And there Battler was, straddling Beato's butler, in his dimly lit room, on top of his bed. He was vaguely aware of his labored breathing as he pulled away and observed his handiwork. Below him lay a lightly flushed Ronove, tangled hair strewn around the pillow; making a stark contrast between the white covers and dark brown locks. His dress shirt was no longer buttoned up to the collar and was exposing red and irritated skin, partly glistening with saliva. The marks were beginning to bloom and bruise, and Battler was reminded of roses.
Damn, how can this guy manage to stay elegant even in these situations? Still a bit annoyed, his eyes continued to rove over his work. He noticed Ronove's swollen and red lips, a bit of drool seeping out from the corners. Battler bent forward to lick it off, though he didn't really do it for the sake of cleanliness since Ronove would end up with saliva on his face anyways. He continued his wet stripe past jaw and ended at his collarbone, biting down on the vulnerable skin there. Battler heard a small whine escape from the butler's irritated lips and sat back up to once again make his observations.
Underneath half-lidded eyes and gold-framed monocle, Ronove intensely stared back, lips slightly parted. Battler was finding the sight before him to be a bit too much. His heart skipped a few beats and his white pants suddenly felt too constraining. He felt like he couldn't breathe, and almost started to panic right then and there. The red-head couldn't believe that Ronove, thousands of years old and 36th or whatever the hell his rank is, demon butler was able to turn him on. Not one of the sexy stake sisters or even Beatrice herself, but her creepy butler.
Ronove surely must've noticed the growing bulge in Battler's pants (or rather felt it), because he offered a knowing smirk. Battler's felt his face grow hotter; even his ears. Gah! Go back to moaning my name, you stupid pervert! And with a flustered scowl painted on his face, he leaned back down to remove his monocle, placing it on the bedside table. Once that task was done, he moved on to the next task of unbuttoning the rest of the shirt, kissing the new skin that was revealed. Deciding to take the risk (mostly it was just to see what kind of sounds he could pull from Ronove), Battler stuck his tongue out and snaked his way into Ronove's naval. Above him, he heard the brunette's shocked gasp, followed by smaller breathy pants. It was Battler's turn to smirk.
"B-Battler, I… This is quite the de- mnnn- claration of love you're making.." Battler had started nibbling on Ronove's neck again, exhaling cool air on the fresh marks. He smiled against the bitten skin and trailed small kisses up his jaw line and over his high cheek bones. He let his fingers roam around the mess of brown strands of hair and let them slip behind Ronove's neck, nails marking lines of sensation on his scalp. He noted that the hair here was starting to get damp with sweat. This only made Battler grin wider.
"Yeah w-well I don't usually do this kind of thing to others.. girls typically confess to me, y'kn-know? Though if other girls confessed to me like how I'm doing right now, I couldn't be bothered to even come to the island in the first place.. Heheheh~" Battler was finding those scenarios to be extremely pleasing.. Especially if that foreign girl with the C-cups who had confessed to him in the 7th grade had done it like this…
"Th-that would be quite unfortunate i-if that happened.." Ronove had pulled Battler from his 'very innocent and totally not perverted' fantasies, and was once again staring at Battler with those amazingly cerulean eyes. Battler couldn't help but feel a bit jealous at the gorgeous color, since he felt like his own were just a watered down version of Ronove's. Trying not to frown, he focused on what the butler had said, but found himself frowning anyway.
"A-and why is that? You don't think it'd be awesome t-to have a harem of cute girls at your feet?" Battler felt a bit of confusion appear on his face, but tried to chase it away as he shrugged the shirt off of Ronove's arms. He tossed it to the side and tried to land another kiss on him. He couldn't accomplish that seeing as Ronove had taken the liberty to buck Battler off and pin him to the bed, a mirror of what Battler had managed to do earlier. The flushed red-head let an articulate, "H-huh?" escape from his throat and gazed up at the Ronove that was now straddling him. He quickly unbuttoned Battler's shirt and slipped it off his shoulders; slender fingers not fumbling once while he kept steady eye contact. He then proceeded to run his now bare hands (wait when did his gloves come off?) up and down Battler's chest, making sure they caught on his nipples. Battler felt his eyes flutter shut to better the sensation, and let out a shaky moan.
