Disclaimer: I do not own the Kamisama Hajimemashita/Kamisama Kiss series or any of the characters who have been featured so far. I only own the scenarios featured in this fanfiction.

Chapter 26: Love? Love, Love, Love!

A/N: Requested by evil-angel-sakura c: This is a follow on from Chapter 16: Of Scarves and Peaches

Poke. Poke. Poke, poke.

Nanami rolled over onto her other side, trying to hold on to her dream which was slowly drifting away.

'Hey, Scarf Woman! Get up!'

With a final prod in the ribs, Nanami rose with a face like thunder.

Akura-ou shrunk back into a pile of empty cans of peaches.

'What could possibly be so important that you had to wake me up.'

'W-we ran out of peaches…'

The demon trembled slightly as Nanami glowered at him. Wait. This wasn't right. She was just a human, why was he the one who was scared?

'And I was bored,' Akura-ou added, regaining a note of confidence to his voice. He stood so he towered over Nanami and gave her a sly smile.

'Amuse me?' he whispered as he leaned in, his hands tilting Nanami's chin upwards. She flushed crimson as the demon leaned in and rested his lips on hers.

He smiled, but it was with a mischievous edge and he turned his back from her.

Nanami was flaring from red to pink and back. From his back, she couldn't tell that he was having a similar reaction.

His lips were tingling, his mind reeling. What was this human?! Who had the power to do that to him, The Bloodthirsty King! But… it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. He felt like his head was made out of cotton wool. It was a tempting experience, one he wished to repeat. But did he dare?

"Did he dare?" He's a King. A powerful, almighty demon. "Did he dare?" indeed.

'W-what was that?' spluttered Nanami.

'I suppose you humans might call it a kiss,' he said roughly. Oh damn, he sounded weak. 'I don't know about demons though,' he smiled smugly. That was better.

'B-but! A kiss is what couples do!'

'Aren't we a couple?'

'Excuse me?!'

'We're two sentient beings relying on one another in company. Isn't that the definition of a couple?'

'I didn't mean that kind of couple!' Nanami's face softened. 'I meant the couples who are in love.'

'Love? What do you mean "love"?'

'You can't define it. It's like you want to always be close to them, and when you're not together, you spend your time thinking about them. It's when you are breaking down on the inside and no one notices but they take your hand and tell you that you'll be okay. It's when all the songs make sense. It's when you are at your lowest point and they comfort you. It's at your highest point when they're still there. It's when you'd tell them anything, if only they'd ask. It's when you feel you're not good enough when you look back at yourself but they're still there, skating past all your faults and still liking you for you. It's when you know you can't go on but you still do, for them. It's–'

Akura-ou silenced Nanami by placing his lips against hers once more. He knew these weren't the ramblings of a teenage girl in love with the idea of love. As they pulled apart, he gave her a sheepish look.

'Love?'

'Love, love, love!'

As they laughed, Nanami watched him wonderingly. He laughed a lot, but they were always patronising chortles, never affectionate giggles like now.

And it was love that drove them into acting like a couple. Holding hands, stroking one-another's hair (Nanami insisted but Akura-ou didn't want anyone to attack his mane of spikes. It took a long time to convince him) and even dates.

But it won't end in a happily ever after. Not many stories do. Akura-ou is a demon and Nanami is a human. A human could die at any time, whatever brief love will go with them. Akura-ou will be stuck pining after a girl who will never return for eternity. Isn't that selfish of Nanami?

But demons are immensely indecisive creatures, with Akura-ou being no exception. It might be love now, but will he still love her tomorrow? In a week? In a decade? When Nanami has aged and is reaching the end of her pitiful human life span, will he still have an affinity for her or will he seek other companions? He was a king and it was acceptable in those times to have more than one lover.

Happily ever afters do not exist.

It's just a fairy story.

A/N: Owch, that was a little harsh. Sorry!

So right now, my friends and I are going through a stage of severe problems and we're all having really bad times. I won't lie and say it's all bad, 'cause some's good. But, y'know. So I have been slow updating, but I did take time to do it today 'cause I enjoy it, I hope you enjoy it and it's stupid leaving an almost finished story five chapters from completion.

Just so's you know, I will be editing previous chapters to lengthen the stories and cut out the immensely long filler messages. This will take place after the fanfiction has finished.

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