[Yukonwolfspirit & ZX-MetalMonster] (Private 18+)

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Sighing softly Yukie relaxed under the soft touch his body curling more into Darcy’s body as he relaxed completely. Meanwhile in his mind Yukie stood brushing off the rocks that where stained with blood the demon not really inspecting the scene much. Looking around Yukie looked deeper into the forest as he walked following small glowing bunnies (whisps) along a rocky path. As the prince walked he hummed carefree only to stop at a field full of flowers. Atop of a hill in the field there was a old oak tree and the king and all of his sons along with his mother sitting and enjoying the soft sunlight and warmth. Sitting down on an old log Yukie watched a little longingly as the family interacted peacefully.

Upon a closer inspection the scene was iffy the clothes shifting into different types and the only face really not smudged into shadows being the kings that one would say was slowly fading like the rest of the family. The prince seemed to sit for hours watching the family do many things which seemed like faint childhood memories of happier times or stories the family shared.  “Yukie you can’t stay here forever with them.” A voice replied that sound much like Yukies adult voice but once Yukie looked around came from Lucas mouth the keeper looking at the prince before holding out his hand to take him back to the safety of his castle.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy bled into the field, a faint shade resting under the flowers around the prince while the boy watched his family who he evidently missed. Darcy knew now that the demon wouldn't take notice of him no matter how close he lingered. Though warped, these seemed to be the princes memories and he had no place in them. However he gladly accepted the role of a silent observer and continued to hide and toy with his shadow form for his own amusement.

In the waking world the prince was again calm in his embrace and that encouraged Darcy to let the dream carry on. Even though he was mindful of the other demon's mood and ready to jolt them both back to reality if things got out of hand.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Following Luca back in the dream the two came back upon the castle that seemed much more empty and lonely then it really was in reality. Sitting back in his throne Yukie frowned as the dream started to drain on about responsibilities and the need to eventually marry and produce a heir all of which the prince could care less for. As time passed the dream continued as if playing out a day in the place for the the prince the only thing changing being the dark and icy cold room he ended up going to to sleep in. Yukie outside of the dream at this point started getting restless again his body breaking out into a terrified cold sweat. Tossing and turning the prince breathed heavily his voice unable to scream out for help as he tried to escape the same dream he had had for the last six months.

The room was covered in blood and destroyed furniture. Standing in the doorway it was clear Yukie was reluctant to step inside but with a suddenly push forward he was shoved into the room the door slamming shut and locking him. Yukie at this point was frantic pounding on the door for someone to let him out as the room darkened even more a pair of red blood thirty eyes and sharp fangs staring out at the prince waiting to devour him. Fighting outside of the dream world the princes body was in total panic almost suffocating from the fear of being yet again trapped with the monster that lived in the room with him.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

In the waking world Darcy pressed the prince against his chest, offering himself as shelter in hopes of soothing the demon's fear. However in the dream he was right by his side, equally cornered by the monster that inhabited the locked room. He caught himself starting to panic, both nature and nurture warning him to flee from the threat even though he knew better than anyone that it was all fiction. Staggered for only a moment while he regained his composure, Darcy started to pull control back from the prince. His shadow self held the young man in a mirror image of reality meanwhile darkness wallowed the nightmare and left them afloat in a silent, pitch black void.

Darcy opened his eyes and right away studied the prince with clarity, fully alert in the wake of the dream gone awry. 

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Yukie was gasping in pain still not awake as he continued to struggle to breathe the poor prince in the clutches of a full panic attack. Yukies body by this point was icy cold despite the room being so hot. The prince wincing as if in pain curled up tightly into his long body trying to hide away from the in fear of his dreams. In his dream state Yukie was curled up just as tight terrified of the darkness around them in the voice space. Shaking slightly Yukie could only cry in his dream tears falling endlessly down his face as he wept the fear from his dreams still gripping at his heart as if wanting to rip it to shreds.
 