"It would be unfortunate, at the very least for me, if you had not come to the island, for I would never have gotten the chance to do this with you." At 'this', he traced a spiral around Battler's left nipple with his manicured nail, then pinched the hardening nub. The teenage boy below him let out a squeak, already fidgeting and further messing up the sheets. Battler felt a cool breath ghost over his face and let his eyes open up to a sliver. The first thing he saw was Ronove's famous (or rather, infamous, at least to Battler) smile, only inches away. Some of the blood vessels that were going down to Battler's gut had somehow managed to redirect its route and go to his cheeks instead. He looked up into the blue orbs of Ronove's eyes and was reminded of the ocean; of when he went to the beach with Jessica and the others, splashing water around and laughing in the warmth of the sun.
He was instantly lulled, all at once feeling… safe. Well, safe wasn't a really good way to describe it. It made him feel a bit protected, yes, but that could also be interpreted as possessiveness. Which Battler didn't mind, he was used to having girls fight over him (wait, didn't Rudolf try to warn him of something like that? Ah, it didn't matter!). In fact, he was finding that to be a bit attractive. Maybe a little more than 'a bit'.. Battler was still staring when Ronove had decided to speak up, though it was hard to pay attention.
"And in case you haven't noticed, I am not really interested in having a harem of girls." He punctuated the sentence by ghosting his hand over Battler's crotch, and Battler swears his heart had become a trapeze with all the flips it was doing. His eyes were screwed shut now, brain trying to register what the words just said to him meant. Finally, it broke through to him.
Oh. Right. Guess that explains the flirting. Wait, but Battler liked.. well, to be crude (which Battler has no problem with), he liked boobs. Soft, squishy mounds that bounced on girls' chests. And as Battler looked back up, he acknowledged that Ronove definitely did not have boobs. Though the view was really nice…
Never in a thousand years had Battler thought he would admit that another man's nude torso would turn him on, but here he was. A demon butler with slightly feminine hair (shut up, you think it's sexy [no I do not!]!) and a creepy smile, sitting on top of him, making his heart BPM go straight through the roof. He didn't want to sound like a whiny girl, he really didn't. But he didn't think he'd be able to handle much more. The brief touch had already made him start panting lightly, and he felt extremely confused. He wasn't sure if he wanted more or not. Despite his reputation, Battler had only gotten to 3rd base with any of the girls he was with, but was never able to take it any further, even if he had the approval of Rudolf (but make sure to be safe!). And he had even gotten to show Battler how to put a condom on when he was little, though that was abruptly ended when his mom walked in and had practically killed him, all the while sporting one of the most flushed faces he had even seen her wear.
What do guys even do anyways..? Do they just suck each other off? That doesn't sound nearly as fun as what you do with a girl.. Battler was certainly not educated in this. And he hated to admit it, or ask questions. Especially to Ronove, where he would probably tease him and try to 'demonstrate'. Besides, it was really rare to see homo couples back where he lived. The only reason he even knew that existed was because his friends in school were talking about this new hot lesbian couple, and how they should plant a camera in their bags or something. Which Battler had to admit, it did sound like a good idea at the time. But when he tried to bring it up again, but with dudes, they looked at him like his brain had grown legs and walked out of his skull.
Which would definitely explain why he thought that could be nice, too. But he realized that it was like a taboo of sorts, so he never touched the subject again. He only thought about it sometimes, and tried to imagine himself with one of his guy friends, or, heaven forbid, George, but that had simply left him feeling disgusted, so he just shut it out.
It was all feeling really confusing, but he decided he needed to stop thinking, because there was a half-naked butler straddling him, and he needed to take advantage. When he finally returned to the present, he noticed that Ronove was staring at him strangely. His eyebrows were arched up, eyes displaying a shimmer of worry. Battler wasn't sure why. Did he accidentally let some of his own concerns slip out? No, he would've remembered speaking, right? Then again, he couldn't really remember having Ronove's fingers tangle in his hair. He focused on that instead, leaning into the touch.
"Battler, is everything all right?" Ronove's deep and lust-filled tone was gone, and was replaced with the type of tone that his mother had used when he had gotten sick from Jessica, after refusing to let her rest while she felt bad and continuing to bug her while she lay in bed. Although Battler felt warmth run though his body from hearing Ronove's concern, he wanted it to go back to how it was earlier.
