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Ais wiped sweat off his brow with a huff.
He didn't usually help out in the clinic for too long, and even today it had only been three hours, but the labour he did here still made him hot with how physically demanding it was. Carrying boxes and utensils around for Kuras, keeping difficult patients at bay (violently, if he had to), sorting heavy folders full of medical files,...
Still, he had no reason to complain. Working in Kuras's clinic kept his loneliness at bay, provided him with pleasant company and gave his existence purpose beyond guarding the Seaspring and mauling to death monsters and humans alike.
One would wonder what reason a brutal, ruthless creature such as himself would have to engage in voluntary work, but despite what people believed to know about him, Ais did have a soft spot for aiding the helpless, those unable to fend for themselves. Just like Kuras, who had seemingly made it his entire life's mission to do just that.
And what dedication he displayed for his job. Every day, he rose with the sun, tending to everyone who knocked on his doors, standing on his feet all day, without any breaks, patiently examining injuries and writing notes and treating everyone with the same kind yet oddly distant calmness. He would only put his work to rest after the sun had already gone down, and if there were patients in particularly grave condition, he even did night shifts. For all of this, he never demanded a single coin or any other form of payment.
Ais had no idea how the bastard did it. Not only did he work for many more hours than himself in perfect concentration and without ever breaking a sweat, he also did it so aesthetically, taking long, elegant strides when walking across the clinic's wooden floor boards and gracefully rounding corners, practically dancing around furniture and patients.
His medical coat never showed a speck of dirt, and now that he thought about it, he had never actually seen Kuras eat anything. Even Ais, who as a monster usually fed on flesh and blood, could appreciate the taste of smoky whisky, a fine wine or sweet fruit. But Kuras? No drinks, no food, no enjoyment.
Yet the doctor didn't seem malnourished, on the contrary, he was somehow able to maintain his impressive physique not very subtly showing from underneath his pristine clothes.
What exactly was Kuras? The question had been bugging Ais for quite some time now, but the taller, mysterious man wasn't very outspoken (especially not about himself) and dodged unwanted questions as effortlessly as he moved.
Why did he want to know? Maybe it was just his curious nature that needed to be sated, maybe he wanted to know as much as possible about this friend of his, or maybe information was just the most valuable currency in this godforsaken place.
There was another reason Ais believed that Kuras couldn't be human. He could treat even the most lethal of injuries that the best mages would have no hope of healing and the most experienced doctors would fail to stitch. But from his mannerisms and looks alone, he couldn't be a monster, either.
By now, Ais would usually have left for his domain outside of Eridia already, but today he wanted to stay longer. He was inexplicably fond of the doctor, even though he normally liked the more wild, unrefined, snarky type. Someone like Vere.
The monstrous fox man was fiery, disrespectful and just so fun, so it came as no surprise that him and Ais were frequent bedmates, with some deeper feelings simmering under the surface.
It was, however, no secret that Vere absolutely despised Kuras, be it for the vastly different personalities or because he hated that Ais regularly spent time with him (time where Vere could have Ais to himself).
They really were polar opposites. Kind and cruel, serious and playful, honest and deceptive, selfless and self-centred, helpful and dangerous... Ais could go on. Where Vere was pure sex appeal and sin, Kuras had elegance and beauty. If they had just one thing in common, it was the readiness to play mischievous tricks on people they didn't agree with, which for Vere - Ais had to admit - was practically everyone.
And the hatred between them was not even one-sided. Kuras, too, seemed to have disdain for everything that Vere stood for: mindless, earthly pleasure, dishonesty, vulgarity, narcissism and violence (all things that Ais indulged in, too, sometimes, yet somehow he had the doctor's sympathy and Vere didn't).
Lost in thought as he had been while carrying out his tasks on muscle-memory alone, Ais hadn't noticed how much time had passed. A low thud of the backdoor made him aware that one of Kuras's patients took their leave, and when he looked up, the place had indeed cleared out safe for two poor souls he knew were resting in nearby rooms, for their conditions were too bad to be discharged yet.
He helped Kuras clean up and put all the tools neatly away.