Letting out a small cry of pain Yukie only tightened his body as he woke up from the nightmare instantly defensive. Hiding away in fear Yukies body twisted and turned tightening around Darcy not even sensing the male was near him as he struggled to fully see that he wasn’t in any danger.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy gasped at the sudden pressure as the prince cried and stirred but like in the nightmare he willed himself to stay calm, careful not to do anything that would compromise him. Slipping out of the demon's hold would be simple he reminded himself, he wasn't really trapped and the prince's grip wasn't yet so tight as to be unbearable or cause injury.

-"It isn't real, you're safe." Darcy tried to reason with the young man but also hoped hearing another person's voice would help him tell reality apart from the dream. He regretted poking around the demon's subconscious, though he couldn't have known how potent his emotions were under the surface.

There was something grimly amusing to Darcy about the predicament he was in. For all of the prince's attempts to be better liked by his human subjects, he was still a beast who could snap their bones and snuff the life out of them without even noticing what he'd done. If Darcy had a sword in hand and was of a mind to he could cut the demon down and justify it as self defense. In stead he was still trying to calm him and felt remorseful for causing him so much pain. 

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“D-Don’t leave me” Yukie begged his voice breaking and terrified as he finally spoke. The poor demon was shaking as he reached out from his tight coils. Hiding away in the dark cave of snaky flesh Yukie reached out for  Darcy his arms desperately reaching out for the knight and with ease pulled Darcy in. Yukie interlay buried his face in the man’s chest trying his best to calm down the hot tears flooding down from his face as he sobbed. “Don’t…don’t leave me alone.” Yukie whispered trying so hard to gain his composure in front of Darcy but it was hard. The dream had been so real and those eyes and smile he had seen so many times in the dark shadows of the castle. Taking a deep breath Yukie tried to steadied himself a little his body still overly tense and coiled tight keeping them both locked away in his defensive cave.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

-"I won't." Darcy reassured the prince as soon as he'd caught his breath, despite the situation he was mindful to keep his voice gentle to avoid upsetting the young man again. The way Yukie pulled and held him made Darcy compare himself to a stuffed toy the prince was clutching for comfort, though he didn't mind. Taking into account how little the prince knew him, Darcy assumed he'd earned so much of the demons favor through being the only person present and not because Yukie felt attached to him. He was captain of the guard but after his predecessor proved himself a traitor he doubted the position held as much esteem or earned his any blind trust.  

Waiting patiently for his master to regain composure, Darcy turned every accidental brush against his skin into a light, brief caress. He worried he was overstepping but with the prince's snake body coiled tightly around them as a protective barrier it was hard to gauge what contact the young man was pleased with.

-"Whatever you saw was a dream. It's only the two of us here." Darcy reaffirmed though to suggest the prince was safe with him was a blatant lie.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“I…I know” Yukie whispered his voice still shaking as he calmly took a breath his body relaxing slightly. As Yukie just hid himself in Darcy’s arms his body slowly started to relax, the demon for some reason finding comfort in the guard who he should have been on high alert with. Taking a shaky breath Yukie carefully moved himself away from Darcy his body unwinding as he changed back to normal with ease. Standing in front of Darcy naked the demon looked away almost ashamed of his outburst before going to grab his clothes that where in the corner. Dressing in silence Yukie swayed a little bit the demon not completely drunk but just tipsy enough to have his balance affected.

“…you may leave if you want.” Yukie added as he looked at the sword on the dresser gently touching the warm blade. For the last six months the prince had been unable to sleep plagued by the same monster in his dreams. Because of this it had begun affecting his health and was slowly starting to infringe on his sanity. “I’m fine now.” Yukie mumbled as he leaned against the dresser trying to shake the dream a little more.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Every time the prince alternated between striving for companionship and being frigid or cruel it caught Darcy off guard, however the change happened within a heartbeat and was especially jarring this time. The young man looked in no shape to be left alone, Darcy turned away from his master to afford him some privacy while he dressed and even in that short span of time he wondered if the prince would be alright. To make matters worse the unexpected guilt the knight felt at putting the other demon in this sorry state wouldn't stop gnawing at him. He wondered if just like how the prince's alternate form turned out dangerous even when Yukie had innocent intentions, his own powers had a tendency to do harm. He'd only ever been encouraged to use his demonic traits to cause injury, trying to do anything else had been a foolish idea.

