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Day 12: Make out.
The weight in his chest pulsed for a moment as his eyes rested on the turned face of Yako, who was laughing so hard at his expense that the urge to at least jab her on the ribs as a temporary punishment was overwhelming. She was vulnerable, easy to attack, easy to torment. Just a little kick and he could choke her with his legs against the ceiling, just a little push and she was out of the window, just one movement of his hand and her neck would crack beautifully in an inhuman way.
But, as he thought those possibilities, deep down the paint that guided him in this alien human courting process was urging him not to do that. Which was stronger, you say? His sadistic side, of course. It was absurd to presume the opposite.
"Ah…," sighed Yako out of breath, "I haven't laughed like that in ages!" She sighed again as she rolled until she faced Neuro, fixing her eyes on his face from her position, weirded out by the sudden thought of her being the one upside down.
Neuro was looking down to her, a neutral expression on his face, not telling her what could be passing through his mind in that kind of intimate moment between them. She was used to be alone with the demon in close quarter and usually this didn't bother her in the least as he had told her clearly his little interest in her flesh; but with those new thoughts dancing on her mind lately she couldn't stop the slight blush flooding her cheeks. Maybe everything was in her imagination, maybe Neuro is acting weird for any demon-related reason. Do demons have the awkward teenage phase? She remembers he said that he was quite young.
"Yako," he called her, and her heart jumped in her chest. His green eyes still didn't give her any information about what could be crossing his mind, but she assumed that she was bothering him by being on his legs.
"I know, I know. I'll let you alone," as she moved to stand up his gloved hand pushed her down against his legs. She yelped in surprise as his big hand pressed her face with a bit too much force, crushing her nose and blinding her for a moment.
"Do not dare to move, maggot. I think I found a good use for your insolence," she heard his voice and couldn't see him until he removed his hand, but it was too late to dodge his approaching lips to her person. Shocked, Yako found herself being kissed again by her demon. She hoped that Neuro wouldn't get used to this new form of torture, because she knew that out of all the repertoire he usually threw at her, this was the most hurtful one.
After discovering the effect he had on her heart, she knew she wasn't ready for it to be crushed. She was no fool, he growing crush on the blond sadistic demon was a fact she could not deny, but as soon as Yako registered her new feelings she fought to forget them. Anything with him could not be good. He was dangerous, evil, sadistic and selfish; and none of that was boyfriend material. In the rare case of involving herself romantically with Neuro, she could see a future of pain and one-sided affections. No hugs, no kisses, no loving touches.
A demon does not understand the mechanics of love.
"Hey! Stop!" the woman shouted, pushing him. Yako stood up and stepped back until she was touching the opposite wall to her bed, a hand on her attacked lips and a wary look on her eyes. He stood up slowly, smiling his up-to-no-good smile, reminding her of a big cat stalking its prey. "Why did you do that?"
"I told you not to move," he... purred? Yako was on the verge of a breakdown. This was not Neuro. This was not how she thought tonight was going to be. A stalking demon in a crappy anime kitty kigurumi looking at her like she was a delicious mystery? Nope. No way in Hell.
"I don't know what the heck are you trying to do, but please stop," the detective pressed herself harder against the wall, her heart going a mile an hour. He was at an arm's length now, the smile still in place.
"Now you give the orders?" Neuro circled a hand around her neck, forcing her to stay in her place and incapable of turning her head away from his. His warm breath and crazed emerald eyes frightened her, as it was usual, but this time he didn't look menacing at all; instead, it was like he was evaluating her reaction, waiting to see something. It reminded her of when he kissed her in front of the inn back at the tiny village with the tengu problem. "I think not."
She blushed. She didn't want to, but her heart was acting with a mind on its own. The air in the room was heavy and no sound could be heard apart from the rapid beating of her heart, her blood noisily flowing behind her ears, her head swirling with incoherent thoughts between fear and an unwanted arousal.
"Ah?" she could muster, his lips approaching hers again, this time she could do nothing to stop him before they touched.
Yako closed her eyes tightly, not wanting this to happen ever again. Please, stop, she cried inside trying not to feel good or anything like that. After all, this was Neuro playing with her body and her human emotions. He knew enough about humans to detect her body reactions to his touch, but he couldn't act as if he cared like he was another human man. He wasn't normal, he wasn't suitable to be a boyfriend, he wasn't for her.
