Chapter Text
His silhouette was so imposing.
I already forgot what came over me when I unexpectedly
attacked him.
All I remember was the awful pain. The unexplainable, gruesome pain.
The way that viscous, offending, and excruciating pain slowly spread from my abdomen to the rest of my whole body.
The strength to even pick up my wand at all had quickly burned away completely, too.
His laughter upon that empty void of a stage was so ear-grating.
Just like the mindless audience from the stage below: stupid, without even realizing it.
I wanted to fight back, however, my body refused to listen, almost as if it were going against my own will.
I struggled to prop myself up; a sweet, rosy taste in my throat, with a dazzling rugosa rose blooming upon the floor.
My vision was getting blurry, and my surroundings were so full of noise that it was nauseating.
What would cause me to do such a thing like this?
……Forget it. It doesn't matter anymore.
....
"Hey,"
A coarse voice called out.
"Hey! I'm talking to you. Are you deaf or something?"
Devesto's voice stuck like a heavy hammer, pulling Artful away from his grimey memories.
Meanwhile, he swiftly hit the back of Artful's head, the wind whistling along with the rhythm of his bulky hand;
A startling POP!
Artful tilted his head back slightly, lifting his gloved hand to precisely block that arrogant hand.
"Mr. Devesto, please do not interrupt me when I'm in the middle of thinking about things, okay? It's very offending."
Artful's expression was rather stern, his gentle mask shedding away to show a bit of his rare, yet grave and ice-cold side.
"Ugh, I was just joking around with you, no need to get so arrogant."
Devesto casually waved one of his hands to signal that he meant no harm.
His face showed off that frivolous and egotistical expression, and he completely disregarded the magician's scolding; so much so that he thought of it no more than an unnecessary pout.
Artful felt annoyed, tough he had gotten used to this type of crude behavior a long time ago.
He took back his own hand, straighting out his somewhat messy cuffs.
"Forget it, believe whatever you want to believe.
I just need......some time alone."
He shot Devesto a cold glare, turning around gracefully and walking out.
Devesto raised his eyebrows.
He pointed his attention towards that slender figure, the astonishment that followed the magician's sudden cold tone.
However, he never took anything to heart, so it's only natural that he didn't feel the need to think too hard on it.
"What was I even thinking......"
Outside the door, the night wind held a slight, chilly breeze.
His fingers with distinct joints curled around the cigarette, lighting the tip on fire as he paced back and forth around the corridor.
Ever since that disastrous performance, that madman had inexplicably clung onto him.
Well, even if Devesto merely thought of Artful as an amusing plaything—perhaps even as a tool to to be summoned at any time he wanted.
Well, at the very least......at the very least, when things were at its worst, the things he did wasn't that bad, right?
Artful comforted himself with self-deprecating thoughts.
He still remembered Devesto with that arrogant and egotistical attitude, how he was able to pull him out of the suffocating abyss he almost drowned in—thankfully saving him from the fate of imprisonment.
"My reaction just now, wasn't it a bit too rude?"
Artful stopped in his tracks.
He took a deep breath, the slightly bitter taste of tobacco spreading throughout his lungs.
That smell reminded him of the person in the other room against his will.
Devesto was never without cigarettes and/or liquor, and he always carried an aggressive aura—as well as an odor of strong alcoholic drinks blended with the intense smell of cigarettes.
It was obviously a piercing smell. However, he never knew why it didn't bother him.
Even if that guy was extremely annoying.
With his vile nature, and his arrogant and conceited attitude, no kinds of help could ever save him.
A few days ago, he rudely ordered me to buy bananas for him, and after I had bought them and handed them over, he without hesitation threw the banana on top of my carefully groomed hat.
Everytime he'd think about it, Artful would obtain a dull ache at his temples.
Whatever, this horrible situation; it ought to end soon, right?
Things like this always get better after all......
Artful shut his eyes, and within a small duration, a burning sensation seared throughout his fingertips. However, his eyebrows didn't furrow, not in the slightest, as he crushed the cigarette butt under his bare hands.