-"I said I wouldn't leave." Darcy reminded the prince though he sounded genuinely puzzled by the situation and was wondering if this was a trick to see if he'd meant what he'd said... or if the other man had simply turned emotionally numb after the worst of his breakdown had passed. "I can stay by the door if you don't want me here." Darcy offered despite his own best interest, for a moment forgetting why he was there in the first place.

Edited November 13, 2022 by ZX-MetalMonster

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Not, it’s okay you can stay here.” Yukie whispered as he sighed having gained more to his composure. Closing his eyes Yukie took a moment to himself before looking finally at Darcy. “Did I hurt you at all? My snake body is known for squeezing.” Yukie asked worried in his fear he had hurt Darcy. “I’m sorry…I…I didn’t mean to trap you like that. Truth be told I thought I was getting better drinking at night seems to help but I must not have drank enough. The sleep medicine Luca has been giving me isn’t strong enough anymore for me.” Yukie explained as he sat down against the wall to tiered to really do much else. “They don’t stop. The nightmares. The vivid dreams that just show me what’s to come.” Yukie whispered curling up in pain as he remembered the glowing red eyes and sharp fangs that had been haunting his dreams since his fathers passing.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

-"You didn't squeeze too hard." Darcy reassured the prince with a faint smile, trying to introduce a bit of levity. He felt awkward looming over him and joined him on the floor with a huff, though he kept his distance now, like he should have done all along. "I don't know if demons can tell the future... but bad dreams are usually fears come alive at night." Darcy would have tried to convince Yukie there was nothing to be afraid of, that no one else would come to hurt him, that the worst had passed, but he knew the prince was right about the grim fate that waited for him just around the corner. He also knew that the rest of what he was about to say would reflect badly on him both as a guardsman and an assassin and was better left unsaid. However he'd been working against himself all along and owed the prince one moment of honesty at least. He only hoped it wouldn't be taken as an insult and nothing else.

-"Knocking yourself out with alcohol and medicine is a short-lived escape at best. If you know what's to come..." He hesitated but pressed on. "Either tell yourself you'll survive your enemies and fight in earnest or make peace with the thing you see in your dreams. Wasting away one night at a time is a slower, more painful death than anything they could give you any way."

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“I see.” Yukie replied as he sighed thinking heavily on Darcy’s words. “I don’t wish to kill my enemies. I don’t like the thought of killing others for personal gain.” Yukie admitted the thought making the prince uneasy as he looked over at the man who sat beside him. “I have no desire to give up and die. So long as I live I’ll ensure the kingdom thrives much like my father did. Though I’m unsure how to really do that.” Yukie admitted still learning the ropes on how to properly care for the kingdom. While Yukie wouldn’t admit it the idea of ruling was a touch terrifying and dealing with other kingdoms had been just as scary.

“I think I’ll be fine I mean I managed to secure a new army. And I’ve helped repair the defenses, and I’m working on helping the farmers next spring.” Yukie added rambling on slightly the princes mind seeming to become more at ease as he talked about his plans. “Course I should learn proper sword fighting and maybe how to ride a horse wouldn’t hurt.” Yukie admitted with an embarrassed blush not really having learned anything his brothers had since his father never thought he would marry or take a throne and was happy just having him home.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

For someone who'd never been taught to spill blood the prince was unusually skilled at cleaving off heads Darcy though and saw no shame in that. In contrast to his liege who it turns out had no appetite for violence Darcy admired a skilled swordsman and even felt a rush at being outmatched and held at the edge of a blade, though he wasn't fully conscious of that quirk himself.

