Archive of Our Own ^beta

Beautiful.

It was the first word Vox had came up with when he first saw the dark haired boy in the purple hoodie.

Beautiful and small.

It took him a few seconds too long to take his gaze off those deep, mysterious, yet honest eyes. But when he did, he immediately took notice of the knife secured on the harness around the boy’s thigh.

Oh?

Beautiful, small, and… interesting.

He had raised his eyebrow, a small smirk that accompanied it indicated the demon lord’s interest. He had his own magical weapon, he could see a soul inside a blade if he had seen one. His own had lived inside his blade for a few hundred years, after all.

But no one lived inside that black and purple knife. Vox could feel a remnant of someone, a.. human with weak magic. but no one whose soul could come back to this world like he did. A friend, perhaps?

Whoever it is, Vox could also immediately feel the residue of slaughtered demons from that small blade. The foul ones. Vox never really cared for those weak and pathetic demons who preyed on human lives in order to gain easy power.

The demon lord fed on his people’s loyalty, never their life essences. Sure, it was harder to work for, but it is more satisfying, fun, and creative. He took great pride on his way of living.

Though, this very pride was also the reason why he perished hundred of years ago.

He could have easily fed on the army he had slain for his people, but he refused to even breathe in the stench of a sinner’s life essence. Not when he could see his people’s faith in him from the tip of his castle.

Vox could kill, but he prefer to love than to fight.

He was always fond of humans. Even in his glory days, he liked to bask in the liveliness of human lives. When no one was looking, he liked to sit quietly on his castle’s roof and just look down to watch his people. He could see it all. The joy from the children’s laugh while they chase each other, the worry from a parent’s scolding when they tend to their child’s scraped knee, the love of a husband’s gaze when he held his wife’s hand.

Nobody ever asked, so he never said it. But he wanted to experience it too. He wanted to be a part of them too.

His people were loyal to him. They look up to Vox as their leader and saviour. He did try to mingle with the humans, he got to know each one of them personally as he hand delivered some crops whenever someone was in need. The people had welcomed him as their leader, saviour, and their friend, but Vox knew that he could never truly become one of them.

And he accepted that.

His desire to experience life was never his goal anyway. But if he couldn’t do it, he would at least give these humans a safe place to live a wonderful life. He would one day re-claim his throne and his people’s loyalty so he can rule his clan in peace.

Even with Shoto-

Beautiful, small, and interesting Shoto.

He never expected to feel anything. Never expected to indulge himself in this worldly emotions he is feeling now. The boy was interesting– beautiful, small, and interesting— but he never expected to get attached to him like this.

It was a few nights of fun. They were sexually compatible, and the boy had fit perfectly in his arms. Shoto always insisted that he couldn’t stay for breakfast, had said that he had duties on the guild. And Vox never insisted he stayed.

Turned out he never had to.

When one night of mindless fucking turned into a passionate lovemaking, the small boy had shily sat himself on the kitchen stool the next morning. Vox didn’t question it, he only smiled to himself as he turned to take another plate out of his kitchen cabinet.

Shoto hung out in his place more often ever since that night too. They would play some video games, eat dinner together, or just mindlessly cuddle on the sofa. Vox started to know the boy even more, and he would lie if he said he didn’t feel happy about it. He took mental note of every little detail he could learn—

The way the boy would curl into himself when he slept alone, the way he would flinch when he saw insects, the way he would laugh so prettily at one of every stupid joke Vox made, the way he would let his tongue peeked out whenever he was concentrating, the way he would lean in on every casual touch Vox gave him—

The way he would knit his eyebrows together, shivering and whimpering quietly on some nights.

The nightmares.

During these nights, Vox found himself tugging the boy closer to his body, his fingers gently swiping the hair out of his sweaty forehead— so gently. As if he's afraid the human would crumble in his hands. And he would whisper quietly against the top of the boy's head, letting the power in his voice wrap around Shoto's heart to ease it as he watched the boy slowly relax into a peaceful slumber in his arms.

He hated it. What was the boy dreaming about? Who dare gave his lover something bad to dream about?

If anyone else was in the room with them, they would have witnessed the dangerous flicker in the demon's golden eyes. He had to know what's causing this nightmares. But he was a voice demon, entering one's dream wasn't his forte.

Just when he thought about ways to subtly bring it up on future conversations with his lover, he caught movements in the corner of his eyes.

He smoothly and quickly jumped on his feet, his movement swift enough that it managed to keep his lover undisturbed by it— a pillow substituting his chest under the younger's head. He didn't have time to summon his sword, instead he manipulated his fingers, hardening and growing his black nails into a weapon sharp enough it could slice a creature in half with one single swipe.

He took his battle stance, though his sharp eyes found nothing but a clattering knife on the floor. It looked like it had fallen from its sheathe on top of the drawer, and a slow black ominous smoke danced around the blade as if it is haunting it.