He crossed his arms and leaned against the ice-cold wall, trying to calm down his hectic thoughts.
Just then, the sound of a door opening—a faint CLICK—broke the silence.
Artful opened his eyes, and just as expected, it was Devesto again.
That guy still wore that irritating, smug expression that made people want to beat his ass to a pulp, but within those arrogant eyes carried a vague hint of......worry?
Artful was convinced he had not misread the situation.
But that hint of softness disappeared so fast—it now felt more like an illusion than anything—that within a blink of an eye, Devesto had reverted back to his unruly, arrogant, and egotistical self.
"Hey, little magician. Your so-called "alone time" is to just hide away outside acting like some emo kid? Don't make me laugh."
Devesto marched towards Artful with a rampant stride, hands in the pockets of his coat.
Finally, he stationed himself firmly in front of the magician. Devesto's abnormally tall frame loomed over Artful's with the size as huge as a small hill, casting a shadow that practically engulfed him in a flash.
Even though he was just leaning over him slightly at that moment in time and was carrying an overpowering gaze that lingered upon Artful closely and intently, he was still a full head's taller than him.
He was a bit too close.
Artful unconsciously averted his gaze. He lifted his hand, pressing a finger against Devesto's broad chest in front of him, getting ever so closer.
"Sir......u-uhm, could you not stand so close, please?"
He went so far as to refuse to look him in the eye.
Devesto's breath, carrying a faint smell of liquor; had grazed upon his sensitive neck, sending a shiver throughout his body.
"Hm? So what if I want to be this close?"
He noticed the magician's resistance, and so Devesto's lips curled into a mischievous smirk.
He clamped his hand onto Artful's wrist—which was pressed against his chest—and with slight force, he took the chance to use his other hand to swiftly grab hold of the magician's slender waist, pulled him closer until the gap between the two of them was almost completely gone.
"Hey, mister! You're...... You're going a bit too far......"
The graceful magician could no longer keep his composure as the scorching heat of his cheeks spread down to the base of his neck.
Under Devesto's shameless teasing and suggestive advances, he was so flustered that he couldn't even form a proper, coherent sentence anymore.
"Tch, alright. I'll stop teasing you, you buzzkill."
After admiring the rabbits blushing face a bit more, he finally decided to give Artful some mercy and let him go, leaving him to lean against the wall unsteadily.
Artful was at a loss for words and what to do next, for as his chest heaved violently—an obvious sign that he was still lost in the sensation of their near-suffocating proximity.
"Fuck, man. What's the deal, why're you so silent? It's not like I did anything to you."
Devesto impatiently muttered something to himself in a low voice.
He didn't think too hard on his unruly actions just now. Instead, he suspiciously watched Artful's boiling hot face, wondering if the fragile magician had a fever.
He's completely unaware that he's the sole reason of that guy's reaction.
"Forget it, you sure are one dense human being. Come in; I don't want you to catch a cold and then blame it all on me."
He didn't wait for Artful's response. Devesto, without saying a word, aggressively but very possessively grabbed onto the magician's wrist, forcibly dragging him back into the warmth of the building.
Devesto half-dragged, half-shoved Artful back inside, his grip as strong as an iron tong's. Finally, he let go, earning a startled yelp from the poor guy.
"Ow, ow, ow! Even if your manners are low because of your high height, you ought to at least understand proper, gentlemanly etiquette, non?"
Artful frowned slightly, gently massaging his reddened wrist as he tried to mask his disheveled state with his usual, graceful manner.
However, this attempt to cover up his emotions and dismiss him only egged Devesto on further.
That tall skeleton of a demon ignored his protests, and instead a cruel and wicked smile pulled at the corner of his lips.
"Oh? Gentlemanly etiquette, you say? Does this work?"
And suddenly with a gust of oppressive force, Artful didn't have enough time to react before Devesto aggressively pushed him onto the ground with a lunge.
Devesto's tall, large body was as big as a dark, little mountain, completely enveloping the magician.