-"I don't know how to ride a horse either." The demon confessed with a dismissive shrug, acting like the skill was an unimportant one even though being able to travel on horseback would have saved him a lot of effort on the way to the castle. "Besides, you're a shapeshifter, you can grow wings and be anywhere in a heartbeat, can't you?" Any information Darcy could gather about what else the prince was capable of could help him further down the line but he also doubted he would meet another demon soon or maybe ever again and wanted to learn as much as possible about his own kind.

-"You shouldn't stay on the floor though, let me help you up." Darcy was ready to listen to the prince talk about his plans until dawn if the young man wished. However he remembered how sensitive the prince was to the cold and had to admit he wasn't comfortable seated on the floorboards either. Back on his feet, the knight took a step closer and offered a hand to Yukie, ready to help him to bed.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Yeah but it’s draining and I never really learned to fly. I mean I tried to once when u was younger but I just fell off a roof…” Yukie admitted with a small sigh and shake of his head wondering how younger him would have ever thought that would work. “After I fell the castle guards and maids kept a closer eye on me to prevent getting yelled at again for letting me climb up somewhere so high.” Yukie explained as he chuckled at the memory having had way more fun playing with the guards and maids in a sort of hide and seek growing up.  Gently taking Darcy’s hand that was held out to help him up his Yukie couldn’t help but get a touch shy as he looked away from the knight his heart pounding. “Yeah floor isn’t any good in this form it gets to cold easy.” Yukie mumbled as he brushed himself off and looked over at the queen sized bed that sat untouched in the corner.

“What about you? Have you ever met any demons? You didn’t exactly run away when seeing me change forms or freak out so I guess I’m not your first?” Yukie asked wanting to know if there really where other demons out there. Moving over to the bed Yukie settle back down under the covers the demon having goosebumps across his arms from the cold.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy couldn't help a quiet snort at the thought of his prince flinging himself from a rooftop with confidence only to fall like a stone. From what he'd learned in Yukie's dream and now from conversation, the demon had survived both a fall from great height and having a building collapse on top of him, unless he was being deceived killing the prince wouldn't be easy.

-"I wouldn't be much of a knight if I'd run away screaming at the first sigh of something intimidating." Darcy pointed out, reaching for a believable explanation why he was at ease with everything that had happened since he returned his master's sword. Though he secretly scolded himself for being too awestruck by the prince's snake form to feign fear. "No, I've never met a demon before. Though I've heard all kinds of stories... I think most of them are too outlandish to be true." Strictly speaking, Darcy was lying to the prince only by omission, he'd heard many tall tales he knew to be untrue and had never met one of his kind before, however admitting to Yukie that he was himself a demon was out of the question. "I was told things about you as well, on the road to the castle and back home. The lord I served before sent me away with silver armor... he though it might protect me if you tried to eat me alive or worse."

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Heh sliver armor the worst it does is burn me slightly now a days.” Yukie replied as he looked up at Darcy from his pillow. “And I don’t eat people. If I did I wouldn’t have servants or a kingdom. I mean I’m pretty sure that would be over the line even for a demon kingdom.” Yukie mumbled as he chuckled at the idea that Darcy was prepared if he one day decided to eat him and that it was an actual idea from other kingdoms that Yukie would do such a thing. “Now, I know other demons may hate sliver it at least some might get annoyed with silver, but being in a kingdom and living as a prince I kinda got desensitized to touching and being around silver. Course unless I eat it. But the odds of me eating the silverwear (heh no pun intended) is pretty low.” Yukie admitted with a smirk as he closed his eyes for a moment.

