"Shall we make a deal then?"

The question rang through his head but he didn't grasp the meaning of the words until much later. Even then, he wasn't sure he'd heard correct. Was the girl in front of him actually suggesting a deal? A deal with a demon no less.

~N~N~

Let's go further back in time so that this story makes a bit more sense.

He was born a demon. His family and childhood? Shall we keep those hidden for now? Every demon must have secrets after all. The background story, especially, of a demon shouldn't be told to everyone. That would take out all the mystery and the fun.

There is something about him that is different from other demon. Now that's the important and interesting part. He'd never had an interest in human soul. He'd eaten one before and tasted another. The first was, as his fellow demons said, a low quality soul so they attributed his distaste for it to that reason.

Another time arose; a demon he'd known for a long time acquired a high quality soul. This soul was cultivated through a deal that lasted for a couple of years. All the other demons drooled over that soul, saying that they could sense how delicious the soul was just by the proximity of the soul. But he didn't feel that way. That soul tasted the same as the first one. Not a delicacy. It was plain and bland.

From then on, he never had another soul. Other teased that his taste standard was too high but he didn't see it like that. He was simply not interested in eating soul.

Eventually, the other demons shunned him. View him as weak and too kind for not eating soul. Too kind? No. Weak? Soon, he did become weak. Souls are the main, the only, sustenance for demons. He grew weaker in power over time because he wasn't eating.

Then he caught the eyes of a noble demon. He was captured, intended to be kept as a pet, but his resistance and defiance to the noble landed him in the torture room. It's quite obvious what happened to him in such a room. He was too weak to escape and over time, the noble became bored of him. And he was left there, chained to the wall. No one has entered the room in a few days, he figured he was forgotten.

But he didn't care. It was just as well. He was going to die eventually and really, there was nothing for him out there. He was alright with resigning to die here.

That is… until… she came.

~N~N~

A sense of power woke him up. There was someone in the mansion. Someone who'd never been in here before. Not a demon.

Soon, the noble demon burst through the door of the torture room, scared out of his mind like he knew his ending was drawing near. He picked up one of the torture instrument, a whip and used it to attack the figure that came around the door.

The whip strikes a girl and drew blood. Before the demon could attack another time, the girl was in front of him and has taken him down. Blood pooled out beneath her feet from the body of the noble demon.

He was right, she wasn't a demon. It was just a human girl. That's what his senses are telling him but this girl in front of him. She took out a noble demon, whose power even he would have trouble dealing with even if he was at full power.

She turned to him. There was no malice in her eyes. A bit surprise to see him, another demon chained to a wall. A little bit intrigued. She walked closer to him, kneed down in front of him. Bright emerald orbs. Golden light brown hair frames her face. He wonders how soft her pale skin is. She reached for him.

He closed his eyes, expecting his life to end at her hand. But that didn't happen. Instead, he felt a gentle touch. She was wiping dried blood off of his cheek.

"Hello." A smile on her face.

He stared at her in surprise, speechless. She cut his bondage and his arms fall heavily to his side. It's been a while since his arms were free.

"Why free me?" He wanted to know.

She tilts her head in thought. "I don't know."

"I'm a demon. I could go after you now." What could be going through her mind? To free a demon imprisoned by another demon.

She stands up slowly. "I don't think you will." More demons appeared at the door. She turned away from him and toward them slowly. She steps in front of him, like she was intending to keep him as hidden from the other demons as much as possible. "You should go." She smiled back at him as she walks toward them.

He glanced down at his hands beside himself. Hmmm. They are free. What should he do with them now? He always did have such a difficult time occupying them before. At least when they were chained up, he didn't have to try and find something to relieve his boredom.

He could sense more demons coming; they'll have this room surrounded soon. How will this girl fare against so many? She has already taken care of the ones in front of her. With the amount coming, it will be quite difficult for her to get away. Would she even be able to? She stood in silence. Waiting, planning. Waiting for them to come. Planning her next move.

He stood up. With a swipe of his hand, he sends his power throughout the room before wrapping his arm around the human girl's waist. He pulls her to against his chest before disappearing with her as the room explodes.

Ahh, free hands are such bothersome.

~N~N~

A room in darkness, with only the full moon as the only source of light. They sat in silence.

She leaned against him, unwillingly. She had too because his arm around her forced her against him. With only the length of one arm, she was within his hold. With the way her back was turned to him, before when she was standing up so straight, the realizing of her small size kind of surprised him. Body heat. She was warm. She felt rather fragile. Well she is human after all.

"How long will you hold onto me?" A curious expression on her face as she tilts her head up toward him.