Once everything was done, Kuras walked over to the examination table (almost every room in the clinic had one), sitting on its edge and digging fingers into his temple, as if trying to relieve painful tension. This was a rare slip of his facade, and Ais immediately perked up, smelling an opportunity.
"I'm surprised you're still here." The dark-skinned man's voice spoke into the silence.
Under normal circumstances, Ais would have retorted something witty, but under normal circumstances, the person aiming a phrase like this at him would mean it as a playful jab or as "You're unwelcome.". Kuras however had said it with such warmth and genuine appreciation, that Ais stayed silent. The other man went on.
"Thank you for your work today." No matter how many times he came here or told Kuras he needn't thank him, he still always did when the chance presented itself. The demon just grumbled in response.
"Had nothing better to do." It wasn't a lie, but also not the full picture. Kuras's lips twisted upward in a subtle smile.
"And I'm surprised you do experience fatigue, after all. I've never really seen you this tired after work." Now it was Kuras's time to stay silent in search of an answer. He eventually found one.
"Well, it rarely happens, only after many consecutive long, challenging shifts."
"You work hard. And a lot. I admire that about you, but I think you should take it easier every once in a while." The expression on Kuras's face went a little tight.
"I can't. The people need me, a doctor's duty never ends. Plus, I like what I do." His face didn't match the words.
"Hey, what about a nice drink together, between friends?"
"I'll have to decline, as a doctor, I practice sobriety-"
"Then water?" Ais cut him off. Kuras shook his head.
"Let me at least invite you to dinner." This was a test, to see if his theory of Kuras not needing to sustain himself was true, because after a day like this, any hardworking man would be starving by now. Maybe Ais also hoped to get the doctor more relaxed so as to learn about his secrets and mysteries.
Kuras grew irritated at the insistence, quickly deflecting.
"What is this about? You never invite me for drinks and such."
"Heh, but you also never seem so exhausted after work."
"You rarely stay until the end of my shifts."
"You work too much overtime, otherwise I would more often."
"This work is the only thing I can do to help, to make a difference." To repent, he didn't say.
"Look, all I'm saying is you need to relax sometimes. All you ever do is work."
"Your concern is appreciated but not needed."
Ais stepped closer to the seated doctor, crossing his arms.
"It seems to me you're punishing yourself. Why?"
"I told you before, haven't I? I've committed grave sins, and this is my way of atoning."
What sins, Ais wanted to ask, but he knew that such a direct question would immediately make Kuras retreat back into his shell. He needed to coax him into a more relaxed state if he wanted to get more out of him.
"And that means never allowing yourself anything? Working yourself to death?"
"I don't deserve it. If you knew better, you would think so, too. And I assure you, I won't die." Those last words, the way Kuras had phrased them, felt oddly pregnant with meaning. Was Ais already getting somewhere with him?
The well-built demon closed the remaining distance between them to lean beside Kuras against the examination table. For a few seconds, nothing happened. When Ais had gathered the words he was gonna say next, he slightly turned his head and shot the taller man a casual sideways glance.
"Would it really hurt you to just let go for once? To do something nice for yourself?" Kuras did not give him an answer.
"Trust me with this, as your friend. If you can't do anything for yourself, then allow me to look after my friend and try relaxing."
"If you insist." He couldn't read the emotion behind the voice.
Ais pushed back from the piece of furniture he had been resting against, moving to the other side and behind Kuras. As soon as a pair of warm hands made contact with his body, Kuras flinched, unsure what to expect.
"Sorry, should've warned you."
"It's fine. What are you doing back there, anyway?" His question got answered with the gentle press of two thumbs into his shoulder muscles. "Ah."
It was a little difficult to get a feel for what exactly he was doing through Kuras's coat, but he couldn't request he took it off without making it sound weird, so this had to do.
Ais kneaded the flesh of wide shoulders, smoothing over tense muscles lining the nape and then travelling down the spine. Going back up, his fingers found collarbones, drawing firm circles that forced the soft skin to move along.
"I've never received a massage before." Kuras said. It almost sounded conversational.
"Then you should enjoy this." Ais replied in his usual, slightly rough tone. He was careful not to reveal the surprise he felt over that statement, because how was it possible to never have been the recipient of such a mundane, simple act? Even Ais and Vere, who went at it rough more often than not, had tenderly caressed and massaged each other before.