He didn't want to have to think. So in response to that question, Battler simply tugged Ronove down and kissed him, drawing in his lower lip between his and sucking on it. He was rewarded with a small whine, and the fingers in his hair tensed once, but kept massaging his skull. He licked at the seam of Ronove's closed lips, silently asking permission. He was granted access as his mouth slid open, and Battler traced his teeth with his tongue, then delved in and poked curiously at Ronove's own tongue. The brunette pushed the wet muscle up and trapped it in between the roof of his mouth and his own muscle, sucking lightly. Battler closed his eyes so Ronove wouldn't be able to see his pupils rolling back in his skull, and made a groan that Battler thought was just a tad too loud.
Ronove must've known, somehow, because he smiled around the kiss, breaking off a bit off the suction. This enraged the teen a bit, but he refused to admit defeat! So he blindly reached out and grabbed Ronove by the ribs, pulling him closer until he couldn't afford to hold himself up anymore and put his whole body weight on Battler; leaving no place for air to travel between the two. Battler moved his legs apart and bent his knees, allowing the butlers' legs to fall in between. He was surprised when he felt his erection meet Ronove's half-hard one, and broke away from the kiss to let out a shaky moan; this one louder than the last.
Suddenly, he felt that same wave of confusion from before, though this one tried to make itself more known. Ronove must've noticed the look on Battler's face, though how he didn't mistake for pleasure was something Battler was never able to figure out. He placed a finger under his chin and gently pushed his head, forcing him to face worry-laced eyes and swollen lips formed into a slight frown. He was still breathing heavily, though Battler easily drowned him out with his own gasps.
"B-Battler, please do tell me what's bothering you. Is this uncomfortable? I know I take things too far on occasion, but I try to stop myself. We can stop, if you like," Ronove smiled a gentle and charming smile at Battler, filled with warmth and tinged slightly with concern. He began to stand up, but Battler placed a trembling hand on his arm, preventing him from leaving.
"N-no wait! I-I uh.. ahhh.." Damn, how can he speak full sentences after that? Battler faltered, though he didn't relent on his firm grip of Ronove's arm. He tried to pull him back down, but Ronove shook his head, seeming to say, 'not until you tell me what's wrong'. The shivering teen whined, not at all welcoming the cool air on his chest. The demon seemed to sense what Battler wanted, just like he seemed to know everything else Battler was feeling and/or thinking, so he was willing to compensate.
He put his hand over the one that was holding him captive and gently pried his fingers off, despite Battler's protests. He then proceeded to push himself up against the headboard, making himself comfortable in his cross-legged sitting position. Once he was satisfied, he lightly pulled Battler towards him, eventually pushing him into his lap. He was forced to face forwards, and then pushed into Ronove's chest, arms loosely wrapping around his middle and chin placed atop his fiery head. For some reason, Battler was finding this to be more intimate that their earlier kiss. It felt like his heart was trying to claw its way out of his chest, and his brain turned into mush, limbs going lax in Ronove's embrace.
Battler was still breathing heavily, but he eventually calmed down, even if his skin got goose bumps when Ronove kissed the top of his head, or the shell of his ear. Battler thought that now he'd be interrogated, but Ronove let the silence stretch, only breaking it when he landed a kiss on his shoulder, or when he tried to pull him closer, which really wasn't possible, and Battler made a small sigh of acknowledgment.
Well, it seems like he's not trying to pry. Which is actually nice of him.. Wow, maybe he's not a total creep after all.. It was then that Ronove decided to run his hands up his chest and his fingers caught on his nipples once more. Battler leaned his head back and allowed it to lay on Ronove's shoulder as he let out a small gasp. Nevermind.
The soft hands drifted back down to their original position and Battler felt a whisper in his right ear. "Ah, do forgive me, Battler. It seems I cannot control myself around you," Ronove chuckled lightly, sending shivers down his spine. Battler could've made some remark about how it was only his natural irresistibility, but he only 'humph'-ed in response. This just caused the brunette to chuckle a bit more, but he finally stopped. Battler was bracing for the question, but it still didn't come.
"Aren't you g-gonna ask me if I'm ok or whatever?" Battler asked in an exasperated tone.
"Honestly, it's a bit obvious to see your discomfort, so I will not. That is, unless you prefer to talk about it," Ronove explained rather simply, and proceeded to kiss his shoulder again.
