Disclaimer: I wish I owned them. I really do. Please... give them to me?? Pleeeeeeeease?
Warnings: Sap, fluff, tiniest bit of angst, possible OOC (cause I still don't have DD7! waaaaaaaaah), shounen ai (duh, DD here)
Thanks Shadowclone for a great beta job. Loves your little comments...
This one-shot was inspired by a chibi piccie in volume two of Raenef peeking out of a wrapped box. It was just too cute to ignore. I hope you like this. This is my first attempt at a DD fanfic.
Happy Birthday, Eclipse
The red headed knight walked through the gardens, trying to look for a missing, recalcitrant, semi retarded 'student'.
"Chris!" Erutis yelled. As usual, the cleric was late and missing. She stalked the beautiful, shady gardens at the castle of the Demon Lord Raenef, clutching the pommel of her sword. If she found that wayward cleric, he was going to get the rough side of her tongue and probably the flat edge of her sword, against his behind.
"Looking for your student?" A deep, smooth voice came from behind a small patch of trees. Eclipse, Demon of the Fourth Order and teacher to Demon Lord Raenef the Fifth slid smoothly out of the shaded grove into Erutis' line of sight.
"You saw him?" She huffed. "I took time out of my busy schedule to..." She stopped abruptly, studying Eclipse. There was something off about the demon today, but of what, she didn't know.
Eclipse turned. "I saw him last with Lord Raenef. They went to play at something or other." He pointed Erutis to the direction of the two.
The knight could clearly see the outline of two people chasing after each other and two laughing voices intermingling. "Grrr... Playing? With Raenef?" She was about to stalk toward them when a glimpse at Eclipse stopped her.
As long as she had known Eclipse, the demon had been impassive, almost to the point of being cold, except in the presence of his Lord and Master, the Demon Lord Raenef. Even then, Erutis could see a slight reservation when treating the innocent, sensitive blond but when his back was turned however, she could see just the faint glimmers of emotion flickering across his face. It was somewhere along the lines of... longing.
Could it be?
They all loved Raenef. The little blond was extremely adorable and indisputably loveable. She was reminded of a kitten every time Raenef tried to weasel something out of the normally cold Eclipse and succeeding each time. However, it seemed that Eclipse had a different sort of 'love' when he looked at Raenef. Erutis was no expert, but she was a woman, despite how physically she did not resemble one, she had a woman's instincts when it comes to these things.
"Eclipse, you seem rather upset," Erutis ventured carefully. A wrong word could cause Eclipse to set fire to her nether regions, as was his wont.
The tall demon lowered his crimson gaze at the knight, his eyes burning balefully. Then, his anger seemed to just subside. "I'm not upset, mortal. Just go away and leave me be."
Erutis noted all the while, the demon had his gaze trained on the frolicking couple on the other side of the gardens. Her suspicion of Eclipse secretly desiring his Master was reinforced. She had never seen the demon of vulnerable, his heart so exposed as in this moment. But that wasn't saying much from the normally stoic Eclipse.
"You like him, don't you?" She hazarded a guess and hoped she doesn't get blown to bits by it.
"Wha..." Eclipse swung a shocked look at the knight before pining her with a smouldering glare. "Get. Out. Of. My. Sight!" He lifted a hand with a small ball of fire crackling happily in it.
Knowing when her life was in danger, Erutis took off in Raenef's direction at top speed.
"You shouldn't have done that you know," another seemingly disembodied voice stopped her in her tracks as she got to a safe distance from Eclipse's wrath.
She skidded to a halt and turned to find a tall blond man with ringlets in his hair, his large cloak billowing out in the windless day.
Demon Lord Krayon, she thought with a groan, the demon that appeared to have a crush on her. The one person that asked the Demon Lord Raenef the fourth to spare her.
"Still with the sylphs?" She levelled a glare at moving ends of the wide cloak. "Is that supposed to impress anyone?"
Krayon sighed in resignation. With a sharp command, the folds of his cloak fell limp. "You are such a hard woman to please."
"You can please me by staying out of my way," Erutis retorted, brushing past the Demon Lord.
"How about," Krayon reached out to catch the knight's arm. "I tell you what has been bothering Eclipse?"
Erutis shot him a curious look but kept silent.
