Alfred awoke early the next morning from another nightmare; he looked around quickly taking in his surroundings reminding himself it was just a dream. He looked at Arthur, who was still curled up asleep in his arms, and took a deep calming breath before gentle getting out of bed making sure not to wake the redhead. He was still quite shaky on his legs but managed to stumble over to the large glass doors that connected to his balcony. It wasn't yet dawn but the gently lightening of the sky told Alfred it was soon approaching.
Alfred looked down at the night clothes Arthur had most likely put him in after his suicide attempt, ever so gently he removed his top hissing quietly every time he brushed over a sensitive part of his skin. He looked at his reflection in the window its lightly marred skin only showed the external damage that had occurred. If his throat was anything to go by he was sure his internal organs must be in even worse shape. The blood that Arthur had been giving him was helping, but every ounce of him still hurt.
Alfred looked back at Arthur's sleeping form and decided to take a quick bath. He took a few shaky steps towards the bell that would summon a servant to his chambers and pulled the string a few times. He quickly put on the bath robe that was draped over the back of his lounge chair and used it to hide his injured body and wings. Taking a deep breath he summoned up what little magic he could and hid his demonic features. By the time he made himself presentable a quiet knock came from the door.
Alfred made his way over tripping a few times; he opened the door and was greeted by one of the maids. He croaked out, "bath," and the maid bowed and set off to prepare the bathing chambers. Alfred made his way slowly back to the bed sitting down next to Arthur and watched him sleep. Alfred gently brushed back a lock of hair that had fallen in Arthur's face and smiled gently when it fell right back.
Arthur's face soured in his sleep. A sleepy hand limply swatted the hand away. Arthur turned his face into the pillow, but after a few moments peeked his eyes out at the younger devil. Foggy from sleep, the devil nevertheless had enough energy to be cross. "I told you not to wake me up when I'm sleeping," he growled darkly. Like his usual threats, it had no bite- he was just bitching, as usual. The older devil flopped onto his back. He yawned ungracefully, stretching out his limbs all the way to his toes. He heard the servants preparing the bath, but he didn't bother changing to his human visage. "Go and bathe." He prodded Alfred with his heel. "I'll join you in a bit."
Alfred nodded and stood upon hearing the tapping of feet headed towards his door. He walked over to the door after he heard the soft knocking; he tripped over Arthur's discarded nightgown and nearly face planted into the door before catching himself. Alfred turned toward Arthur and grinned, waving his hands in front of his to signal he was okay, before turning back and opening the door to take his bath.
Arthur shook his head woefully. Idiot. He dozed for a few minutes, his peace broken only by the calm sound of splashing water. Slowly he pulled himself from the bed and drudged over, naked, to the bathing chamber. Alfred had shooed the servants away having no interest being bathed by others (and anticipating Arthur's joining him). He figured Alfred was clean by now. When Alfred scooted back to make room, Arthur slipped into the bath with a pleasured sigh. He propped an ankle by Alfred's head and relaxed against the porcelain.
Alfred played with the bath bubbles a bit longer before he noticed Arthur resting his eyes while enjoying the heat of the water relaxing his body. Alfred waited until Arthur had just closed his eyes before splashing the redhead's face with a cup full of water. Alfred gently bit his lip to keep from laughing (though he was failing miserably as his raspy laughter bubbled past his lips) as Arthur sputtered in angry shock.
Arthur sputtered and choked on a few more bubbles than was probably safe. He swallowed wrong and miserably hacked up soapy water. His eyes darted up hearing that laugh and all bets were off. Without warning or a snide remark, Arthur smashed his foot in Alfred's shoulder with such force it could have crushed a mortal's diaphragm. As it was, the bathtub barely held up. "Very cute," he managed between hacks.
Alfred gasped out in pain quickly removing Arthur's foot from his shoulder covering the overly sensitive skin with his hand. A few tears came to Alfred's eyes but he refused to let them fall regardless of the pain he was in. Alfred took a few deep breaths trying to will away the pain before looking up at Arthur. "Jerk." He rasped out while wearing a pained grin.
"-oh." He'd forgotten about Alfred injuries. "W-well, it's your fault for provoking me!" But Alfred was still reeling from the blow and looked even more hurt, if that was possible. "Shit. Fuck." With a loud splash Arthur stood on his knees and hovered over Alfred helplessly, wanting to do something but too worried about aggravating his wounds. He felt very much like a flailing idiot right then.