Vox let himself relax. It didn't feel as if the cursed knife was going to attack him, instead it looked like the power dancing around it is a manifestation of... self defense?

Is he witnessing a knife having a nightmare?

He wasn't going to comfort it like he did with his lover— why would he? It's not like the knife is alive. And for all he knew, the knife could be something Shoto's ex lover left him— No, he didn't care one bit about the knife. He even caught himself glaring at it in jealousy sometimes- He knew he COULD give Shoto a better weapon, but even Mysta would know that it was a thought born of pettiness, and he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.

Though he couldn’t help but take a step towards the weapon- still rattling from the dark energy around it. Vox stared at it, looking down his nose as he studied it silently. He knew he’s a powerful demon. Maybe not as powerful as he should be once he got his throne back, but powerful nonetheless. So he reached a hand out, stopping only a split second to reconsider, but almost immediately continued to lay his fingers on the shiny blade.

The rush of images went through his head like a bucket of ice cold water.

He could see it.

The group of demons stepping out of a Torii gate in the middle of winter time, the scream of people young and old as the demons they so dearly worshipped slaughtered their family, the terrified cries of children-

And then he saw ‘her’.

She, the demon who had grabbed his lover by his neck and stabbed him before she thrusted her sword towards Vox too.

And then it was dark for a few seconds. He could see through the hazy vision that he was being dragged into a temple. He could hear the screams of terror far in the background, but the familiar voice was all that he could focus on.

The voice so familiar, yet so unfamiliar.

His lover’s whispers was breathy and shaky. It sounded desperate, but still beautiful.

The next thing he could see when light had came back into his vision was his darling beloved Shoto, crying desperately as he cradled him in his arms. His lover’s breathing was uneven, as if he was hyperventilating while his trembling hand held onto his own bloody one. It seemed that Vox was looking through the eyes of his dying friend.

“Ether…? Ether, stay with me-“

His voice was shaky. Vox wanted nothing more than to sit up and take him into his arms so that he can soothe and shield him from the hell that broke just outside the temple they were in.

“They healed me, Ether- please, please don’t leave- I’m going to pray again, please, hold on, okay? They can heal you too-“

The sight of his broken lover burned into his brain, awakening so much wrath in him that he didn’t even know he was capable of feeling.

When he came back to the real world, his eyes burned red in rage. He remembered each of the demons that had stepped out of that Torii gate. And he swore to himself that he would kill each and every one of them who had brought such sorrow into his lover’s life. He also remembered ‘her’, the demon who had tried to kill his lover. He swore to kill her and make sure she can never come back in return.

The next couple of months he had spent all around the country on a killing spree with the help of his colleagues Luca and Shu.

Luca’s connection in the underground world had helped him find those who had worked alongside humans so they could feed on other human lives in exchange for assassinating their target. It wasn’t an uncommon job for demons, and the mafia could always use more men to do the dirty jobs.

Shu’s power had helped him find those who were in hiding. It was more time consuming to find, but it was possible with the device Shu had lent him.

It was this way that he had found ‘her’. The last demon on his list.

She was posing as a beautiful herbal doctor on the outskirt of a traditional village. Luring sick old men and women to buy her medicines, only to kill them in her shed. During the night, she would play the part of a local urban legend. Lurking in the woods, waiting for children who had played too long and lost their way.

Vox wouldn’t say the battle with her was easy. Not when his power wasn’t completely restored after his awakening.

They had fought in the woods. Vox dancing elegantly with his sword, slashing towards the other demon as he avoided her attack. He carried a few small wounds of his own, but the lady demon was getting more and more hideous with each attack that had hit her. She screeched as she bared her sharp teeth, her long nails straight and sharp as she gasped through her bloody lungs.

“You traitor!”

She spat with a snarl on her ripped lips.

“You side with those weak humans?! You have softened, Vox Akuma.”

Vox straightened himself, unbothered to the dying demon’s taunts. He swiped two fingers on the side of his blade, infusing it with a spell for permanent death.

“I will be honest with you. I do not care about all the humans you have killed.”

He took a step forward with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“I do, however, care about one particular human you have tried to kill.”

With another step forward, he looked down on the fallen demon. He swiftly stepped on one of her hands as he brought his blade against her neck.

“Torii gate. Bakumori. Black hair and black eyes. Ring a bell?”

The other demon had screeched in pain, though she couldn’t move with the blade threatening against her neck. She instead chose to snarl, taunting Vox further as she stared right back at him.

“That brat survived? huh. i made sure i stabbed him deep. Had i known he survived, i would’ve taken him with me. He has a nice body, yeah? could’ve make a great bait with that as-“

Her sentence got cut off with another piercing screech. Vox had twisted his foot against the hand beneath it, his blade digging onto the skin on the other demon’s neck threateningly before he whispered.