Taking silence as assent, Krayon began, "He always gets that way around this time of year. I guess when you live this long, your birthday tend to make you reflect on the things you haven't done."
"Bir... birthday?" Erutis blurted. Of all the things that could be troubling the serious demon, this was the thing she least expected. Of course, it was a failing amongst humans, but for a depression to hit a long lived demon was just too amusing.
Krayon frowned, insulted. "Hey, we might be terrifying demons, but also had to be born at some time."
Erutis tried for a sober expression. "Right, and when is Eclipse's birthday?"
"Hmmm..." Krayon pondered, tapping his tapered finger against his chin thoughtfully. "If I am not mistaken, tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" The knight gasped. "Oh we need to throw party for him! We need a cake and food and..."
Krayon quickly put an end to that train of thought. "For as long as I have known Eclipse, he has killed anyone who remotely suggested a birthday celebration. And to throw him one as a surprise would be the biggest mistake you can make Erutis. Just leave him be." He reached over and tipped the knight's chin up with one finger. "And I wouldn't like my future wife to be burnt to a crisp."
Erutis flushed hotly, slapping the offending hand away. "Excuse me but I am a knight I vanquish demon lords."
"Erutis, you want to vanquish me? Why?" Raenef's tearful voice came from behind her. "Did I do something wrong? Do you hate me?"
The knight turned and groaned at the sight of huge shimmering blue eyes filled with hurt. Chris, her missing student and empty headed cleric followed closely behind, looking scandalised at the teary Raenef as well.
Krayon shook his head at the unbecoming conduct of a Demon Lord and disappeared.
So Erutis was left with a very unhappy, very sad puppy dog... uh... Demon Lord by the name of Raenef the Fifth who has a very scary protector that wouldn't hesitate to transport her stomach out of her body and keep her alive while a pack a wild wolves feed on it.
"No, no, no, Raenef, I am not trying to kill you, just Krayon."
Immediately a bright vapid smile appeared on Raenef's sweet features and Erutis was enveloped in an enthusiastic hug. "Then that is fine!"
Rendered speechless, Erutis could only gape at the once feared Demon Lord Raenef. Not this one, but his predecessor. How can a guileless person like Raenef be heir to a Demon Lord throne? He was lucky he wasn't killed in the first year he was here. When her gaze landed on Chris however, her expression did a complete turnaround.
"And just where have you been?" She hit Chris upside his head with a stern fist. "You were supposed to be training with me but instead you ran off with Lord Clueless here."
While Chris protested, Raenef was left blinking at the arguing pair. Who was this Lord Clueless they kept talking about? Chris was with him not some other Demon Lord. After Erutis sent Chris off with a wooden stick and instructions to hit some poor tree a few hundred times, Raenef lounged with said knight on a hammock, watching the sweaty exertions of the cleric.
"What were Krayon and you talking about?" Raenef asked after a while. Apparently the grunting cleric had begun to bore him, and it didn't take much to bore Raenef. He had the attention span of an gnat sometimes.
Erutis stilled, wondering if she should say something to Raenef about Eclipse's birthday. While she was quite sure of the older demon's feelings for his young ward, she couldn't sure about Raenef's. Normally, the young demon wore his heart on his sleeve for all matters, but in terms of Eclipse, Erutis can only see the relationship was that of a teacher and student.
"Erutis?" Raenef pressed.
She sighed. Sometimes he was like a dog after a bone. "I saw Eclipse a while ago and he looked, well, depressed."
"What? Depressed, why? What happened? Did he receive anymore messages from other demon that I have been bad?" Damn if Raenef didn't start tearing up again. "I tried my best to be the meanest Demon Lord but that kitten was just so defenceless, I really didn't want her to get squished! The other Demon Lords said it would be a secret. They like playing with her as well."
Demon Lords saving kittens from being squished? Playing with them? Oh no, this was getting really bad. And they thought Raenef had a bad way of infecting them.
"No," Erustis all but yelled. "Tomorrow is Eclipse's birthday and he is probably depressed because he is so old!"
"Birthday?" Raenef whispered, surprised.
"Eh?" Chris chimed in, stopping his 'training', well, the assault of trees. "The old grumpmeister's birthday is tomorrow?"