He settled for touching Alfred face and turning his chin to look at him. "Sorry. I'm sorry." He put his hands on Alfred's shoulders. "Anyway, that reminds me." Arthur tapped his neck right over his own pulse point. "You need more to heal yourself. And no complaints," he warned.
Alfred sighed but did as he was told. He gently pulled Arthur down to sit on his lap, tilting Arthur's head to the side. He gently kissed Arthur's neck before biting down, he moaned as the hot blood rushed over his tongue. His arms wrapped themselves around Arthur's body holding him close as Alfred drank deeply from his neck.
Arthur stroked Alfred's hair, signaling that he was fine and Alfred could continue. Before retiring to Alfred's chambers last night, Arthur had dined again on another poor, innocent soul. While Arthur was toeing the line into reckless behavior, he was eating for two now. He had to drink enough to both sustain himself and Alfred. "Drink as much as you like, love," he cooed into Alfred's ear. He smirked when Alfred's arms only tightened. This was the most life he had seen out of Alfred for days.
Alfred gently stroked Arthur's back slowly moving his fingers over each vertebra as he drank his fill of Arthur's blood. Once he was satiated he gently licked the puncture marks on Arthur's neck watching them quickly heal over leaving no trace of his bite behind. Alfred kissed Arthur's neck again before looking up in Arthur's eyes. He smiled sweetly at the redhead and gently placing a brief kiss on the other's lips.
Despite his smirk, he still managed to purse his lips against Alfred's. He slunk into Alfred's lap, cradling Alfred's hips between his legs. He draped his arms around Alfred's neck and kissed him properly, slow and languid with a bit of tongue. Tided over for now, Arthur leaned back against his side of the bathtub again and grinned at Alfred's reaction.
A light blush dusted Alfred's cheeks that he would blame on the blood he just drank not Arthur's sudden deep kiss. Alfred rolled his eyes at Arthur's grin and slowly slunk down under the water until nothing but the top of his head from his nose up and his knees were above the water. He closed his eyes and relaxed enjoying the full feeling in his stomach and the warm water soothing his aching skin.
Arthur's lips pursed unhappily as Alfred stretched out. It ate away at his space and forced him to either surrender and share or take it back by sitting on top of him. He sat on top of him. He shook his head at Alfred's ridiculousness but said nothing. He took the bar of lye and began cleaning himself- might as well use this time for his daily wash up.
Alfred wiggled his toes that were now trapped under Arthur's rear and slowly opened one eye to see what Arthur was doing that would require his feet to be used as a cushion. Upon seeing Arthur lather himself down with soap Alfred shrugged and closed his eyes again. He periodically wiggled his feet to prevent them from going numb. Alfred soon began to lightly doze off keeping his nose just barely above water, trusting Arthur to watch after him if something were to happen.
Arthur chucked the soap and finger-combed his clean hair out of his face. He lounged deep in the tub, slipping his bottom between Alfred's knees and stretching with his feet at either side of Alfred. Alfred lay similar to Arthur with his legs on the outside of Arthur's. Arm's lounge comfortably across the bathtub rim, the older demon watched Alfred lazily. "I probably shouldn't be surprised that you use lavender oil in your bath water."
Alfred chuckled lightly only half asleep slowly bringing his face fully out of the water. "Smells good." He voice sounded like he had a frog in his throat, it was still rough but it didn't hurt as much to speak now. Alfred had been concentrating on healing his throat the most; speeding up the process with as much magic he could muster in his weakened state. Alfred was lucky to have Arthur while he was healing most demons would have left their allies for dead if they had found them in the state Alfred was in. Arthur was stubborn and cranky, but he cared about Alfred. It was not a common or well accepted notion for demons to be caring for each other, in hell it was a dog eat dog world, Alfred enjoyed being in this kingdom it gave him more room to be affectionate towards Arthur without receiving the hateful glares of the people around him.
Alfred sighed thinking back on what he had done to Arthur. He had acted as coldly as any other demon, but unlike the other demons Alfred constantly felt guilty about what he did. It wasn't natural, but then again when had Alfred ever acted like a normal demon? Alfred leaned his head back against the rim of the bath tub and heaved another sigh trying to get his mind off such depressing subjects. The more he thought about them the harder it was to act like his old self.
Arthur saw the thoughts play through his head clearly as day. "You probably won't get over it," he said eventually when Alfred sighed in resignation. "But it will get better." The fiery-red demon pushed off the tub again and settled into Alfred's lap. "Are my words not enough?" he flashed a subdued smirk. "Shall I give a better pitch?" he whispered and he leered over the demon, slipping his arms around his neck and settling his full weight on top of Alfred. Alfred's recovery depended on Arthur's forgiveness, he knew that. Only one way to expedite the process. Arthur kissed Alfred.