“My brothers started only letting me use silver play swords and silverware once they learned I hated it. Can’t have a weak prince in the kingdom so I learned to build up tolerance. Though they never attempted me using when I was sick since I was often bedridden.” Yukie added with a tiered sigh as he snuggled into his pillow more.  “Tell me more about you. Do you have a lady you fancy? Also, is your family back home? Do you have siblings?” Yukie asked his eyes curious about Darcy and clearly fascinated by the knight who seemed to treat him more as a comrade in his mind then a king.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

-"I wasn't suggesting you're so gluttonous that you would devour an entire kingdom, just a servant here, a soldier there." Darcy argued with a playful smile though now he gave proper thought to the idea and could imagine the other demon taking a giant form not unlike the snake he was previously and swallowing whole bodies in one bite. It was fortunate that the knight's own supernatural tricks involved less brute force otherwise there could have been casualties every time he became intrigued by an idea like this one. Even as is, damages had been done while he learned to use his powers as child.

-"I don't fancy ladies." Darcy admitted offhandedly. "Besides, wouldn't it be wrong of me to come here if I had someone back home." Though he'd never cared for anyone the way the prince was insinuating, he imagined he would be reluctant to leave any man he felt genuine attachment to. "As for family... I have siblings. Though I haven't seen them in years. They've been off somewhere doing pretty much the same work I'm doing here now."

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Ah. Seems we’re more alike then I thought.” Yukie teased as he was rather amused his captain wasn’t into women. “Though I’m surprised you don’t have someone back home. The maids haven’t shut up about you since you arrived.” Yukie admitted with a smirk having overheard quite a few of the maids gossiping about How handsome Darcy was. “Personally I’ve never been one for the princesses.” Yukie added awkwardly trying to clearly understand Darcy’s feelings as he thought about how in a month he would be having suitors in the castle to hopefully find an suitable partner to rule with. “Do you write to them? Your siblings?” Yukie asked wondering if Darcy missed his siblings since it seemed he really didn’t get to see them often.

“When my brothers where away I would write to them all the time telling them everything that happened at home.” Yukie explained as he patted the bed signaling Darcy to sit beside him and relax the demon not wanting Darcy to stand all night. “The eldest didn’t like the one where I fell off the roof he personally came home to kick Lucas ass. Luca was so much more stubborn and demanding my safety after that.” Yukie explained knowing Luca wouldn’t be far watching over them.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

-"Your maids have bad taste." Darcy wondered if the prince was flattering him or if the servants really did find him attractive. As of yet no one in the castle had approached him and he'd never been good at noticing when someone had an interest in him without being given hints, even if he returned the feelings. "Though, the other knights aren't half that bad and they have eyes for pretty women. The maids won't pine for me for too long." He added, unashamed to admit he'd taken a look at the other guardsmen. "As for princesses, I've never met one... Who knows, maybe you'll marry a girl so beautiful even I'll lose my mind and run away with her." Darcy laughed softly, knowing that the prince had enough reasons to chop his head off even without the added crime of stealing his bride.

-"My siblings don't... appreciate letters." Darcy avoided having to explain that his siblings would consider him over-sentimental if he sent them letters. The oldest would probably burst into laughter if they received a message from him and it wasn't about the family business. The knight hadn't even noticed how much he missed his brothers and sisters until Yukie recalled his own childhood and it left him in a more somber mood as he took a seat beside the young man, though he kept a smile on for him.