"Why didn't he say anything to me?" The young Demon Lord muttered, looking utterly dejected. "Does he think I won't care?"
Erutis stared slack-jawed at Raenef, seeing the same emotion she saw earlier on Eclipse mirrored on the diminutive blond. A rather wicked idea started to form in her head. Two people, clearly in love with each other, yet afraid to say anything to each other, what could be the best solution? Abruptly, she started cackling.
"What is wrong with her?" Chris pulled Raenef to his side, away from the evilly laughing, apparently insane knight.
Raenef shook his head mutely. "I don't know, but she is scary." He took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Eclipse." With a soft 'go', the young demon disappeared.
He found Eclipse in the study, bending over a book, as usual. He found himself breathless at the sight of his teacher in that dark robe and his long dark hair spilling over one shoulder. The long crescent earring glinted brightly against the long strands of dark hair. He studied Eclipse's strong profile as his pale skin. He wondered briefly why his teacher liked such dark drab clothes.
At that moment, Eclipse looked up and crimson clashed with azure. "My liege, how may I be of service?" He put down his book.
Raenef walked toward the desk. "I heard from Erutis that it's your birthday tomorrow. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Erutis told you?" Eclipse growled and far, far away, there was a scream from a probably burning knight. "I told her to leave me alone."
Raenef looked away. "Do you want me to leave you alone as well?"
"No," Eclipse exclaimed, he reached out to catch his master by the arm. At the final second, he seemed to remember his position and dropped his hand. "I didn't mean that at all, Lord Raenef."
"I have a name and it doesn't have Lord, Master or Liege in it. So why do you keep calling me that?" Raenef grumped.
His teacher bowed low again. "I am but your servant..."
Sick and tired of that same old adage, Raenef repressed the urge to scream. "You are not my servant. You know more than I do."
Eclipse kept silent, unable to stop the feeling of hurt at the pain written on Raenef's sweet face. He would do anything to keep anything from hurting his master but apparently the one person that was causing Raenef pain was himself.
The Demon Lord had his eyes trained on the top of the desk, trailing a finger idly over the polished wood. "Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?"
"Because it doesn't matter," Eclipse sighed. "When you live to be as old as I am, it hardly matters anymore. None of my previous masters cared. I didn't..."
"You didn't think that I would care?" Raenef muttered, feeling a stab of sympathy for his teacher. Knowing the temperament of the other Demon Lords he had been in contact with, it only made sense that they didn't see their servants past objects. Pasting on a bright smile, Raenef turned to face his teacher. "So tell me what do you want for your birthday?"
Unable to help himself, Eclipse felt his cold front starting to melt under the artless question. A soft tender smile threatened to curve his lips. No former master had ever cared about him like Raenef did, nor did they even think to give him a present. The opportunity was right in front of him and he couldn't resist saying at least something of his heart. "I want you..." He trailed off.
Silence reigned in the room, while hearts beat loud, each wondered if the other could hear it. Eclipse's mind was near melting point. What made him say something like that? How could he, after so many masters, fall in love with this one? This Raenef, who was most unlike a Demon Lord, who had always managed to embarrass him in one way or another amongst his peers. This Raenef who made him feel like an equal rather than a minion. This Raenef, who showed him the beauty of this world, other than terror and destruction. How can he not love such a person? How can someone as innocent as his master be able to understand and return such a love?
Raenef stood there, stunned. What? His teacher, the one he respected the most in all of Demondom had just professed his feeling to him? How should he accept it? Was what he felt an echo of Eclipse's feelings for him as well? He started to smile when Eclipse started to speak again.
"... to be the best Demon Lord you can be," the older demon finished, masking a look of pain at the disappointment that Raenef exuded. No, he couldn't take liberties like that with an innocent, well, sexually at least. He would have to wait until Raenef offered him, or not at all. While it would kill him to stand by and watch his master maybe take on a wife or a lover in the future, he would be happy if Raenef was.
The young lord felt like he had been elbowed in the gut. A shadow passed over his once sunny expression. He had been deluding himself all along. Eclipse didn't feel anything for him. He was one of the many Demon Lords he served. That was all.
"That is not an easy present to give you!" Raenef recovered his composure and faked a pout. "But... I'll think of something else to give you."