The question jolted him out of his thought and he slowly removes his hand. He stood up and look at his hand. How dirty he is compared to her. He started walking away.

A tug on held him back. He turned to look at her. A questioning look on his face.

"Waiit." A little whine. "I don't know where we are. How do I get home?" A little pout. A childlike expression.

"At least let me shower first." He answered simply.

"Oh. Sorry." She apologized and quickly let go. She glanced away. Embarrassed. Guess she'll have to wait until he returns.

He turned away to hide his smile. So she was capable of such expressions.

~N~N~

He opened the bathroom door, allowing steam to escape into the room. He walks quietly toward her. She leaned against the sofa. Her eyes closed and her breathing even. A strand of hair has fallen on her face.

His eyes turned to his hand and brought it up toward him. At least it was physically clean. He hesitated. Then reached out and gently brushes away the stray strand of hair. Caressing his hand on her skin during the process. It was as soft as he'd imagined it, despite the break in her skin.

The wound from the noble demon. A mark created by someone else. How irritating it is to look at. He tucks the strand behind her ear as she opens her eyes.

No panic. No feeling in them. An unreadable look. What is she thinking?

And then came the proposal.

~N~N~

"Why would be the terms?" He asked as she sits up. His hand remains at the side of her head.

"Stay with me and use your power to protect my family." His fingertips trace the skin from behind her ear to her jaw to her chin. "In exchange, you get my soul when I die."

He wonders if he should tell her that he has no interest in the human soul. "What danger is your family in?"

She smiles. "No particular danger. But power runs in my family and I just want there to be a powerful guardian to protect them should anything happens."

"You would risk your soul just to tie me to your family for a few of years?" His voice louder and sterner than he thought it would be.

"Hey. I'm pretty sure I'm going to live longer than a few of years." She retorted, feeling offended. "And what else am I going with to with this soul of mine other than make it work for me while I'm still alive. I'm not really interested in going to heaven or hell as a soul after I die."

Again, he stares at her, speechless. Her thinking does not resonant with what he expects human girls to think but with what he'd seen so far about her, he should stop expecting normalcy from her.

"Why me? I'm sure you can demons more powerful than me who are willing to make a deal without batting an eye." He continued with his questions.

"I don't know. The thought just occurred to me right now. And you seemed like you have nothing better to do." A knowing smile on her face. Could she actually see the boredom and indifferent in him? "I thought demons are always jumping at a chance to make a deal." Her smile turned mischief. "Or is my soul not to your liking? We could always deal something else. Is there anything from me you would like?"

"What's your name?" He stood up in front of her. His eyes glowed red and his power surrounds him.

She lowers her legs down toward the ground and look up at him. "Sakura."

"In exchange for your soul, what are your terms?"

"Protect my family to the best of your ability from any harm that may befall them for as long as I live."

"And you?" He wanted to make the terms clear.

A smirk. "That's up to you. If you want to protect me then protect me. If you don't, then don't. And if you want my soul sooner, you are free to try and kill me anytime."

Her words, once again, stirred something inside him. "Where do you want the seal?"

"You can choose." She closed her eyes and leaned back.

He looked at her. Debating. Choosing. "Then I, Subaru…" His fingertips touch her neck; he felt a shiver from her. As calm as she may look outside, he could feel her heart beat faster as he trails his fingers down. He took his time. "… place this seal…." He pick where he wanted the seal and lean forward. His fingers snap open a button on her shirt and he tugs down on it slightly, exposing the crease between her breasts.

A gasp from Sakura as she feels his breath on her skin. "… to symbolize our contract." Sakura opens her eyes just in time to feel his lips on her skin. Darkness filled her vision, the color of Subaru's hair? Or the plain darkness of the night? She feels a sharp pain at her chest, where Subaru was placing the seal and darkness soon engulf her entirely.

Subaru stood back, his fingers still tugging down on Sakura's shirt so he could admire his work, his seal on her. Her breathing was steady again. Her eyes closed. She'd fainted.

His fingers moved up and his whole hand encircle around her neck. Her skin was soft and her neck was slender enough to fit into the grasp of his hand. You are free to try and kill me anytime. Her words rang through his mind. It would be so easy right now. He squeezed her neck and a small pained sound emitted from her. How defenseless she is in front of him.

He glanced over her. He use his other hand tugging at her shirt again to expose his mark while the other hand still remain around her neck. Is there anything else you would like from me? She had asked him. They are now bound by her soul. Subaru leaned in. She'd offered him her soul and he'd accepted it. Whatever else he may want from her, he plans on taking it himself. His lips lightly caress the skin imprinted with his seal. After all, it would be too boring to simply have everything handed to him.