Demon Diary Fan Fiction ❯ Upon Waking ❯ Upon Waking ( Chapter 1 )

Fandom: Demon Diary
Pairing: Eclipse x Raenef V
Rating: PG-13, Mild citrus
Warnings: None of note yet, Sap I’m certain
Disclaimers: Demon Diary and its principals are not mine; they are the sole property of the creator and the publishers. I have just borrowed them for a little while.

This is a Yuletide challenge fic for ulfsdatter. My first in the fandom and I hope not the last. ---Lilah the Dragon

Upon Waking

Raenef shivered in the cool night air, he realized that he should have grabbed a wrap from his wardrobe to stave off the chill that settled into his slender frame, but he hadn’t. He wasn’t sure it would have done much good anyway; this chill seemed to settle much deeper into his bones than the starless sky could. A pout curled the demon lord’s lips downward, this was not the first time he’d been awakened from his slumber by disturbing dreams, but it didn’t seem that these dreams were going to end anytime soon.

‘Why do I keep having nightmares about Leeche? She wasn’t that terrible, she was lonely and I want to be her friend. But, but… Why do I keep having these nightmares?’

Raenef slumped down on the rim of a fountain that dominated this corner of the garden. Frowning he turned bright blue eyes to rippling water trying to puzzle out why a girl he had nothing against had a starring role in his recurring nightmares. But he couldn’t make any more sense of it tonight than he could on any night previous.

He wasn’t aware of how long he’d been sitting there and he didn’t notice that he’d been trembling from the cold the entire time. Raenef’s attention was brought to that fact only after a warm cloak dropped over his shoulders. Blinking in surprise he looked up at the bearer of the cloak and made a soft meep when he met intense violet eyes. “Eclipse?”

“Yes, my lord?” The rich tenor washed over the young demon lord’s ears.

“What are you doing up so late?”

“I was getting a bit of fresh air, I was restless. I could ask the same of you, Master.”

What was an attempt at an intimidating glare was leveled at his tutor. “How dare you question me, hireling!”

One elegant eyebrow quirked upward, “But I did not actually ask you, my Master.” A smile graced the older demon’s face, “But at least you’ve learned how to reprimand an inferior, you just need more practice.”

Raenef’s attempt at menacing fell flat when he saw the upward bow of lips that Eclipse would show only to him. No matter how many times his mentor would try to correct his behavior to make him act like a proper demon lord, he’d get this weak little quiver in his stomach with every rare smile. Now that quivering feeling was distinctly different from the feeling that settled into his stomach after the wake of each nightmare.

The velvety voice intruded on his thoughts again, “Lord Raenef, it is cold tonight, won’t you please come back inside?”

Turning his best pout up to his mentor, “But what if I don’t want to yet?”

Eclipse was unfazed by the sight of an expression he’d seen so many times, “Please, Master?”

Without really thinking about it the young man stood up and started to walk back into the castle. Eclipse chuckled softly at his lord’s absentmindedness, reaching out to gently take hold of the blonde’s wrist and murmuring, “Go.”

Raenef managed to muffle a startled squawk at being suddenly moved to his chambers, even by a spell he’d used hundreds of times himself. Once inside his quarters, Eclipse had released his hand and the blonde flopped down onto his bed. Wearily, the demon lord closed his eyes, wanting to go to sleep but at the same time not wanting to be visited by nightmares.

Seeing his master apparently relax into slumber, the raven-haired demon silently moved to reclaim the forgotten cloak and pull the covers over the slim form. He’d been aware that Lord Raenef had not been resting easily but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it had started. Eclipse spent a minute puzzling over it as he smoothed the expensive fabric and tucked the little blonde into bed.

It struck him that they’d received an offering a few weeks back. Was that it? No, they’d received other offerings before. Was it something about that particular one? The high-ranking demon paused with his hand resting over Raenef’s chest in the middle of giving the top sheet a last tug. That must be it, it was from that one human lord… he couldn’t remember the name, but there had been a letter in it addressed specifically to Raenef from that hideous girl who’d run rampant through the castle.

Perhaps that was what was weighing on his master’s mind. Eclipse had told Raenef once that only he could consider himself bound or not by Leeche’s demand to wait ten years for him. A Demon Lord was free to do as he so pleased, human whims be damned. Some days Lord Raenef was just so… so… Eclipse sighed. There was just no word for it that covered the entirety of his master’s behavior. Reaching the conclusion that he would confront Raenef tomorrow with his suspicions he turned to leave the room.

