Cormac wasn’t a pretty sight the next morning. His hair stuck up in every direction and made his face seem ever paler, his spring green eyes tired. He’d even left behind the long red coat he usually wore over everything, a sure sign he was upset.
Abriel wasn’t much better, his ebony hair a tangled mass of curls he usually slicked out with a comb, and he’d actually put on a pair of shorts- which on any other day would have been unthinkable. He leaned on his elbow, his head in his hand, staring at the chalkboard without seeing anything as Miss Megumu droned on.
The first thing they’d both looked for upon entering the room was a certain familiar silverette; they found one graced with fake fox ears, but not the one they both loved and hated. They’d both slumped with guilt, feeling a bit guilty for it- until their eyes met, and they were reminded of the reason why they were so angry to begin with.
“Hey, I need to talk to you,” Cormac said, planting his hand on Abriel’s desk, blocking the ebony haired demon’s view of the front of the classroom.
Abriel rolled his eyes, sneering up at the redhead. “How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Please, that was pathetic. At least if you’re going to pretend to be better than me, come up with better insults.”
“I am better than you,” Abriel scoffed, his fingers dancing on the hilt of his sword, showing his irritation.
Cormac snorted in reply. “I suppose you can think you’re better than me sometimes- it’s okay to lie to yourself every once in a while.”
“You know,” Abriel replied, pretending to be thoughtful, “Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but you abuse the privilege.”
Cormac growled, an inhuman sound that rumbled out from him in a deep roll. It drew the attention of the few students that hadn’t already been listening in on them. The conflict between the two demons who’d been at the top before Zakeri came was something nobody could resist listening to, especially since it wasn’t something they’d thought they’d see. The two had gotten along- if icy silences could be called getting along- just fine before. Something had to have changed, and whispers filled the room, an undercurrent to the arguing.
“I used to wonder why anybody would bang their head against a wall,” Cormac said, not willing to be outdone since so many people were paying attention. Abriel had already showed him up in front of somebody infinitely important, and he had to reclaim at least some small bit of his dignity, “Then I met you.”
Abriel shook his head, smirking at the redhead’s pathetic attempt to out-snark the master. “Why don’t you leave, if I irritate you so much?” he questioned.
“I told you, I need to talk to you!”
“Talking to you is about as much fun as playing leapfrog with unicorns!”
“Wait, you mean to tell me unicorns actually exist?”
Cormac and Abriel both looked for the source of the voice, their heads snapping to the side. They found the silverette they’d looked for before, his hands clasped together in front of him and a hesitant, hopeful, apologetic smile turning up the lips they’d both kissed.
Abriel turned away, slamming his notebook shut and getting up out of his chair. Standing abruptly, he left the classroom- Miss Megumu was so used to it she didn’t even pause in her lecture.
“What’s that all about?” Zakeri muttered, turning to ask Cormac what had climbed up the ebony haired demon’s rear, but Cormac had left as suddenly as Abriel. He only took an empty seat next to Ashe, but it was almost the same with his pointed silence and the way he refused to even glance at the silverette. Zakeri’s fingers tightened, nails digging into the skin on the back of his hands, and he heaved a heavy sigh.
“Hey,” a soft, resigned voice pulled Zakeri out of his self-pity. He looked up to find grey-blue eyes focused on him, “You can sit by me until they get over it.”
“Thank you,” Zakeri’s voice was just as soft, and he took the empty seat next to Ashe.
“Whatever,” Ashe muttered back, continuing to take careful notes of a lecture he’d heard four times since arriving at the institute- because it was the same thing every year, so each student had a chance to learn the full curriculum.
Zakeri took out his own notebook, but the pages didn’t see any new ink; he kept glancing at Ashe out of the side of his eyes, remembering the sharp sting of the demon’s hand on his face. Every time he looked over, he’d come close to asking, only to shut his mouth and try to pay attention again. And every time he looked, he added an ounce of irritation to Ashe’s already fragile temper.
Eventually, the fox-tailed demon snapped. “Just spit it out, before I gouge your eyes out,” he said calmly, continuing to write notes like he hadn’t said anything.
“I, uh-” Zakeri stuttered, shocked; he’d never heard the other silverette speak harshly, much less threaten violence. Whatever had happened to Ashe that day, it had changed him quite a bit- he wasn’t even wearing his fake ears, which had become as much a part of him as his silver hair and almost fragile features. “I was just wondering why you slapped me, that day.”
Cormac’s spring green eyes flickered to Zakeri for a moment, before he wiped away his surprise and curiosity and continued doodling all the ways he could kill Abriel. Ashe’s face turned pink, and he dropped his eyes to the half full page of notes before him. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Cormac and Zakeri jerked at the words, both of them staring in opposite directions, faces bright with color. Ashe looked between them, realizing the only reason his words could cause that reaction, and sunk lower in his chair with a sullen expression. Zakeri looked back to the other silverette, and his eyes widened.