While the doctor seemed at least a little eased into this situation, Ais wanted more. He craved for this man to become pliant to his whims.
Centering back to the shoulder blades, skilled fingers found knots of tension and pressed. Kuras sharply inhaled air from the pain.
The demon moved his hands to the top of Kuras's shoulders, the line between his neck and shoulder joints. There, too, he found pressure points that he dug his fingers into. This time, Kuras made a groan, and Ais could feel some of the tension melting from the body beneath his hands.
He went back to those insistent stiff knots he'd found on Kuras's back and mercilessly pushed down, moving his thumbs from side to side and in circles to loosen the tight muscles. This elicited a noise from Kuras's throat that was downright a scream, and all Ais could think was, Damn, those are the sounds he makes?
After a few seconds of constant, torturous pressure, he took his hands away from that spot, instead soothingly rubbing and kneading up and down the expanse of the broad back.
"Thank you, it does feel better than before, now." Ais's mouth shifted into an involuntary grin that luckily Kuras couldn't see.
Deciding that this side was done, he rounded the examination table and stood in front of Kuras once again. His contemplative thoughts about whether or not to order the doctor to close his eyes died abruptly as he found the lids already shut.
He paid attention to Kuras's right arm, massaging the biceps with both of his hands, then moving down the forearm. Lastly, he took Kuras's hand between his own, tracing with pressure his digits over knuckles and the back of the slender yet big hand, before turning it so the palm would face upward.
There, he pushed his fingers into the ball of the thumb, an area that was constantly under strain from hour long surgeries that required pin-point precision with scalpels and other tools as well as accurate stitches.
Aside from slightly knitted brows, the doctor's face was otherwise pretty relaxed. Until Ais kneaded the fleshy part of the palm in earnest. Another series of exquisite noises fell from nicely shaped lips.
"Yes, there."
When Ais let go, Kuras flexed his hand a couple times, seemingly satisfied. The same treatment was given to the other arm as well.
"Who would've thought that two beings as fundamentally different as ourselves would get along so well and sit here like this." Even though his eyes were still closed, there was a certain crinkle around them in an almost happy or carefree fashion.
"What, a monster and a human?" It was meant more jokingly than anything, but within the next second, Ais wanted to bite his own tongue off. This had been a perfect slip-up, and he had not just missed it like the moron he was, he had also just given the doctor a chance of back-pedaling and hiding behind his words.
Kuras however did not seem cautious or aware he had just said something possibly sensitive, because he chuckled in response.
"Oh please, you're no ordinary monster." This made Ais perk up.
There was no way, right? He must've meant it in a different way. Nobody knew. Well, Vere might've had a suspicion, but besides him, he was sure he had been careful not to let anything on to anybody else.
"I know you're a demon." It sounded casual rather than accusatory, and yet Ais was spiraling. No, impossible, he thought.
Demons were entities that far exceeded the power of regular monsters, and the more powerful a demon was, the better they were at hiding it (at least the conscious, intelligent ones). It took beings of equal fortitude or opposite nature to recognize one. Like an angel. Oh.
Something clicked in Ais's mind.
A strict sense of morality, altruism, supposed immortality, healing and purification abilities, effortless elegance, the talk about atonement... Could it really be?
But if Kuras was indeed an angel, how come they weren't at each others' throats? Angels and demons, for the clashing purposes of their existences and opposite personalities, had instinctual hatred for one another.
Or could it be that Kuras sensed similarities between them? If the way the tall man spoke about his past was any indicator, he was no ordinary angel. He was a ruined one, for lack of better words.
And Ais? He was unusual for a demon, too. Oddly helpful and lenient.
While his hands continued their work, his mind was elsewhere, lost deeply in theories and assumptions.
Kuras. Icarus.
The famous legend of the angel who flew too close to the sun and had their wings burned. A metaphor for disobedience that resulted in punishment, Ais assumed.
He glanced over Kuras briefly, remembered touching his clothed back. Would there be scars where wings had once sat, that went unnoticed for the barrier of fabric that had separated fingers from bare skin? Or was this a different form entirely, from the one Kuras had been created with?
