This chapter's theme is Number Fourteen: Radio-Cassette Player. This short story is also AU, set in the future. It's all explained in the story.
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"I'm sorry, I could never love you back!"
How long had it been since she'd said those words? A hundred years? Two hundred years? A millennia? Maybe even two, or three? Not that it really mattered anymore; time flew fast when one was immortal, and immortal she was. Like the little, "I don't let go of anyone" person that he was, Raenef had long since found a blood fusing spell that had made his dear knight-friend immortal. Half demon, to be precise, not that she paid attention to it anymore. She enjoyed life - for the most part - and was constantly by Raenef's side. Which, in turn, meant constantly being with Eclipse, too.
Oddly enough, over the past countless years, the older demon had grown accustomed to her presence, even seemed to enjoy it a little. At any rate, he'd eventually - after a couple hundred years - began to speak to her, not as if she were a fixture on the wall or a servant, but as one would an acquaintance. Perhaps the fact that Raenef frequently hung off of her might've had something to do with it; perhaps he was stuck with her and he knew it, and in light of that, had decided to make the best of it. But Eclipse had his reasons, whether because he was changing his feelings toward her or otherwise, Erutis was probably never to know. The older demon was very secretive, even around Raenef, though the years passed had wore down his defenses considerably.
Since the beginning, the world had changed so much. It had gone from swords and magic to guns and technology. The demons had kept up gracefully, gradually bleeding into the human world until seeing a demon walk the streets was just as likely as seeing a "normal person." The demon lords remained rich and they kept their servants; despite new technology, hierarchy still very much existed. All that changed was the toys they used. Granted, they weren't terribly far along with everything yet - not digital, which was unheard of as of yet - but every home had a phone, and some of the lower ranked demons and humans were acquiring hand-held cassette players while the elder, "more important" crowd used 8-tracks and records. Everything had a strange, dusty feel to it, even though everything was brand new.
Long before, Eclipse had stopped doing all the cleaning and cooking, as Raenef had bothered him into hiring help. Human help, as terrible and odd as that sounded. But just like he'd taken a "liking" - more like a tolerance - to Erutis, he seemed to be able to put up with humans more and more. So, it wasn't so bad, and the knight didn't mind; it was easier to barter food from the maids than Eclipse, anyway. The notion was bittersweet. The bartering was easier, but it gave her one less reason to see him.
This thought entering her head, the redhead sighed. You shouldn't be wanting to see him in the first place, she reminded herself, scratching the back of her neck, carefully avoiding the wire that connected her headphones to the cassette player. The faint sound of static over the radio was as clear as it got, but she liked to listen when she was relaxing. Sure, the batteries died faster, but Raenef was always making trips to the store, and she usually went along anyway. I shouldn't even be thinking about him in my spare time at all, but...
The thought was never finished as the soft hum of classical music lulled her to sleep while she was still sitting in the chair, legs over the arm and back propped up on the other as if the chair was her man, her white knight, carrying her to bed bridal-style...Warily, she thought she felt herself moving, felt the ground move away. Subconsciously clutching her cassette player, she curled into the back of the chair, which was smoother than she remembered it, with a dull, rhythmic thud coming from it. Shrugging it off as the beat of the music, Erutis let herself drift into proper sleep as she felt herself being laid in bed, the covers brought up around her middle.
The last thing she felt before sleep claimed the knight was a pair of soft, cool lips pressed against her forehead...
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Normally, Eclipse wouldn't have looked twice at the sleeping knight, but lately he'd been growing rather...well, tolerant and accustomed weren't exactly the words for it, really. And he didn't dare actually think the word fond. But she'd somehow managed to become less ugly and...human than before. Well, in all technicality, she hadn't been completely human for years.
Perhaps it was that she was so friendly with Raenef. The little demon lord seemed to make the world a bit brighter, and everyone he touched somehow seemed less horrible. Maybe it was Raenef's effect...? Or perhaps Eclipse was finally seeing what Raenef had seen in Erutis all along. The most confusing part was the attraction; as an upper level demon - and just plain being himself - he certainly couldn't explain why Erutis looked even remotely feminine or attractive in the least.
Conflicting thoughts or not, he found himself actually caring what happened to her. Sighing when he passed by the room, he backed up, picking up the knight from the chair. He hesitated when she snuggled into his chest, afraid she was waking; but, alas, she was simply shifting. Bringing the redhead to her room, he set her down on her own bed, pulling up the covers.
Standing, preparing to leave, Eclipse hesitated again - he was doing that too much lately - looking back. Well...she was asleep. And she slept like a rock, so...
In a moment of weakness, he leaned over, brushing his lips against the knight's forehead before leaving, closing the door securely behind him. Taking a deep breath, he promised himself he would never, ever mention this to anyone. Not even Raenef.
And not even himself.