“Oh,” he said softly, understanding- while he wasn’t exactly experienced, he knew what love was and how to recognize it in a person’s eyes, and he saw it mixed with jealousy in Ashe’s. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. And I… I didn’t want it to happen, what happened that day.”
Cormac drew in a sharp breath, and Zakeri winced; there was no way he was going to please everybody on that. He had to choose his allies, and Ashe was one of the few people whose bad side he didn’t want to be on, if he could avoid it. So when Ashe looked at him with the beginnings of a smile, he grinned back. “Really, “ Zakeri insisted, “I would have let you take my place if I had the chance!”
Ashe’s mouth dropped, and his face turned redder than Cormac’s hair before he dropped it to the desk, hiding it in his folded arms while making a pained noise. The redhead’s eyes centered on Zakeri for a split second before falling to the fox-tailed silverette. His mouth quirked into a frown, and there was a sort of speculation in his eyes as he took in the silverette’s embarrassment. The frown turned into a slow smile, and Zakeri hid his; he didn’t want to know what the redhead was planning for Ashe, but he was sure he didn’t want to be involved in it.
“Alright!” Miss Megumu clapped her hands, “I want you all moving- you need to be in the pairs Miss Kali put you in, because I’ll be following that same rule.”
Ashe squeaked into his arms, a mildly distressed sound- because Cormac’s fingers stroked down his tail, the redhead grinning at the announcement. But Zakeri’s heart pounded as the noirette who’d walked out was led back in by an irritated demon whose pointed tail was hidden for once. Abriel had a short argument with Rahil, but it was obvious the headmaster was going to win as he pointed at the seat in front of Zakeri, his expression firm.
Abriel threw up his hands, making an angry noise- but he stomped to the seat Rahil had pointed out and sat in it with a huff. Zakeri sighed at the noirette’s obstinance, but he leaned back in his chair. “Will you forgive me if I can make you laugh?” he breathed to Cormac, seeing the perfect opportunity to get back at Abriel and fix what had broken with Cormac at the same time.
“Sure.” The redhead nodded, curious, a small smile staying on his lips as they both turned back to Miss Megumu’s useless lesson.
It was a while before the chance Zakeri had been waiting for came. “Wait for it… wait for it…” Zak held his breath, watching the tail flick back and forth. This was obviously an irritating and boring class for more than just him. At last, the tail flicked into his reach, and his hand darted forward to yank on it- hard.
Abriel swore loudly, on his feet in a flash, knocking his desk over and sending papers flying. “God damn it, Zakeri!” he roared, blue flames dancing along his skin.
“I told you it would work,” Zak crowed, holding his stomach, bent in two as he laughed. He managed, by taking great gulps of air between girlish giggles, to say, “Now, if only it would clap on.”
None of the rest of the class joined in his hysterics- they just stared at him, and at Abriel, wide-eyed and terrified. Abriel wasn’t amused either, glaring at the demon who’d pulled his tail.
Zariel looked up, mirth dancing in his eyes, and cocked his head, trying to look innocent. “Oh, I’m sorry Abriel. Did I… turn you on?”
Abriel’s face flushed red, and the students nearby only laughed harder. It was too much for the dark-haired demon; stony faced and furious, he stalked out of the room, his familiar following behind him obediently.
For a moment, Zakeri lapsed into silence. Then Zakeri turned to Cormac and said, “Yeah, I definitely did,” and the redhead couldn’t resist joining his laughter.
“Am I forgiven?” Zakeri whispered to Cormac. The redhead could only nod, too busy laughing to respond.
Class let out twenty minutes later, and all of the students- including Zakeri, Cormac, and Ashe- headed for the cafeteria. All but one. Abriel lay on his bed, one knee cocked up, thoughts and emotions whirling in a confusing muddle in his brain. He was still furious with Zakeri, could still hear that mocking tone as the idiot called him ‘Abby’, but… he could also feel that weird warmth in his heart, could see the softly warm expression on Zakeri’s face as he said Abriel’s aura had changed.
“Damn it.” Abriel threw an arm over his face, wishing he could bring back that careless anger that had dominated most of his life.
Master? For once, that dark voice wasn’t demanding or angry; it was full of worry and a concern that could have been mistaken for love. Abriel’s breath gushed out as a significant weight dropped onto his chest, and small feet padded up until a warm, wet nose pushed against the underside of his chin.
Abriel slowly pulled his arm away from his face. It left his view of his familiar clear, and he couldn’t help smiling at the cat demon, stroking its silky black fur until Mace began to purr. Mace’s rough tongue made damp paths along Abriel’s cheek, making him laugh, beginning the process of pulling him out of the dark hole he’d fallen into.
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