He couldn't exactly inquire about this subject and disturb the fragile peaceful atmosphere they had here, in this moment.
Ais tried reeling in his thoughts, focused back on the task at hand and tried to keep up with conversation.
"What makes you think that?" Not the most tactical answer he had ever come up with...
His hands - dangerous, deadly, as Kuras must surely have been aware - skillfully made their way up the long, chocolate brown (delectable, Ais thought distantly) neck. Their faces were a little closer, and Kuras opened his eyes, revealing brilliantly golden irises. He trained his fond gaze on Ais.
"You carry yourself differently. You're dutiful, and powerful, and not mindless like some ratty monster that crawled out of the sewer." A very dodgy answer. Kuras's specialty.
"You're the first person (the first angel) that I hear talking fondly about demons."
"I'm not fond of them. I just happen to think you're the exception to that rule." Neither of them said anything else after that, they just held eye contact for a short moment, but when Ais started a face massage on Kuras, the latter's eyes fluttered closed once again.
The demon traced the temples and cheekbones with the pads of his fingers, applying pressure to the brow line and running his digits over the bridge of Kuras's (infuriatingly) elegant nose. For the finishing touch, the chin and jaw received some attention, too.
At first, Ais wanted to stop here, but then his eyes glided downwards, training on long legs.
He had come so far, his little scheme of loosening Kuras's tongue had worked. Maybe he could push his buttons a little more. And even if he got no more information out of him, he was having fun with this.
Ais knelt before the angel - awfully ironic - and moved his hands to a thigh, working on the strong muscle. Hm, his clothes really do hide a good body.
Kuras heard the rustling of fabric and immediately knew the position Ais had taken (if only he knew how familiar Ais was with that position), but he didn't dare open his eyes.
He didn't want to see a person kneeling before someone like him, someone so disgraced, because where he originated, this act meant worship, obedience and in rare cases betrayal, too.
But he also wanted to indulge in this pleasant feeling, in the possibly only massage he might ever receive. So he tried not to show his conflicting feelings on his face.
The demon expertly wrought the tension caused by hours of standing and rushing between treatment rooms to bleed away. The calves were not to be forgotten, either, and when his fingers dug into the firm curves, it coaxed more sweet, sweet groans out of the doctor.
Trailing his hands up and down the limbs clad in white trousers was meant to conclude their little session, but as if on habit or drawn in by a spell, Ais's gaze wandered up up up and set itself on the fly of said trousers, where it lingered in interest and contemplation. Would Kuras kick him out if he-
Fuck it. He would push his luck today.
He brought his hands swiftly to their destination and his clever, trained fingers made quick work of the unnecessarily complicated belt and the button.
Kuras was not oblivious to the indecent antics (he could hear and feel what Ais's hands were doing) and his eyes shot open, looking scandalized at the black and white haired demon.
"What do you think you're doing?" The angel's authoritative voice was rarely aimed at Ais, and the latter realized how unpleasant it had to be to actually be scolded by Kuras, but he wouldn't back down now.
Ais just shot him a playful smile, voice laced with honey.
"It would be a shame if a gorgeous man like you stayed abstinent forever." His face was awfully close to Kuras's crotch.
"Ais, no. I knew you were very sexually active, and even that some of your tastes were... questionable, but please spare me of your games."
"Shh, just let yourself have this. All I want is to make you feel good. As your friend. You are safe with me." Ais did his best seductive voice and bedroom eyes to convince his stubborn companion.
"No, this... This isn't- I can't possibly-"
"Lean back. Don't think about anything. Just enjoy." He placed his head invitingly on Kuras's thigh, looking up at him prettily and skimming a finger over the hem of his trousers. A final nudge.
Kuras's resolve wavered, and his shoulders slumped almost unnoticeably.
His master's decision had been final. The gates of the place he used to call his home would never open for him again, even if he went through millennia of penance or continued to live his life according to the creator's law forever.
What he did here, in Eridia, he didn't do to better his image in the eyes of someone else, it was purely so he could stand himself again, look at his own reflection in the mirror without recoiling in disgust.