Alfred hummed in approval, enjoying the feeling of Arthur's lips. Slowly he slipped his hands down to hold Arthur's hips rubbing gently circles with his thumbs. His skin prickled at the pressure of Arthur's weight on him but he ignored the gentle sting in favor of greater pleasure. Alfred nipped at Arthur's lower lip asking for entrance that he was soon granted, Alfred smirked as he deepened the kiss gently overpowering Arthur even though he knew Arthur could have easily beaten him if the redhead so desired. The kiss started out slow but grew more heated as Arthur's impatience began to show.
Arthur let Alfred lead the kiss for now, knowing he would inevitably have his way. The feel of his soft, warm tongue massaging his was well-missed. He had been half-hard for a while and sitting on Alfred's lap, feeling him knead his skin was enough to set his senses on fire. It had been too long. The last time was the half-assed job over Francis's corpse on the Diamonds throne. He leaned forwards, effectively pinning Alfred with his weight.
Alfred flinched at the extra pressure but didn't say anything otherwise, too absorbed in the long missed sensation of Arthur's body intermingling with his. He broke the kiss in favor of biting and sucking on Arthur's neck drawing out the same bruises that he always did no matter how many years past. Alfred lowered his hands so that he was kneading Arthur's ass while gently nipping at Arthur's throat.
Arthur took him by his hair and yanked his mouth away from his neck. His lips descended on Alfred's, grueling and harsh, hardly a kiss but a display of dominance and power. Arthur rocked onto his knees, forcing Alfred to stretch his neck uncomfortably vertical as the kiss went on. The grip on Alfred's face was vice-like in his hands, nail indenting into the skin where he gripped too hard. Their lips crushed together, their teeth clashed painfully and still Arthur went on.
Alfred groaned in both pain and pleasure as Arthur violently kissed him. His fingers dug deeper into Arthur's rear leaving crushed-rose colored bruises all over the redhead's pale skin. Alfred relaxed his grip enough to slip one hand over to the base of Arthur's tail and began playing with it switching between pumps and strokes. He tried to get Arthur to let off the pressure the redhead was placing on his skin as the pain was starting to outweigh the pleasure.
Arthur moaned into the kiss, his tail flicking in earnest now as Alfred toyed with the base- his most sensitive spot on his tail. He rewarded Alfred by finally letting Alfred break free. Alfred was a panting mess, and Arthur watched as he slicked his tongue over his sharp incisors. "That pretty mouth of yours," he leered as Alfred continued panting open-mouthed. He cupped the back of his head again, gentler, and guided him to his cock, wet and hard as a rock. "Let's put it to better use, hm?"
Alfred swallowed wincing slight at the pain in his throat, though it had healed quite a bit over the past few days it was still raw and hurt him to do anything more than breathe and drink blood. Alfred bit his lip gently before taking the shaft of Arthur's cock in his hand he slowly began to pump his hand up and down. Alfred swallowed once more before putting the tip of Arthur's cock in his mouth tears welled up in Alfred's eyes but he ignored them. Slowly he began to bob his head in time with his hand, pain shot through the back of Alfred's throat he fought against it for a few moments before his tore his head away from Arthur and began coughing violently, the spasms racking his whole body. A small splatter of blood landed on the rim of the tub from the tearing of Alfred's delicately healed throat that was still coated in enflamed tissue and blisters.
The abrupt flow of cold air to his abandoned cock made Arthur gasp. He looked down, irked and confused, but when he saw Alfred's pained face he immediately regretted it. "A-Alfred," he began in a flounder, not knowing what to do and wanting badly to amend it. He kneeled back into the water and cupped his face after the other stopped coughing. "I got ahead of myself." He made sure Alfred looked him in the eyes. "I... ah... sorry." Alfred's erection had wilted, and he looked down in disappointment- at himself, not Alfred. He was determined to salvage things. There was no way he was going to retreat with his tail between his legs. "Let me have a go at it," he grinned reassuringly and settled Alfred up higher against the rim. He grasped Alfred's half-hard cock, and instead of warming it up again with his hand, he immediately descending on it with his mouth.
Alfred gasped at the sudden warmth that surrounded his cock; he flinched at the pain the sudden inhale of air caused to his throat. Alfred soon felt his erection growing hard again as Arthur continued to suck him. "Ah-" Alfred leaned over Arthur holding onto the other's shoulders, he felt his face heat up with pleasure.