Eclipse heard a soft 'go' from Raenef and the blond demon disappeared. He stumbled to his chair and sank into it, burying his face into his hands. It had been so simple just to profess his heart's desire and let his lord decide. But no, he had to be the honourable one. An honourable demon, now there was an oxymoron if he had ever heard one. No, this birthday would be like the thousands before that. He would spend it alone with a huge hole in his heart.
Raenef raced through the hallways, trying to run from the fact that no matter what he did, Eclipse would never love him unless he was the 'best Demon Lord'. He needed to find that book, that moving pages flapping book. That would make him a Demon Lord Eclipse would be proud of.
Suddenly he was grabbed from behind, a sack of some sort being thrown over his head. Before he could call out, something hard connected to the back of his head and darkness descended.
The next day dawned and Eclipse braved through all the merry making and wishes of happy birthday without once setting Erutis or Chris on fire. It helped that he was called off for a meeting of the council of demons for most of the day. However, the one person he wanted very much to see was no where in sight. Thinking Raenef was avoiding him after the scene yesterday, Eclipse decided to track him down later, after the council to properly apologise for it. Although, Eclipse wasn't exactly certain what he needed to apologise for. Or why Raenef looked so hurt when he mentioned about being a good Demon Lord.
With a groan, Eclipse realised now how bad it must have sounded to the tender-hearted Raenef. He thought his teacher doubted his abilities. Suddenly frantic, Eclipse needed to find his master to apologise, hoping that Raenef could find it in his probably shattered heart to forgive him. Damn Lord Raenef for his fragile feelings. No, he amended, damn himself for his cowardice.
The rest of the council went on in a blur. He knew he agreed to a few things but for the life of him, he couldn't recall what they were. Oh well, if winter was to hit in the middle of summer he would know what he cast his vote for. As soon as the council was adjourned, at about late evening, Eclipse had rushed back to the castle to find a modest dinner with two bright eyed mortals but no Demon Lord.
"Where is Raenef?" Eclipse growled, trying to find his liege telepathically. Instead of the echoing of acknowledgement from Raenef, there was only silence. The Demon Lord was ignoring him.
Erutis looked at him, blinking innocently. "Why? Lost your master?"
"Tsk tsk tsk, Eclipse, must be getting forgetful in your old age," Chris teased, grinning wickedly, digging into a bowl of steaming stew.
Instead of teaching the insufferable mortals a lesson in respect, Eclipse swept out of the dining room in search of the smaller blond. Minutes passed to hours and yet he had not seen hide or hair of Raenef. Fear stab into his soul as he wondered if he had finally chased Raenef away. Heavy hearted, he stumbled into his room, falling onto his bed.
Erutis gave a perfunctory tap on the door before it burst open. The older demon was about to growl his displeasure at being interrupted when a large brightly wrapped box was pushed into his room with the help of Chris. Eclipse eyed the box warily as Chris made a quick exit.
"What's that?" Eclipse asked dispassionately. He only worried that a hound or something would explode from the box. Besides, they really didn't need another mouth to feed.
"That," Erutis patted the box softly, "is your birthday present, although you really don't deserve it being so rude to us a while ago." She sniffed indignantly.
"I don't want it," Eclipse rasped, turning away, his mind churning on where Raenef might have run to. To escape him. That was one thought that hurt the most.
Erutis made a small sound of frustration. "You really don't have friend before this, do you? This is a birthday present from Chris and I. We are surely not going to take it back."
Chris and Erutis, Eclipse thought, staring at the large box, but not from Raenef. Once again his master didn't deign him important enough to buy a present for.
"What is it?" Eclipse forced a smile. At least there were two who cared, even though they were only human. Two humans who were hell bent on killing his master one day, or so they keep saying.
Erutis shrugged nonchalantly. "Something you would enjoy."
"The only thing I would enjoy isn't here right now," Eclipse muttered, getting up and stalking toward the window.
"What?" Erutis suppressed the urge to laugh. "Did I hear that right? Eclipse when are you going to admit that you are in love with Raenef?"
Eclipsed choked, which was a feat in itself since he wasn't drinking or eating anything. "What did you say?"
Erutis rolled her eyes. "Oh please, both of you have been pining around, whining to us, well, Raenef at least. It is so clear that you two have a thing for each other."
"Raenef... Master Raenef loves... me?"
