A Demon's Way w/ クローバー (Clover)

[azuneko]

Hiroki glanced upon hearing his name. "You..? I've got a bone to pick with you. Since you visited y place the other day every flower in this area has withered away. I don't care if you dislike me, my clan or my way of living. That gives you no right to kill off every flower." he said furious. His eyes narrow as he grit his teeth. "Fix them or prepare to become another thing of the past just as my clan did." he said crossing his arms.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"D-dislike you?! What are you, insane? I said nothing of the sort!" Masaki said.

Flowers wilting? My powers failing? Is this fate at work?! he thought. But he says it's because I... I understand it now. I knew it would come in handy one day...

"If you say the wilting is related to me... Should I kill myself? I feel as if leaving the area won't be enough." he asked, a single tear running down his face as he searched his pocket for the key to the storeroom beneath the palace.

[azuneko]

Hiroki tensed up. That wasn't what he expected Masaki to say. The boy didn't seem like the type. "Don't be an ass! If that was the case I'd have come here to do that myself. Just fix the plants and that's all. God, are all demons your age this stupid? he says not as annoyed as before. Walking over to Masaki he grabs his wrist. "If I find out you killed yourself before finding a bride I'll bring you back to like just to kill you myself." he said

[クローバー (Clover)]

"You did make it sound like these events were my fault." Masaki said. "A-and... I'm not sure what to do... Village-wide plant failures are... unusual at this time of year."

He felt the cool air on his sweating face.

"I don't think you'd care to know, but my powers seem to be failing at this moment too. Normally, mortals can't hear what happens in my castle, but..." he stopped. There was no way he'd tell the other demon the truth. "I spotted something horrific and made a noise that woke up some mortals..."

[azuneko]

Hiroki tilts his head. "If you count singing as horrific then by all means don't do it anymore." he said letting his wrist go. "My flowers don't wither because of weather. Not the ones at my house anyway. If you didn't do it then your no help to me. I'll figure it out on my own." he said with a huff. "Go find your bride. I'm going home." Hiroki said

[クローバー (Clover)]

Masaki looked to the floor. What was wrong with this boy?! Why was he playing with his feelings so much?! Suddenly, a loud noise rang in his ears, tearing at his mind. He fell to the floor, numbed by the pain of his powers going haywire.

"Stop it!" he shouted. "Stop toying with me!"

[azuneko]

As he began to walk away he stops. "Toying with you? I don't even know you enough to waste my time like that. Don't flatter yourself kid. I'm in no mood for games. If there's something you want to say then spit it out!" Hiroki said. He was always blunt and forward. Despite hiding his own emotions

[クローバー (Clover)]

Masaki looked up at Hiroki, but the sound forced him to curl back up. He was almost certain that his ears were bleeding in pain.

"What the hell is wrong with me?! Why can't I just say it?!" he screamed at himself. "Why can't I admit to him that I'm in love?!"

The noise in his ears cut out when he said the last part of his sentence and the prince's face turned bright red. As he was about to all his guards over and have Hiroki sent away, his headphones began producing the same noise they did earlier, prompting him to stop.

"So... Yeah... Even though it really is wrong of me to think this of you... I think I might like you." Masaki admitted. "There, I said it. Now go shoot me, or whatever you wanted to do."

[azuneko]

"You like me? Is that what you've decided in only meeting me a few times? Why would you fall for me? Is it because I'm a demon so I can outlive any mortal? Could it be you pity my lonely existence? Or could this be actual love you feel for me?" Hiroki asked seriously annoyed at this point. He wanted to leave yet Masaki was being half-ass with his explanations. It was troublesome to him. "Just spit it out!"

[クローバー (Clover)]

"I'm so sorry, Hiroki... I believe I owe you an explanation as to why I treated you as I did..." the prince said. "I'll answer your question along the way."

He was relieved that the noise in his ears had stopped.

"I... I made a lot of stuff up about me. I'm not directly related to the royal family... I was born from an item. I am a tsukumogami born of witchcraft. Since my creator was burned at the stake for giving me life, I tried to erase those memories and create a new identity for myself. I succeeded in fooling everyone. So much so that I married into the royal family when I took my first bride, Princess Elaine, and dirtied the royal line with my demon blood. Because of my longevity and the queen's inability to bear sons for the duration of her reign, I managed to keep my title as prince for as long as I have. Everything about me I told you before today was a lie because I... I..." he started choking on his words. "I love you, and I wanted to impress you, dammit!"

Tears began to pour down the prince's face.

"All my childhood, people knew who I was because of my connections to witchcraft. But then you came along. You had no idea of what I was, so I fabricated a story about me being a direct descendent of the royal family to try to impress you, but clearly, it had the opposite effect. So here I am, telling you what I really am right now. If you don't want to return my feelings, that's fine. I'd deserve it for misleading you." he closed his eyes, ready to accept whatever abuse Hiroki was planning to inflict on him.

[azuneko]

Hiroki tilts his head and sighs. "You are an idiot. I don't know where or when you came up with this plot of yours but whatever. I could care less if you've lived a lie until now. Half the population live lies everyday. That's not what I care about nor will it change my opinion of you." he said yawning softly. "I am annoyed that the flowers have withered. Its clear you are falling to pieces as well. So if what you say is now truth I can only confirm it as a lie. You'll have to prove those emotions if you plan on having me believe you. As they say, once a liar always a liar." Hiroki said with a smirk. "Prove to me that your feelings of love are real. Its the only way I can believe your words that follow it."