An amused hum thrummed at the back of his throat, further stimulating Alfred's cock as the head hit the back of his throat. It had been a long time, but he got back in the swing of things fast, and soon he was deep-throating Alfred as skillfully and as enthusiastically as times past. He grabbed Alfred by the balls and gently tugged on them, alternating with soothing circle massages and back to pulling.
Alfred panted and whined under Arthur's hands and mouth, he rasped out gasps every time the pleasure spiked. "Ah!" Alfred began to pat Arthur's back repeatedly trying to signal to his that he was about to cum. Arthur continued through Alfred forcing his raspy voice to work half-heartedly asking Arthur to stop, "Stop- Ah! Cu- cumming- Ah!"
Arthur gave one last hard suck from the root to the tip. He hollowed out his cheeks and dragged his lips over the silken hardness for the last time before Alfred spilled into his mouth. He sat back on his heels and opened his mouth, letting Alfred's spend stream into his mouth and over his lips. Alfred's release was long and far overdo, and it took several pumps of his fist until Alfred was milked dry. As Alfred caught his breath Arthur sat up, and Alfred caught sight of that damn smirk drooling with Alfred's spend. "Lick it off."
Once he caught his breath Alfred leaned forward grasping the sides of Arthur's face in his hands. He slowly ran his tongue from Arthur's chin to his mouth cleaning off the sticky residue that had spotted Arthur's face. Between licks Alfred would gently kiss and nip Arthur's lips until his face was clean of Alfred's cum. Alfred kissed Arthur's lips once more before resting his forehead on Arthur's shoulder, wrapping his arms around the redhead's chest and heaving a heavy tired sigh.
"Poor baby," Arthur cooed while petting his limp, damp hair. The sweat at Alfred's temples and hairline diluted with the bathwater, and Alfred looked more like a drowned rat than a glossy-wet incubus Arthur so often likened him to. They held each other for a time, simply content in each other's arms. He let Alfred doze; though it wasn't what humans termed "proper" to take a nap in the tub and ignore one's royal duties, Arthur wasn't about to hold Alfred to a standard he didn't even adhere to. Besides that, it was quite... nice. It wasn't unusual for the couple cuddled after sex. In fact, it was quite common despite Arthur's half-assed bitching, Alfred understood as the older devil saving face in light or participating in very un-demon-like behavior.
"It's amazing, really. How much you changed me." He rested his chin on top of Alfred's head. "Before I met you, my infamy for destruction and cruelty was unmatched. I was even feared by fellow peers." He huffed a laugh at his choice of words for them. He never saw them as equals. Closing his eyes, he gave life to a sigh that was one of more happiness than sadness. "My treasure."
Alfred smiled nuzzling his head in the crook of Arthur's neck half asleep already. "Love you." He croaked out placing a gentle kiss on Arthur's neck as his body couldn't be persuaded to actually sit up due to the exhaustion that overtook him after he climaxed. Alfred fought against a yawn but lost his head growing heavy on Arthur's shoulder. "Bed." Alfred mumbled the word so mutilated by both his sleepiness and voice that was near unintelligible.
"No," Arthur grunted as he straightened Alfred. "You're going to play king and relieve me of picking up your slack." Arthur rose out of the tub and stepped out, carelessly soaking the floor. Before he disappeared from the room, he leaned back inside the door frame. He smiled, a flash of sharp teeth. "Be good and I'll let you snack off me later." Then he left.
Alfred grimaced at the idea of having to work while his body was still quite weak, but acknowledge Arthur had been working hard with the war effort and other such problems while Alfred had been resting. Alfred sighed and pulled himself out of the bath grabbing a towel but not bothering to dry off as he walked slowly back to his chambers to get dressed for a day sure to be filled with petty complaints. Looking towards the window Alfred noticed it was left open meaning Arthur had gone off to hunt again. It was risky hunting so frequently, but Alfred needed the blood to heal quickly. It was a risk they both had to take and Alfred could at least due his best to distract from the queen's absence.
Alfred put on his clothes wincing as the uncomfortable tightness of the fabric pressed against his still very sore skin. Once he was ready Alfred slowly made his way to his study to review the schedule of the day, wincing every time his injuries were aggravated. Alfred sighed it was going to be a very long day.
A/N: Hey everyone how was your Thanksgiving? Mine was crazy busy, anyways here's the next chapter. Smut and fluff galore! Hope you enjoy :) Please rate and review. Till next time.