Wow. You're… really nice. Battler almost said it out loud, but stopped himself at the last second, instead making a sound of amazement and a sigh, which sounded a bit like, "Wahhhhh.." Embarrassed of making such a pathetic fool out of himself, Battler clasped his hands over his mouth, face completely red and shoulders tensing. Ronove's response was to laugh. Not his usual self-contained laugh, daintily covered by a gloved hand, but an actual, honest-to-goodness laugh; filled with warmth and pure amusement. And it was contagious. Soon, Battler found himself laughing along with him, completely forgetting his earlier pout and humiliation. Once they finally settled down, Ronove pressed a kiss on the side of the red-head's neck, in turn, Battler only sighed, almost completely content.
There was still something bothering him, and since it just seemed so easy to talk to Ronove now, with the new development and earlier development (back when Battler was still finding his trust in Ronove). Still, he could make fun of Battler, and Battler wasn't positively sure. Somehow, he almost felt obliged to confide in the butler. It was only fair, since it seemed like Ronove was trying so hard to gain Battler as a friend in the very least. Though he did have odd ways of going about it.
I could file for sexual harassment, you jerk.
Battler didn't say that, though he might've wanted to. Fine fine, he'd do it. He'd talk to Ronove about his… issues. He wasn't sure if it would help much, but he might as well, right? "Ronove?" Battler asked tentatively.
"Yes?" Ronove replied warmly.
Argh, how was he going to say this? How to word it without sounding like a complete idiot? "U-umm.. Well, you see here.. I've never actually thought about being with a g-guy… Like, it occurred a couple of times in my head, but that was really weird, so I prefer not to think about it.. A-and well.. You're a guy,"
"Clever observation," Ronove interrupted.
"Shut up, let me finish!"
"My apologies, Battler-sama. Please, continue," The butler suppressed a laugh. Battler only flushed brighter at the new honorific.
"Ahem. Like I was saying. Ehmmm.. So you're a guy. A-and, well, that's not a bad thing. You're a bit different than the others… And I know you probably have lots of experience with other demon guys because I mean, that kiss, man.." Battler flustered. "And I-I don't. Like at all. I d-don't…." Battler paused, not sure if he could be any more embarrassed, ever. He covered his face with his hands, though he knew it didn't really matter much, since he was facing forward. Still. It made him feel slightly better. Now muffled, he hesitantly continued in a low voice.
"I don't know how to do anything. I don't know what f-feels good, and what doesn't. My god, this is humiliating. Ahhhh..!" Battler absently tugged at his hair. He was sure he'd pull some strands out if he wasn't careful, but Ronove (thankfully) pulled his hand away and intertwined his slender fingers with Battler's. Battler wasn't sure how many times he blushed while he was with Ronove, but this was definitely a record.
"I understand your feelings, Battler. You don't have to feel embarrassed. If it's any consolation, I went through the very same thing you're going through right now, though I didn't have anyone to tell me things. And there's not necessarily any book out there, written on how to understand homosexual feelings," Ronove smiled against Battler's spiky locks of hair.
"W-wait, so who taught you? Ah wait, don't tell me. It was another demon guy, probably creepier than you, and he, like, tied you up and stuff. 'Cuz you're into that. I don't know. Yuck," Battler shivered, the image of a naked Ronove, chained up in a cell popping into his mind. Weeeeelll… now that I think about it… that doesn't sound too bad.. Battler was luckily interrupted from his mind wandering to other scenarios when he heard Ronove cough behind him.
"I'm afraid you're wrong, though I did get experience later on from other furniture,"
"Huh? So how'd you know this stuff? Did you hear it from your friends like me?" Battler inquired, a bit confused.
"That, my dear, is a dreadfully long story that will most likely put you to sleep. I simply do not have the energy to recount such a long tale, either," Ronove sighed out.
My dear? Did I hear that right? Trying his hardest to ignore that part, he relentlessly continued his questioning, interest suddenly piqued. "We have allll the time in the world~! I wouldn't mind knowing. In return, I'll tell you all about me! Though I'm not too sure if there's enough left that you don't know.." Battler trailed off, then spoke up suddenly again. "Oooh! Is it a tragic tale of your forbidden love with a human guy, and in the end, you had to kill him or something? Like on Beato's order? That is soooo cliché that it actually suits you." Battler laughed, expecting Ronove to join him, but when all he heard was silence, he turned around.
Ronove seemed to have an impassive face on, staring blankly ahead. For a split second, he seemed to be in complete agony, trying his hardest to not let tears spill. The image caused Battler to feel like he had gotten stabbed in the heart by one of stake girls. He'd had a lot of experience with that, and it was feeling scarily similar. "No. Don't tell me I guessed right. I didn't. Right?" Battler reached out, caressed his cheek with the back of his knuckles, felt the slight tremors underneath. Ronove inhaled strongly and let out a shaky exhale.
