Kakyoin's eyes felt like lead. He could barely force them open. They fluttered a little before shutting again. Wow, he was tired, and the pounding headache that was present when he awoke didn't help either. Did he leave the light on before he went to sleep last night? Better yet, why did he feel so awful after he woke up?
Finally, after prying his eyelids open and rubbing the sleep away, he looked at his unfamiliar surroundings. Before he could question where he was, the previous night's events flooded his brain. His head fell back on the soft pillow with a thud, and he gasped. So it hadn't just been a horrible nightmare. He buried his face in his hands, foolishly hoping that when he removed them he would be back in his own room. However, he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.
After lowering his hands from his face, he caught a glimpse of a tall figure frozen near the door. Kakyoin squinted, trying to fight off the sleep still blurring his vision, to get a better look at the intruder. He flinched back against the headboard when the person in question came into focus, his eyes now matching the same deer in headlight look as his captor. Neither of them spoke for a long while. They just stared at each other wondering who would make the first move.
"Glad to see you're awake," the mythical Demon awkwardly stumbled out.
"Why am I here?" Kakyoin questioned, not bothering to acknowledge what the Demon had said. "Shouldn't I be in my cell?" His inquiry seemed to throw the Demon off guard. He shifted his large body a little and looked away from Kakyoin's gaze.
"Well," he started, then cleared his throat, "I figured if you're going to be here for a while, you should probably have your own room." He rocked back and forth on his feet after he finished speaking. He looked impatient like he was eager to leave. Unfortunately for this demon, Kakyoin wasn't going to let him go that easily.
"How thoughtful." Kakyoin's voice dripped with sarcasm as he smiled sweetly. "It's a shame you couldn't treat my father with the same care." His smile fell flat as he glared at the Demon waiting for his response. The calm exterior the Demon was trying to maintain was seeming to slip. Kakyoin noticed how the Demon's eye started to twitch after his snide comment. Good, get fucking angry.
"He was a petty thief. He didn't deserve my courtesy," The Demon bluntly stated the agitation slowly creeping into his voice.
"And I do?" Kakyoin snapped. "After all, I'm a prisoner here just like he was. I neither deserve nor want your 'courtesy.'"
"I don't have to be nice to you. Remember that," He threatened, turning on his heels to leave. Now it was Kakyoin's turn to get angry. How dare this asshole. He narrowed his eyes and balled up the bedsheet with his clenched fists.
"Nice?" Kakyoin gave a small incredulous laugh, his rage rapidly growing. "Are you fucking serious?" That got the Demon's attention. He whipped around to face Kakyoin who was practically seething. "If this is your definition of nice, I'm terrified of what your cruelty is like." The Demon scowled in his direction and opened his mouth to speak, but Kakyoin cut him off before he could utter anything.
"But sure, let's review all the 'nice' things you've done. Let me see. You injured and imprisoned my father over a stupid ring, threatened both me and him, and what else am I forgetting?" Kakyoin tilted his head in fake thought then snapped his fingers. "Oh, that's right! I was forced to trade my life for my father's, so I could rot here forever as your prisoner instead of him. Tell me, am I missing anything else?"
"I didn't force you to do anything," the Demon replied through gritted teeth. "You chose to make that deal and serve his time."
"Like I had a choice to begin with." Kakyoin crossed his arms. He was still furious, but he was a little calmer, now only speaking in a serious tone. "He's my father. I wasn't going to let him die here, and if that meant I had to take his place as prisoner, so be it." The Demon looked as though he wanted to say something, but chose not to. Instead, he turned and left without another word, slamming the door behind him.
Kakyoin finally let out a deep sigh and collapsed against the massive bed's headboard. Even though he quarreled with the Demon over the room change, he was secretly relieved he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his days in a dank moldy dungeon. He couldn't lie to himself. He would take this comfortable bed, dust and all, a thousand times over that freezing stone floor. By his estimate, he only received maybe an hour of sleep. It probably wouldn't hurt for him to sleep a little more, but first, he wanted to explore his new room.
To start, it was huge, especially compared to the rooms back home. He guaranteed that he could probably fit two if not three of his bedrooms in the place. The room didn't have much in it, but there were a few items. Kakyoin walked across to the door where there was a sizable white vanity. There were three mirrors attached, but they were covered in so much grime that he couldn't even see himself. On its table was a large hairbrush, lots of old-looking makeup, an antique perfume bottle, and a tiny box. He picked up the objects to inspect them one by one.
The hairbrush was pretty. The handle was made of ivory and had what appeared to be hand-carved ornate designs. The ivory was cool and almost soothing to the touch. Although the bristles looked hard and slightly yellow from age, they were very soft when Kakyoin stroked them.
Once he placed the hairbrush back in its proper place, he moved on to the makeup and opened the first palette on his left. He guessed it was some kind of eyeshadow. Not to his surprise, the powders were dry and crumbling. The once bright pigmented colors were now dull and cracked. Kakyoin took care when closing the lid. The other makeup besides the palette was some type of blush, an unusual white powder, and a couple of worn-down lipsticks.
Kakyoin then grabbed the perfume and squeezed the rubber atomizer just to see if anything would come out. After a couple of pumps, he gave up trying to make anything besides dust escape from the bottle.
What interested Kakyoin most on the table was the decaying wooden box. Like the hairbrush, the wood was decorated in the same intricate designs. He took a closer look at the lock and saw that the metal had disintegrated over the years. After removing the lock, he slowly lifted the lid to reveal the box's contents. Inside was a variety of beautiful jewelry. There was an abundance of gold and silver necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets, each studded with a precious gem. He reached in and pulled out a stunning pair of gold earrings with shiny emeralds. They were gorgeous, but not for him. He would stick with his simple cherries, which he was thankful he had been wearing when he came to the castle. He didn't know what he would do without them.