“Do. not. speak of what’s mine. ever again.”

He ended his threat with a growl before he made one final slash on her neck. With a dying scream, the demon under him burst into dusts and dissipated in the air. Vox groaned as he fell onto one knee, a hand clutching his bleeding side. That damn witch had given him a final slash right before he killed her.

With a sigh, he reached into his pocket to pick up a pearl Shu had given him. A one time teleportation device. He then closed his eyes, imagining his own doorstep as he crushed the pearl in his palm.

Still clutching his bleeding side, he stumbled into his house with another groan and let himself fall on the Genkan. He had crashed the shoe rack beside him loudly, but he couldn’t care less at the moment.

He reached into his pocket again, this time fetching his phone so he can text Luca to get him a doctor to patch him up. What he didn’t expect, however, is the pitter patter of feet against wooden floor coming towards him from his living room.

“Vox…? Oh my god- Vox!”

Vox blinked in surprise. It’s not that he’s not happy to see the boy, it’s just that it would be better if he hadn’t seen him like this-

“Are you okay? can you stand? here let me help- lets get you to the couch-“

He could see the panic in Shoto’s eyes. Similar to those he had seen in the vision he got from the boy’s knife.

“Hey- hey, im fine. look at me.”

With Shoto’s arm around his body and his own arm around the boy’s shoulder for support, he used his clean hand to gently tilt his chin so he can look at him. He chuckled softly, both to lighten the mood, but also because he cant help but feel happy to see the boy he loved care for him.

“See? it’s just a scratch, i promise.”

Shoto glanced down at the bloody shirt on Vox’s other side, not very convinced at the other’s word, but choose to stay silent about it. But he let his shoulder relax a little bit, willing his heart to beat slower so he wont be having a panic attack when he’s supposed to help the other.

He supported the injured man all the way to the couch, hissing at the other in irritation when he whined about how he would stain his expensive couch with his blood. After he settle his lover on the couch, he hurried over to the bathroom to fetch the first aid kit.

He knew Vox’s job involved violence. He just never questioned it. He himself work for the adventure guild, his commission involved violence too sometimes, so he’s really not someone to judge. But seeing Vox like this just gave him a too familiar feeling of dread. It felt like he was going to lose someone important again, and he didn’t know if he can take that again.

Vox was already undressed by the time he came back to the living room, and Shoto waste no time to start treating the wound. Vox whined like a kid when he cleaned it, but he didn’t even flinch when Shoto started to stitch the wound up. He treated a fair amount of wounds in his career, both on his own body and his fellow guild members’. So things like this was not a hard thing to do for him. But for some reason, he had to keep himself from trembling and messing up the patchwork on Vox’s skin that time.

Vox didn’t say anything. He instead watched Shoto silently. He could see the tears in the boy’s eyes threatening to fall and the way he had to pull back to calm his shaking fingers before he continue treating his wound.

“Um… i’m sorry i um, sorry i went into your house even though you weren’t here..”

The boy mumbled shily as he put some medication on top of his stitches.

“I um. i used the spare key you told me about and i kinda fell asleep while waiting for you to come home because you said you’d be coming home today.”

Vox didn’t really need that medication. His demon biology allowed him to heal himself faster than human, he really just needed the stitches to fasten the process a little. But he let the other boy dress his wound anyway, seemingly enjoying the care and attention he’s getting at the moment.

“Mhm.. did you get a good nap?”

Shoto didn’t reply to that. He finished treating Vox’s wound. His hands now sitting on his lap, trembling freely now that he doesn’t have to keep it steady anymore.

Vox didn’t push for an answer either. He watched the boy let out a few sighs to calm himself down before he looked up to meet Vox’s gaze. This time, the tears fell and he immediately wiped it away with his sweater.

“I’m sorry- i’m just- i was just. scared.”

A gentler hand wiped the tears away this time before it tucked his bangs behind his ear. Vox then pulled his hand gently, arranging him to sit on his lap. He can feel his wound starting to close already, but he shifted the boy on his other side to ease the boy’s mind rather than his own.

“That’s okay, baby. i’m here.”

Shoto nodded his head silently. He looked down on the bigger male’s lips, staring at it for a few seconds before he decided to lean down and press his own against it. Vox’s hands rested on his waist, his thumb caressing his side reassuringly while he kissed back.

—————————————————————

It was weird. Vox was the injured one between the two of them, but he moved his hips just fine if you asked his lover. Shoto? He spent the whole morning whining for his lower half. He cursed the other into making him matcha pancake for breakfast and who was Vox to refuse?

Vox carried their breakfast into the bedroom, walking in to his lover sitting on the bed, his weapon in his hands as he inspected it curiously.

“What’s wrong?”

Shoto looked up to his lover with a blink and shrugged.

“This is gonna sound really weird, but the blade seemed shinier these days.”