"I wasn't forced to kill him directly. Though I might've well had. I… do not feel like talking about it. It'll only upset both you and me."
Silence stretched between them. Battler stared intently at Ronove, though the butler refused to meet his gaze. Battler almost felt like crying himself. His (wait, 'his'? Aren't you getting a little too ahead of yourself there?) Ronove, usually charming and calm, always radiating an air of an elegant coolness, was trying his best not to cry. Though Battler liked when he broke past that barrier and got to see other emotions, he usually only liked seeing the bashful side of him. Not… whatever this was. Desperate to change Ronove back, Battler quickly leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on his lips. He trailed kisses up his nose, over his forehead, down the side of his face and on his cheek. After he recaptured his lips, Ronove brokenly laughed.
"I believe I was supposed to be taking care of your concerns,"
"Pffft they're little things compared to yours. Though if you want to teach me things to help take your mind off it, you're always welcome~" Battler winked at the blushing butler, hoping to lighten the mood. He decided Ronove could talk to him later, if he wanted to. He just wanted to help him in any way he could, and if he was going to have to succumb to his perverted ways, he would! … That sounded a lot weirder than it was supposed to be.
Ronove giggled, already sounding a bit more like himself. "I suppose that could help.. Thanks, Battler," Ronove kissed Battler's cheek. The teen gave him a wide grin before leaning in and giving him a kiss of his own. He pushed forward, letting his body go lax again in the brunette's arms. He loosely wrapped his own over Ronove's neck, deepening the kiss. Before he could attempt to dive into the hot furnace of Ronove's mouth himself, he felt the butler's tongue lick a wet stripe across his lower lip, asking. Battler obliged, opening his mouth and letting him in. Instantly, the taste of gingerbread cookies and tea was tripled. Battler let him explore for a couple of minutes before he pushed up at the intruding tongue. He heard a low growl come from the back of the other's throat, and felt a slight tremor shake his bones.
What happened to the refined Ronove? Suddenly, Ronove thrust his tongue forward and retreated, only to repeat the motion. Battler shivered more intensely, clutching Ronove's shoulders. He slid his mouth open wider to better accommodate the other, inviting him further. Battler felt him slide down on the bed until he was on his back, pulling Battler down with him. The red-head tried to get more comfortable, and gain some leverage on him, but he ended up accidentally grinding down on his half-hard bulge, causing Battler to see sparks behind his eyelids. Ronove growled in response, grinding back against Battler.
The teen moaned loudly into Ronove's mouth, Ronove swallowing them down as if they were some sort of nourishment. Battler eagerly continued the motions, no longer caring about the small spark of confusion within him. He could feel the other getting harder underneath him, and he was glad he was the reason for it. Battler felt one hand trail up and down his spine, the other one holding on tightly to his hip. The skin-to-skin contact caused him to shudder; he had almost forgotten that they were both topless. He heard Ronove lightly moan underneath him on a particular thrust. He repeated the movement, harder, and was rewarded with a shaky gasp. Their tongues had become restless, Ronove pulling in and out at a much faster pace. When oxygen became a problem, they pulled apart, leaving a delicate strand of saliva in between them, eventually falling apart when gravity pulled it down.
Battler had never kissed like that before. He almost wanted to ask Ronove if there was a certain name to that, but refrained from doing so when he realized how stupid that would make him sound. Still, he confided in the brunette enough to ask, "What….was that..?"
"That, my dear, is an example of what I'd like to do to you later on~" Battler almost didn't hear what his response was, focusing a little too much on their motions with their hips. It took a few moments to register, but when it did, Battler's whole face had become red, if it wasn't already. He was about to respond when a feminine voice cut in.
"Baaaaatleeeerrrr~! Time to wake up! The game's about to-…. Start…?"
The pair froze, turning to look at the intruder with wide eyes and flushed faces.
AN: Extra-long chapter, yay! No, I'm not dead, I've just hit a writer's block, but I'm done with that & I'm back! I'll be working on True Happiness later on, and it should be up in a few days' time, so don't worry, I haven't forgotten any of my series! I've only read up to the English translations on this, so if I get something wrong, please correct me & don't kill me! *hides* Anyways, criticism and reviews are always welcome! Thanks!