his face. My hand reached up to clasp his cheek, but, with one swift movement, he crashed his lips against mine mercilessly, his arms supporting my frame the whole while, before I could. Warmth engulfed every inch of my body, and I swore my heart melted then.
A fang nipped at my lip boldly before he pulled away, and we ogled at each other intensely. He blinked once, and I failed to read his expression yet again—so blank, yet so adorable.
"Kato-chan is the sweetest I've ever tasted," he whispered so softly I thought he was talking to himself.
I gulped audibly, unable to articulate a single word.
He ground his hand against his chest roughly. I watched him without a sound and saw a glimmer of confusion glisten in his eyes. "Kato-chan?" he asked.
"Yes?" I somehow replied capably.
"What is this feeling?"
Then I was at a loss for words again. He couldn't possibly have feelings for me—could he? I placed my hand over his. "What does it feel like?"
He pondered upon my inquiry before he spoke. "Warm," he remarked, looking at me.
I smiled adoringly as I leaned upward, pulling him into another embrace. I hadn't predicted him to return it, but he did.
I wasn't able to answer his question the way I truly wanted to, unaware of what he was actually feeling, but after drawing back I replied, "I think...it means you're happy."
And then he kissed me for the final time that night.
oOo
"Hey, hey," Mephisto rang melodiously as he walked into his office, greeted by the sight of Amaimon, sucking on one of the lollipops I'd picked out for him, and I snuggling together comfortably on his couch. We had been battling each other in one of Mephisto's numerous video games for the past hour.
"Aniue," Amaimon said in his typical, slightly monotonous tone of voice, not turning his head, "I think Kato-chan is better than you."
I simpered with approval.
"Preposterous!" Mephisto exclaimed with a smug look on his face as he cast his top hat and cape to the side gracefully, placing himself upon the chair opposite of Amaimon and I after snatching the controller from his younger brother's hands. Amaimon didn't protest one bit.
"Let us see who the best truly is!" Mephisto challenged, leaving me no choice other than to accept it.
"Ok, then," I snorted. "You're on, clown!"
My lips curved upward, forming a smile as I felt Amaimon's arms wrap tighter around me and his nose nuzzle into my neck, watching Mephisto and I engage in digital combat.
Yep, this was absolutely fine with me. I doubted that I'd be getting bored anytime soon with these two around, especially Amaimon. This must have been what happiness feels like. I couldn't have asked for more.
The End