A sharp tug on the ends of his long hair brought Eclipse up short. Violet eyes rolled in exasperation, he wasn’t going to spend another night slumped over the edge of Raenef’s bed. This time he was definitely going to pry the hair loose from the tight grasp. Shifting to catch the pale hand and free the raven strands, Eclipse failed to notice the pair of sharp blue eyes watching him.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Why not, Master?” Eclipse kept his voice soft and soothing as his long fingers nimbly worked to free his hair from Raenef’s grip.

“I have bad dreams,” the youth muttered, a pout finding its way to his lips.

A dark eyebrow twitched, Raenef could tell that a lecture about how demon lords shouldn’t be having nightmares but be causing them. Without a conscious thought to it, the pout on the blonde’s face went up several notches. Eclipse knew he wasn’t proof against that degree of cute and sat down on the edge of Raenef’s bed with a weary sigh.

“Would you like to talk about them?”

“Ummm….” The intense aqua focused on a remote speck on the wall, “Promise you won’t laugh?”

Eclipse’s eyebrow twitched again, more violently at the mere suggestion that he would laugh over something like a *dream* of all things. Without waiting for a confirmation from his mentor, Raenef spilled the words out all in a jumble. “I keep dreaming of Leeche. Only she’s all grown up and chasing me around screaming about being my betrothed and it doesn’t matter how hard I try I can’t get away. She’s always just right behind me and then I’m cornered, trapped and she’s stalking towards me with this look in her eye like I’m a steak or something and then… and then she’s right there in front of me and leaning in, her hands are petting me and she’s about to kiss me and I just want to get away and I can’t and I try to scream… And that’s when I usually wake up all jittery and sick to my stomach.”

A discreet cough covers what might have been the start of a chuckle as Eclipse flipped the freed raven-hair behind his shoulder. Running his finely shaped fingers through the night-mused hair he continued to soothe the youth, “It was just a dream, Master. You can’t be made to marry anyone; you can’t be forced to be with anyone. You are free to choose who you will, when you will, and if you so choose you can force them to be with you. But it would never be the same as if they’d stayed willingly. You are Demon Lord Raenef V, you are the master of your own fate.”

“Then why does the thought of being kissed make me ill?” the young lord asked.

“More likely it’s the thought of being forced, Master Raenef. Kisses are remarkably powerful things. You are still young, but when the time is right you’ll understand.”

Silence stretched through the room and Eclipse was about to stand up and return to his chambers when a puzzled voice inquired, “But what if I want to know now?”

“Then you shall have to try it with someone you have strong feelings for. Leeche obviously isn’t who you should be trying with.”

“Strong feelings? You mean like love? I should kiss someone I love right?”

Willing to admit defeat, the powerful demon nodded. “Yes, it should be someone you love.”

The bright eyes grew round as saucers as Raenef sat up in his bed. “Okay then. I think I get it. So can I try it now?”

“Master?” Eclipse frowned, now it was his turn to be confused. He wasn’t left in suspense long when an eager, if inexperienced, pair of lips landed upon his. The contact was firm but brief as the younger demon pulled back and murmured shyly, “I love you, Eclipse.”

The violet eyes widened in shock digesting what had just occurred. Raenef looked decidedly uncomfortable under the unfocused gaze and started to squirm figuring he’d done something wrong. “Master?” Eclipse echoed again.

“I really do love you, Eclipse. I’m happier when I’m around you. You take care of me, worry about me, and try to make me the best Demon Lord I can be. You’re always here for me and I really, really, really appreciate that.” The second wild rush of words from the teenager didn’t stop there, “I liked the kiss. It didn’t make me queasy at all, I’d like to do it again, but I’d understand if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to leave, you promised to stay, and if you’re mad at me I’ll promise not to do it again if you still stay...”

The stream of words tapered off into silence as Eclipse pressed a single finger to Raenef’s lips. “My Master,” he said with finality, “I will never leave you, this I vowed. I am not mad at you. Surprised, yes, but never mad.” A small smile, the one only for Raenef, graced elegant lips that moved to hover inches away. “Because, I love you too.”

Eclipse sealed their lips back together for a second sweet kiss, this time taking the lead and caressing and coaxing the mouth beneath him to respond. Raenef’s eagerness was restrained by the control that his mentor had even now, quickly learning how to match the slow brush of lips with touches of his own. Neither demon could say how long the second kiss lasted, but it lingered on until the younger was breathless.

Breaking away, Eclipse smiled gently, “Go to sleep now, Master, I shall be here come morning.”

Raenef nodded and snuggled back into his blankets but not before capturing Eclipse’s hand to insure that the fourth most powerful demon in existence would indeed still be with him come morning. A dark eyebrow arched questioningly at the action, but he didn’t argue. Stretching out on top of the covers next to the boy, he watched as the trusting soul fell asleep next to him. Eclipse didn’t know what the morrow would bring, but he knew that no matter what, if Raenef were involved, it would inevitably be interesting.

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