He put the jewelry away, shut the lid, and pushed everything else back into its place. He went off to the other end of the room and found the wardrobe. He swung the doors open, and a barrage of moths flew into his face to greet him. It was small and the clothes were coated in dust much like the rest of the room. Although old, all the clothing seemed to be in decent condition except for a couple of holes here and there in the fabric. It mostly contained button-ups, vests, slacks, and shoes. They were almost exactly like what the Demon wore, only less extravagant. Curious, he pulled out one of the shirts and one pair of pants. Who knows, maybe they would work for him. He slipped on the clothing over his own and was surprised that they both fit him relatively well. The button-up was a little big and the pants were a little snug, but they would work if he needed them.
After returning the clothing and shutting the doors, he spotted a large cedar chest at the end of the bed. How had he not noticed that? He stooped down to the floor, undid the rusted latches, and lifted the heavy lid. Inside were stacks of yellowed paper, pencils, fountain pens, erasers, and almost anything an artist could want. The only thing missing were paints and canvases, but this would do for Kakyoin. Along with the art supplies he found several books that were in good shape minus the age. He was relieved that he found things he enjoyed using. If nothing else, he could draw and read until the end of time.
After rummaging through the chest more, he came upon pages of tattered sheet music. Kakyoin carefully inspected one, hoping the paper wouldn't crumble from his touch. He had never really learned how to read music and he definitely couldn't play an instrument, but it reminded him of home. Of his father.
He remembered when his dad played guitar for him the second time. At that point, they had only known each other for a couple of days. He was still stuck in his shell and didn't talk to Hol Horse or anyone else. As a kid, he never trusted anyone easily, especially the days following the incident. That night in the woods left him terrified of any shadow on the wall or anything he thought he saw move out of the corner of his eye. Needless to say, he didn't leave the bed Hol Horse had given him for days.
Hol Horse desperately tried to rouse him out of bed and at least do something. Hol Horse brought him food, drinks, toys, anything he thought might work. Finally, Hol Horse said he gave up and came to the conclusion that Kakyoin would move when he was ready. That night, Kakyoin was incredibly hungry. He had eaten little since he arrived at Hol Horse's house because he didn't have much of an appetite, and anything he did eat he felt like he would vomit immediately afterward. But as much as Kakyoin wanted to stay in the bed forever, he knew he had to eat something substantial eventually.
Reluctantly, he opened the door and searched for the kitchen. He wasn't having much luck though. As he continued looking, he heard the light strumming of a guitar and followed the sound. Hol Horse was sitting on the couch singing some soft melody, not for anyone but himself. Kakyoin stood in the doorway transfixed by how beautifully he played and sang. Even his southern twang complimented the sound. He could have stayed there for hours listening and almost did until Hol Horse called out to him.
"You can come join me if y'want." Kakyoin gasped, astonished that Hol Horse noticed him so quickly. Hol Horse looked expectantly at Kakyoin with a grin and patted the spot next to him on the couch. Instead of coming closer, Kakyoin backed away. "C'mon, kid. I won't bite. Probably," Hol Horse joked with a small laugh. Kakyoin just went farther into the darkness of the doorway. Hol Horse sighed and went back to playing that same melody.
Kakyoin turned to go back to the room, but couldn't escape the wonderful feeling hearing the song gave him. So instead, he slowly approached the couch but didn't sit down. Hol Horse stopped, much to Kakyoin's dismay.
"Please don't stop." Kakyoin's voice was raspy from not talking. "It's really pretty." Hol Horse looked shocked. This was the first time Kakyoin had actually spoken to him.
"It's okay, kid. I won't." Hol Horse smiled and continued playing, and Kakyoin contently listened. He even sat down on the couch and started gently swaying to the music, his hunger forgotten. When Hol Horse finished one song, he began another. They must've sat on that couch for hours. Eventually, Hol Horse had to stop for good because his fingers hurt and were cramping.
"How do you play like that?" Kakyoin stared at the guitar in awe.
"Lots of hard work and practice," Hol Horse said proudly.
"That's amazing. I wish I could play like you."
"I can teach you if y'want," Hol Horse offered holding out the guitar to him. Kakyoin looked unsure but took the instrument anyway. It was comically huge compared to him. His fingers could barely reach the strings on the fret, and he couldn't press down hard enough either. Hol Horse attempted to teach him how to do a few simple chords, but Kakyoin couldn't seem to get it.
"Why am I so bad at this?" Kakyoin sighed in frustration.
"It takes practice. Believe me, I wasn't exactly great startin' out either." Hol Horse was going to continue his speech but was interrupted by the loud growl coming from the tiny stomach. "Let's go get you some food, okay, kid. Then we can come back to this." Kakyoin was disappointed but agreed to go with Hol Horse to the kitchen anyway. That was the first night Kakyoin started warming up to Hol Horse, and they talked for hours about whatever topic popped into their heads. Funny enough, Kakyoin never learned how to play the guitar, but that was okay with him. That night, he had finally found home again.
Kakyoin hadn't noticed he had started crying until he felt the teardrops fall down his neck. He brought his shaky hand to wipe them away and laughed through the sniffles. What's the use in crying now? It wasn't like it would fix anything. He couldn't help but laugh at how pathetic he must look, crying like a little child. At least no one else could see him like this. As much as he hated to admit it, the Demon was right about one thing. He made the deal and promised to stay, no matter how much he didn't want to. Was he going to miss home and his dad? Yes, painfully so, but at least his father was safe. And that's all Kakyoin could really ask for.