Did it matter if he indulged in pleasure this one time? Who would even care? He lived with worse sins.
When Ais wasn't met with any more resistance, he gingerly outstretched his hand and pulled down the zipper, reaching inside silky cotton underwear. Was he taking advantage of the doctor's sympathy towards him? Yes. But had it gotten him results? Absolutely.
He made contact with velvety soft skin. As he wrapped his hand around the manhood to pull it free, Kuras's breath hitched. The reveal left Ais fascinated for a second. The angel's sex was less girthy than the demon's own, but still had a respectable length. Its colour was the same as the rest of Kuras's skin, if not darker, even.
With slight disappointment Ais discovered that Kuras wasn't the tiniest bit hard. Either the angel had immaculate self-control or Ais's charms were not working on him. That needed immediate fixing.
He started stroking slowly, patiently. After a while, he noticed the member stiffening. Ah, finally.
Kuras's arousal gradually filled out with every stroke, hot and heavy in Ais's hand. The demon sneaked a glimpse at the towering man's face, finding that his gaze was averted. Usually, Ais did not like being ignored, but if that was what it took for Kuras to be able to enjoy this, then so be it.
He eyed the mouthwatering dick in excited anticipation and promptly wrapped his lips around it. The sudden sensation of heat and tingly pleasure tore a moan out of Kuras, and it sounded so hot that Ais almost groaned around the cock filling his mouth.
The angel, not coming to terms with his current situation yet, closed his eyes to block out reality. This was crude. This was wrong. A voice inside his head screamed at him.
Restless thoughts caused strong, even eyebrows to furrow, but Ais got the impression that it wasn't the act or the person performing it that Kuras hated, but rather, himself.
He would do his best to distract the attractive man.
Ais pulled back, the hard shaft sliding out. Taking it in his fist, he angled it upwards and licked the sensitive organ in broad stripes. At first the base, then around the head. He savoured the taste and feeling, because who knew when he'd get another chance to blow an angel (or Kuras, specifically), again.
The demon sucked the tip back into his mouth, tonguing the slit while his hand pumped the length. He watched in amusement as Kuras's jaw went slack, giving way to quiet moans and stuttered breaths.
A gentle, warm hand absentmindedly weaved between curls of Ais's thick hair, holding his head. Kuras wasn't aware of the gesture, but Ais felt tingles erupting in his scalp and arousal simmer in his gut at the mindless, instinctual touch.
He liked having his dick sucked as much as the next guy, but just as much, he liked sucking dick. And he was damn good at it.
As if wanting to remind himself of that fact, Ais took Kuras deeper, bobbing his head up and down. Oh how awkward yet amusing it would be if someone were to walk in right now. They'd never be able to view the doctor the same, again. The mental image had Ais smiling around the sizeable erection.
The angel attempted following Ais's earlier advice: Don't think about anything. He did his best to empty his mind, focus on the darkness behind his eyelids, focus on how it felt. Maybe if he let himself go, disconnected from reality, he could pretend he wasn't engaging in sin. Could pretend that letting a demon do this to him wouldn't defile him further.
Maybe, just maybe, Kuras wasn't a fallen angel, scrapped of their dignity. And maybe, just maybe, Ais wasn't a dangerous, bloodthirsty demon.
In this moment, they were two humans, simply caring for each other.
Kuras was fighting the urge to open his eyes, he couldn't ruin his carefully crafted illusion. But it felt so good.
He bravely risked a quick look at the scene before him, powerless to temptation. What he saw made him force his eyes shut more firmly than before, an involuntary moan leaving him. Heavens, this image would stay ingrained in his memory forever.
So much for playing pretend.
Ais was pleased at the short moment of eye contact, his irises glinting in fiery mischief, and started deepthroating the member. Almost immediately, Kuras threw his head back, showing off his prominent Adam's apple that bounced with every swallow. His earrings clinked with the motion.
A drop of precum smeared on Ais's tongue, and he relished in the salty taste. With how much saliva was pooling in his mouth, he couldn't avoid the spit leaking out the corner of his lips and slowly running down his chin.