[クローバー (Clover)]

"Well... The only way I can think to prove myself is to help fix these flowers." Masaki said. "If you'll let me help you, that is..."

The prince's head was still in pain from the ear-bleeding noise, but he was at least happy to have gotten that off of his chest. Now, he had to swallow up whatever princely pride he may have had before and just get ready to take whatever he had to get to prove that he really did love Hiroki.

[azuneko]

Hiroki glanced over at him. "Very well then. Follow me this way and you can fix them. If you fail in your attempts it will prove you lack real feelings for me." he said walking off. He was hiding his own feelings because he was upset about the flowers. If only he knew his bottled up feelings were to blame. Hiroki headed towards the town garden. "Alright Masaki. Cure the plants."

[クローバー (Clover)]

Shit... I am only a sound demon... I can't do much to plants... Wait... He blamed me first... Yet I can't really do anything to affect the growth of plants directly... Is it him? Does he have an energy imbalance? Masaki thought for a moment.

"H-Hiroki... Before I go ahead and try, I'd like to ask something first. H-have you ever considered the problem to be something within you? Like..." he stopped to think of examples. "Like an issue you're having a hard time dealing with is interrupting your focus? That seems to happen to me a lot."

[azuneko]

Hiroki glared over at him. "Are you trying to say this is my doing!!? Don't make me laugh. If there's anything causing me issue it would be you. Ever since you bothered me in the flower beds that night your always on my mind. Its so annoying how easily I instantly think about you before anything else. My whole mind is infected with thoughts of you. Its driving me insane because I have no idea why." he said

[クローバー (Clover)]

Masaki began to blush at the other boy's statement. He took some time to take it all in.

He can't stop thinking about... Me? he thought.

"Well... Maybe you experience isn't so much different from mine." Masaki said, still blushing. "I think I might know a way to help fix those thoughts."

[azuneko]

"Is that so..? I am listening Masaki. If you have a way to fix this I am willing to hear you out." he said crossing his arms. His gaze drifts to the side as he frowns. Hiroki wonders what the other had in mind. Just knowing his plants had a chance to be saved was enough to make him happy. His mind could be at ease some they stopped withering away.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"Well... You don't need to listen so much as act..." Masaki said, moving closer to the other boy and blushing even deeper. This was a very risky thing he was doing, and if it went wrong... He wasn't sure if he'd be able to live with the results if it went wrong.

"Feel free to stop me if you'd like." he said. Masaki then kissed Hiroki, hoping he had predicted the other boy's subconscious desires correctly.

[azuneko]

Hiroki stays still not sure what the other had planned. He was silent and he watched carefully as to see what would happen next. His eyes widen as he was suddenly kissed. It wasn't what he expected and it kind of caught him off guard. He pushed Masaki away but held onto him. "WHOA!!! Slow down there. You could have started with holding hands or something. I'm older than you but seriously... don't just steal someone's first kiss so..." he stops realizing he might have said too much. Hiroki clears his throat and pouts. "I don't reject such a thing. Its nice and I suppose you are cute. Plus my type. Lets get this clear, I am not going to be your bride. You can take that title. I'm too manly to be a bride." he said glancing over at him. His confession was one that clearly needed work but it was clear enough.

[クローバー (Clover)]

"I didn't think you'd like being called bride anyway. Between you and me, I think you might be manlier." Masaki said. "And... I'm sorry for being so forward. If it means anything, we can do things properly like go out on dates after this... Only if you want to, that is."

Masaki didn't dare look at the flowers. He didn't want to know what happened to them.

[azuneko]

Hiroki glanced over at the flowers. They had began blooming again. He was glad to see that they were doing fine. "Looks like your idea worked. The flowers are growing again." he said with a smile. He liked the idea of going slow and dates. "Sure we can go on a date tomorrow. I need some rest after a today." Hiroki said walking over and petting Masaki on the head gently.

[クローバー (Clover)]

Masaki smiled as Hiroki patted him on the head. Despite being a prince, he was still an attention loving kid at heart. Perhaps he could become more worldly if he and Hiroki got closer.

"Sounds good. Want to meet tomorrow at the marketplace entrance?" Masaki said.

[azuneko]

"Sure it sounds like a plan. I really need some rest so I'll see you tomorrow." Hiroki said before walking away. He was really tired but happy nonetheless. He found the cause to cure his plants. As well as finding something he had least expected. He found a companion.

[クローバー (Clover)]

Masaki smiled, even though Hiroki was leaving. He was happy that the plant demon was willing to forgive their rough start. Now he had a demon friend. He walked back into the palace, instructing the guards to close the gates, but not lock them and just remain outside. He immediately took to his bathroom, as he needed a long, relaxing soak in the tub to ease the aches in his muscles.

[azuneko]

Hiroki returned home to find his plants glowing. He smiled as this is how things should be. He lays down with a sigh. He didn't expect such a change in himself because of a simple feeling. "Love is a weird thing. I wonder what tomorrow will be like." Hiroki mutters to himself. He closes his eyes to think about it some more.