Suddenly, it happened. She felt something wet and raspy touch her lower lip, and she presumed it was his tongue. Oh God. She felt like she was going to faint, part from the lack of air and part from the weird things she was feeling in the pit of her stomach, her legs trembling under her and no longer supporting her weight. Yako opened her eyes and clawed at the hand on her neck, which was really choking her now.
Neuro withdrew a little, just enough space to let her breathe, and watched her take a few greedy gulps of air with inquisitive eyes. What was she thinking? Did she like it? Was he properly kissing her? Was his slave going to "fall in love" with him anytime soon? He wanted to confess his intentions, that's what the tutorial advised at this point in the courting. It's supposed to help the woman realise her feelings or something like that. And that's why he used the piece of information that Yako provided him not long ago: "And it's not about claiming, is more like showing your partner that you care and love them". The need to keep her alive and protected by his side counted as "care", right?
"Neuro," she managed to say after a minute, her eyes cast downwards as she tried to calm herself. He still had her trapped against the wall with his hand, he could not afford to let her scape now that the perfect opportunity presented itself. "Why the hell did you kiss me?" the blonde asked lifting her head to face him.
And he was going to smile and say a smart remark, something about doing whatever he wanted to his favorite slave, but the words caught up in his throat when he saw the fire in the teary eyes of his human. She looked furious, scared and tired. This was not expected at all. This wasn't on the tutorial. Neuro felt at loss of things to say, his mouth closed tight as he was looking for things to say. He considered lying, leaving this as it was and try another day; but the angry blazes in her brown eyes told him that she would see right through it and probably there wasn't going to be a "next time".
"And well?" she arched an eyebrow waiting for any smart and logical explanation other that "I felt like it". Neuro looked confused and at loss, reminding her of that fateful day when he returned to Hell, three years ago. But right now she was too angry to care about her little victory in being the only human who could put that face on him. "Are you going to-"
"I need you," he interrupted her, the same shocked face, his gloved hand slowly retreating from her person. But she couldn't move, not yet. Did she heard wrong?
"What?"
"I need you, Yako," Neuro blinked and looked at her with a slightly confused expression, like he was also weirded out by his words. "I want you."
A tense moment passed between them, the chilly air coming from the window cooling down the previously heated room, as they looked at each other in shock. Wow, Yako thought, just wow. What is going on here?
"Can you repea-"
"I won't repeat myself, maggot," he said going back to his usual bossy self, but Yako could see the glint of doubt on his green eyes. Another moment of tense silence passed.
"Is that true?" she asked softly, trying hard to believe it. It could mean a lot of things, he could be doing a big practical joke, he could be using her to experience a 'human thing' just to be faster in solving puzzles, he could be laughing at her for being weak.
"I do not lie about this kind of things," Neuro stepped back a little, watching her with a frown on his face.
"Then… do you love me? At all?" she found the courage to ask the needed question. "Wanting" or "needing" wasn't the same as "loving", and she needed to know the truth. And by the way he tilted his head with a faraway look on, she expected the answer.
"I'm not capable of 'love', Yako," she closed her eyes already feeling her heart break, "but lately I have been having trouble controlling myself. I need you by my side more than before and I get this annoying pressure in my body if I don't know if you are well or your irritating usual self."
Yako took a deep breath. This was… something unexpected. She could work with that. It wasn't love, he wasn't lying, but at least the detective was sure he was saying the truth about those 'new' feelings.
"And…?" she encouraged the demon with a soft voice, taking a step towards him. She wasn't as angry anymore, just a little annoyed by being forced to kiss him, and know she could see the awkward young demon who didn't know what to do with his own body.
"And," he glared at her, but Yako couldn't take him seriously with the kigurumi on, "I want you to love me."
"You want what?" alright, this was more than unexpected. He kept glaring, clearly irritated to be questioned like this. She didn't care, she wanted answers. "Ok, ok, you don't repeat yourself." Yako raised her hands in defeat. She couldn't be angry anymore.