Edited November 16, 2022 by ZX-MetalMonster

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“You still my princess and I’ll pardon you depending on if I actually liked her.” Yukie replied with a smirk as he listened to Darcy talk about his family. “That sounds sad. And…lonely.” Yukie replied as he looked at Darcy before gently hugging the man tightly. “I’m sorry.” Yukie whispered knowing that if his siblings didn’t care for his letters he would have been rather lonely growing up alone in the castle. Letting Darcy go Yukie blushed a little before turning away from the Knight hiding away in the bed as he was a touch embarrassed hugging Darcy. Laying quietly in bed Yukie just listened to the sound of the servants moving around and smiled at the the smell of breakfast being cooked meaning the castle was up and busy much better then the lonely nights he usually dreaded.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Darcy gasped softly at feeling the other man's arms wrap around him, he'd been too lost in thought to notice the prince move closer. As conflicted as he was about sharing moments of closeness with Yukie, he was thankful for this show of care and leaned into the embrace. However what brought a grin back to his face was seeing the way the prince retreated and hid, overwhelmed even though he'd held onto his knight more than once during the night. Darcy wouldn't give him a chance to recover though and was set on making the young man even more flustered. He supported himself on the bed while he leaned over the prince and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, a fond smile still on his lips. "You're very sweet for someone who's plotting to eat me." The knight joked before he moved away and stood up to stretch, only now noticing the castle was coming alive. "The servants are up, you won't be alone now and I need to go give the men something to do, they've been sitting around the guard's quarters for long enough." Darcy explained, there was another matter he planned to look into but he wanted to keep it a secret from the prince for now. There was a good chance he was being paranoid and would feel silly in the end but the thing he'd seen in his master's nightmare left him restless. "Do you have any commands for us today?"

[Yukonwolfspirit]

“Yeah yeah. I’ll make sure to get you glazed and become the sweet one before eating you.” Yukie mumbled his face even more red as he sat a little dumbfounded by the soft kiss to his temple. Trying to clear his embarrassed emotions Yukie nodded at the mention of the castle waking up. “Yeah they rise early.” Yukie added as he slipped his shoes back on so he could go upstairs and get dressed for the day. Grabbing his sword Yukie thought about the question Darcy asked. “Just meet the citizens and come back safe.” Yukie asked as he jumped at the soft knock from Luca who came to fetch him.

”Time to get up, the rain has let up so let’s get you dressed and we can go about our day.” Luca added knowing the prince had quite the full schedule. “If we have time this afternoon you can steal Darcy to escort you to the market for the rest of your duties.” Luca explained as Yukie nodded and gathered a few more things before following Luca upstairs.

[ZX-MetalMonster]

Hearing a knock on the door Darcy finally remembered the proper way to behave around his prince and abandoned the more informal, friendly attitude he'd developed through the night. He straightened himself and the smile that had lingered on his lips gave way to a neutral, more enigmatic expression. It felt like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't even though he was obliging the prince in keeping him company.

With a curt nod Darcy greeted the keeper and seeing how the prince had matters to attend to he excused himself and made his way back to the guard's quarters, hoping none of the men had started speculating about where he'd been since the previous evening. He did as instructed by his master but also assigned knights to stand guard and patrol the castle even in broad daylight, confident that he would be able to slip by these defense measures easily enough when the time was right for him to act. To look into another matter that weighed on his mind he would have to question the keeper again but he sensed there would be no opportunities for that today and thought it was for the better. His attention had wandered far enough from what he was supposed to be doing, some time away from distractions could prove to be useful.

[Yukonwolfspirit]

Sitting back at the castle Yukie yawned after his long day out. Looking at the cook making the bread for the next day Yukie rested his head against the table. His outing had been long and boring having to decide what color of napkins to use for a party was utterly annoying. Letting out a small groan Yukie covered his face hiding away in his arms as he took a break from the world. “Slouching is bad for your posture” Luca scolded lightly as he tapped Yukies chair with his foot.

”No! No more lessons or planning today. I swear if I have to listen or choose one more same shaded color of cream with the vendors I’m going to scream.” Yukie replied as he looked up at Luca the poor prince at his wits end. 

“So tormented. If your going to just melt away at the mention of seeing another vendor then I suppose I should send away the mens vendor that you requested. Or do you not want your army supplied with horses?” Luca asked as Yukie peeked up from his arms.

”Darcy is suppose to pick his out. I won’t start without him.” Yukie replied as he frowned at Luca who sighed. 

“so smitten with the night in shining armor. The poor princesses are going to be crushed.” Luca teased playfully as he ruffled Yukies hair and mentioned for the prince to follow him out to the stables.