Almost immediately after, his large hand aggressively grabbed onto Artful's wrist, pulling the hand closer to his body and taking his own shirt off with it.
"N-ngh! Wait, s-sir! Have you lost your damn mind......!?"
Artful's back struck the ground, groaning as a rush of pain poured over him.
Watching as Devesto's actions were getting increasingly more out of control, the rationality that he was always proud of finally cracked into an undisguisable panic.
"Hm? What do you think I wanna do?"
Devesto looks down upon Artful, his eyes full of arrogance and vicious, playful amusement.
Without hesitation, he pulled in Artful's gloved hand and forced him to start slowly caressing his abdomen inch by inch, upwards.
Surprisingly, this lofty and almost terrifying body of his had little to no fat beneath the skin.
The muscles, when relaxed, feel healthy yet shockingly soft, and that lukewarm yet explosive touch transmitted through the thin gloves, causing his fingertips to burn and stir up the guilty thought of wanting to linger just a bit longer.
Until Devesto took his hand and firmly pressed it against his chest.
……It's huge, but also surprisingly soft.
Ridiculous. That was probably the most irrational thought that had ever crossed the elegant magician's mind.
"Sir....... Please stop before you do too much......"
Artful felt so ashamed that he did not dare to look him in those invasive eyes.
And now the two of them were hopelessly close, and Devesto's coarse, heated breath mixed with the scent of tobacco and alcohol lingered around Artful's neck and collarbone, evoking a trembling sensation that demanded his stability to shatter.
Artful's pupils trembled violently.
His usually pale and arrogant face was now as red as a ripe tomato, the heat of which had quickly burned into his collar.
In order to escape the near-suffocating humiliation, he closed his eyes in defiance.
"Okay, okay! I'll stop teasing you."
The man's nasty voice rang in his ears, but he didn't stop. Not even for a second.
Taking advantage of the fact that he had let his gaurd down slightly after what was said, Devesto forcefully grabbed the back of Artful's head and began to ferociously kiss him, leaving little to no room for refusal.
"Mm!......"
All reason to protest was utterly destroyed. Artful opened his eyes wide with shock and tried to fight him off, but this 228 (7ft 5in) body had completely paralyzed him.
He could only vent out his frustration by repeatedly slapping his shoulders with both hands, trying to take back control.
However, Devesto's skillful and ruthless tongue cut through all of his defense attempts as he undoubtedly plundered the magician's sweet mouth, showing no signs of stopping.
The excessive stimulation and lack of oxygen made Artful feel insanely dizzy, and his original plan to resist was gradually ceasing, his hand softly landing on top of Devesto's shoulder instead.
It was only when he almost completely sucked the air out of the poor magician did he stop—even though he wasn't fully satisfied yet—pulling Artful up and into his broad embrace.
He leaned down slightly, and although the kiss was no longer as fierce as before, it still left a strong taste of control. They both parted their lips, and a delicate, thin strip of saliva formed in the empty gap between them.
"Ha......ha......"
Artful leaned on Devesto's chest, breathing heavily and his mind blank, still unable to compose himself after that profound, intimate kiss.
He wasn't even aware of when he started straddling Devesto's lap.
"So, was it good?"
Devesto threw out this sentence so abruptly that it felt vulgar and pulled the Italian magician out of his disordered daze.
"Huh......er, what?!"
Artful could hardly believe his own ears.
The way this shameless bastard can say things so matter-of-factly!
At least...... At least he could've used some innuendos instead!
Before that disheveled and chaotic state of mind could form a rebuttal, Devesto's next move was already closing in.
That large palm firmly and aggressively gripped Artful's slim waist, using his other hand—which was burning with shame—to comfort him and caress his cheek both gently and firmly.
Behind that "fearless" persona of his existed the same arrogant look of someone who tramples everything underfoot.
"What's the big idea, why aren't you saying anything? Did you not have enough kisses?"
Devesto raised an eyebrow, his palm moving down with hidden, malicious intent, a suggestive remark to a certain spot that was already gradually swelling and burning up, a tone truly rotten.
"Or......did you actually want more, hm?"