The fingers still tangled in his hair gave small tugs with every particularly hard suck. Oh yeah, I like that.
Kuras hadn't really been on the list of people Ais challenged himself to conquer sexually, but the sultry sounds and glorious visuals of Kuras's bliss might've just unlocked a new desire within Ais.
Would Kuras be a Top or Bottom? He sure would look (and sound) good doing either. But then again, he didn't appear like the type who'd allow anything of the sort.
Possibly, with a bit more work, the demon could get the doctor to cave in that regard, too. In the future.
Kuras's moans became more urgent, and Ais guessed the angel was getting close. Might this be the first time ever that the other man would cum, he wondered. He couldn't remember his own first orgasm, how it had felt or what he'd thought. It had been centuries ago.
Ais hollowed his cheeks, placed the hand not occupied with cupping the thick root of Kuras's cock on the latter's thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. This really is too much fun.
It didn't take much longer until the pretty doctor came down the demon's throat with a cry. Ais all too eagerly swallowed it all down, letting his tongue pass over the sensitive tip a few more times while tremors shook Kuras's body, mainly his hips.
As Kuras came down from his high, Ais sucked and licked him clean, eventually entirely pulling away from the length that was now losing its stiffness.
Brown eyelids opened, and Kuras had to blink a couple times to readjust to the lighting. And probably to blink away the stars he saw, Ais thought smugly.
The angel's head tilted downwards, the still crouched figure of Ais coming into view. Kuras looked at him as if he had hung the moon, his expression dazed and pupils blown wide.
Ais internally vibrated at this intense, unfamiliar way of being more or less scrutinized. Nobody had looked at him like this before. It felt pleasant. A sense of pride arose within him, and he couldn't stop the grin that spread over his face.
"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" He had picked up some of the sexual innuendos Vere liked to spout at everyone he passed by on the street, and in rare situations, Ais liked whipping them out, too.
Kuras's face fell, and something like a memory briefly flashed over his eyes. Ais realized his mistake, he had hit too close to home. The doctor would soon go back to his closed-off behaviour if Ais pushed him too much.
It took a moment for Kuras to get over the sentiment that the comment had triggered and regain his level-headedness. Ais stood back up.
Wiping the mess around his mouth on the back of his hand, he asked: "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"No, it was-" Kuras cut himself off and looked to the side, a contemplative half-smile playing around his lips. Just a second or two later, he was back to being serious, fixing himself up and closing his pants.
"Still, we shouldn't have done that." Ais stared at him unimpressed.
"You're still on about that? You could have stopped me. And besides, it felt good, didn't it?"
No answer.
"Hey, what happens in Eridia, stays in Eridia. This practically never happened. Your conscience can be in the absolute clear." By the look on his face, Kuras wasn't entirely convinced.
"And what about you?", the angelic man questioned, almost a little uncertain. Or shy, even. He was very obviously straining to keep his focus from slipping south.
Even though Ais had thoroughly enjoyed pleasuring Kuras, he hadn't gotten hard, himself. And even if that had been the case, he figured the angel was too prude to return the favour, anyway.
"I don't need anything." He made his way to the door. Turning back towards the other man, he added: "But if you ever wanna do this again (or something else, he didn't say), I'd gladly be of service."
Before he left, Kuras hastily said "Goodnight." All Ais did in response was raising his left hand over his shoulder in a casual wave.
The door shut behind him, ultimately leaving the doctor alone (well, not entirely alone) in his clinic. Cold night air greeted Ais. He inhaled deeply.
Well, well, if this evening hadn't taken quite the interesting, insightful turn. Even he was a little surprised by how far his antics had gotten him. He knew more than before, that was for sure.
Now, as for what he'd do with this information... He could tell Vere about the entire interaction next time they met. That would surely rile him up. Ais was aching for another passionate, intense, bloody bedroom session with his favourite fox.
But... If Vere knew about this, he'd definitely spill the beans to other people just for the sake of causing Kuras trouble. Ais didn't want that.
Tch, I guess Kuras's secret is safe with me. For now.
He reached the far outskirts of Eridia, disappearing bit by bit in the thick fog of the wetlands, to return to the mysterious place containing his own secrets.