She sighed and weighed the situation. Neuro awkwardly confessed, or something like that, and tried to french kiss her. In a kigurumi. While choking her. She was sure that tomorrow this would earn a laugh or two, but right now it was like being in a weird nightmarish dream.
As she stood in front of the much taller demon, the young woman looked up to his face searching for answers. Maybe… maybe she wasn't so hopeless after all. Could he love her? The answer was no, but… She could be cherished, wanted, respected. Neuro saw a worthy partner in her and despite the constant abuse and trash talking. And he could understand her in a way that no other man on this Earth could. She has evolved into a quick thinking person, a bright detective, and no many men were interested in a glutton detective woman.
To Neuro that wasn't important. He saw in her things that humans couldn't see, a new perspective, as clear as she could see the real demon underneath the bossy and sadistic behavior. Maybe…
"What is taking you so long, dishrag? Just say whatever you are going to say," he took her head and got closer to her face with a scowl, getting impatient.
"Yeah," she said smiling a little. The Brain Eater arched and eyebrow and squeezed harder his grab on her, demanding a more elaborate answer. "I say yeah, I like you too, Neuro. But!" she raised a finger, silencing whatever he was going to say with the digit. For a brief second she thought he was going to bite it off by the intense glare he gave her. "Tomorrow we are going to talk about this in detail. I don't think you are very clear in how 'human courting' works and I'm sure that there are a few things you should tell me about demon ways. I don't want to wake up one day and find myself in trouble because you 'forgot' to tell me something important," by the toothy smile she was sure it was right on point. Oh boy, he was going to be the end of her.
"I expected nothing else, detective," Neuro commended sarcastically, attempting to bite her index finger, but for once Yako was faster.
"And by the way, this is how you french kiss," before he could ask what was that, she kissed him with more enthusiasm that the two times he had kissed her. It was nothing like those times before; this was intense, hot, consuming.
She demanded his whole attention as her lips moved against his, her hands pressing his shoulders down to keep him reachable, her eyes closed in a focused expression that he thought suited her very well. He wanted to see this face everyday, so close to his.
"Aren't you going to kiss me now?" she mocked him, seeing that he was frozen in his place.
She shouldn't have taunted him, she really shouldn't have. Because with the usual forceful way in which he treated her, Neuro grabbed her legs and put them around him, leveling her for a more easy access. This was something new and Yako was excited to find out how this could work out. She closed her eyes, letting the other senses take lead. Now the woman expected the rushed contact from the inexperienced demon on her lips and embraced it. She was a newbie herself, but it didn't stop her enjoyment of her (official) first kiss with her kind-of-boyfriend bird demon.
She almost laughed when she felt what she thought was the wall against her back, only to find it was the ceiling. But, for once, she wasn't afraid. Sure of the demon's hold on her legs, she was adventurous and cupped his face with her hands, letting herself enjoy the soft touch of his smooth skin. Yako always wanted to touch it but was afraid to lose her hand in the process.
Again she felt his wet tongue rubbing her lower lip, and this time she let him in. For a moment she expected some kind of burning sensation, as his acidic saliva wasn't a joke matter, but after a few seconds she only felt his raspy appendage explore the inside of her mouth. It was like a cat's but weirder. She had only kissed someone once, and it was before the boy had to pay her restaurant bill, so she usually tried to bury the embarrassing memory. This was nothing like what she remembers.
An involuntary moan escaped her mouth, overwhelmed by the intense experience, as well as trying to breath some air. He reclaimed her mouth once more, greedy to have more of what they were doing, pleased to see her reactions. That sound was positive, right? He wanted to hear more of that, he wanted more of this, he wanted more and more…
"N..Neuro.." she managed to say, pulling her face from his and opening her eyes. "I need to breathe." He opened his eyes as well, giving a hard squeeze to her thighs clearly displeased to have been stopped. A sound between a grunt and a growl came out of his swollen lips, awakening a weird tingling sensation on her belly. Yako prayed that she was not developing a kink out of that.
"Then breathe, human. But we are not done for today." He whispered in a husky voice. A shiver ran down her spine.
She smiled nervously, realising that the floor was really far from the ceiling. The bed was right under them, but still she hoped that Neuro wouldn't drop her.