The knight was about to rupture something keeping her mirth in check at the wide eyed look on Eclipse's normally emotionless countenance. "You had to be blind not to see that."
"But... but... he's a child. He's an innocent."
Erutis lost it this time and laughter exploded out of her in gales. "Oh please, you learn quite a bit running around with thieves."
A myriad of emotions crossed Eclipse's features, disbelief, shock, acceptance, joy before profound sadness settled there. "It doesn't matter Erutis. Whatever the case and what he feels for me, I have managed to kill that last night. He probably hates me now."
"So you do admit that you love Raenef?" Erutis pressed urgently.
"Yes, I do. Are you happy now?" Eclipse exploded.
Erutis nodded happily. "Yes, I do. Enjoy your present."
After being left alone yet again, Eclipse sat at the window, having given up on looking for Raenef. However, the present sitting in the middle of the room beckoned and excitement stirred with Eclipse. He had never had a present given to him in a few thousand years. Like a child, he approached it slowly yet with ever abandoning caution. He wondered what the two had found for him that needed a box that size. With a wave of his hand, wrapping paper and ribbons littered the floor. As he reached for the cover, the box started moving.
Damn, there was something alive in there! What in the entire world were Erutis and Chris doing, giving him a pet?
Slowly, the top of the box shifted as something poked its way up from inside. Eclipse found himself holding his breath, wondering what was inside. As the cover shifted, a blond head popped up with confused blue eyes scanning his room.
"Eclipse?" A confused Raenef peeped from inside the box. He was wearing the same clothes he did the night before, but strapped on his head was a large ribbon with a card attached.
It read, Happy Birthday, Eclipse. Enjoy, Erutis and Chris.
Eclipse fought the urge to kill those two meddling mortals, but he was also fighting the urge to grin. Raenef with that stupid bow on his head and that sleepy confused look was just too adorable to ignore. So this was why Raenef didn't have a birthday present for him. He was the birthday present.
"Where did those two take me?" Raenef continued blinking in a confused manner, looking around and finally realising he was in Eclipse's room. He shot up from the box, overturning it. He finally saw the card flapping around his ear and pulled it off irritably. "What the..." He paled, reading what was written. "I tell them that I love you and they pull this..." Gasping, Raenef clasped both hands over his mouth, wishing to take back what he just uttered. He turned to run, too upset to even think of using magic but Eclipse's restraining arm stopped him.
"Master Raenef..." Eclipse pulled Raenef close, enveloping in an embrace. "Do you mean it?"
Too stunned to react, Raenef lay almost limp in his teacher's arms. "Ec... Eclipse... I..."
"Did you hear anything I said while you were... wrapped up?" Eclipse chuckled softly against Raenef's soft hair.
"Did... you really mean... all that?"
"You are an innocent," Eclipse pulled away, looking at Raenef directly in the eyes. "I can't impose on you like that. You need to know your mind, you need..." He was silenced by a pair of insistent lips on his. A pair of soft lips attached to a delicately moulded face with baby blue eyes and soft blond hair.
"I think I know my mind pretty well," Raenef concluded breathlessly, pulling away from Eclipse after a long while.
Finally, Eclipse smiled, accepting this precious gift.
Raenef pushed away from Eclipse suddenly. "I don't like being the present. I was supposed to find a birthday present for you. Tell me, what do you want?"
"I want you..." Eclipse reached out to cup the smooth cheek of the younger demon tenderly.
The Demon Lord stood there, leaning into Eclipse's touch, waiting for him to continue.
"That's it, Raenef," Eclipse said after a long while. "I want you."
That night, two souls melded into one, two hearts bound together. It was an eve of discovery as the two of them recognised every inch of each other. They pledged their life and their bodies for all eternity. While they wouldn't know what the dawn would bring and how would the rest of the Demon Lords take this relationship, but this night was theirs.
Hours and many sated moments later, Raenef slept in the protective embrace of his teacher. He flicked his eyes toward the clock on the desk.
Still a few moments before a new day.
Raising on one arm to look at the slumbering Eclipse, now actually smiling with trace amounts of joy and the afterglow of passion, Raenef pressed a small kiss in the middle of that bare chest of his lover.
"Happy birthday, Eclipse."
Please, tell me what you think?