Kei fell asleep clutching his pillow like a lifeline.
After surviving a demon summoning, a territorial cold-eyed brother, and a text message from hell (literally), he had decided one thing for sure: tomorrow, he was going to pretend none of this ever happened.
He buried his face in his blanket and groaned. Az had promised to behave—"for tonight"—and Bel was supposedly gone back to wherever demons go when they ghost your bedroom like a sexy horror movie villain.
So now... finally, sleep.
Except sleep didn't stay peaceful for long.
---
In the Demon World...
Belial stood in his private chamber, eyes closed, meditating.
His form was human-like—sharp suit, tie undone, bare feet on obsidian floor—but shadows shifted around him, reacting to his mood.
Something tugged at him.
A pulse. A heat. An ache.
He opened his eyes.
"Kei..." he whispered.
---
Meanwhile... In Kei's tiny dorm room.
Az sat on the floor, leaning against the bed frame, watching the human sleep.
His arms rested loosely on his knees. His head tilted just slightly, studying Kei's face in the dim blue light of the moon.
So innocent.
So warm.
So... soft.
"You shouldn't let your blanket fall off like that," Az murmured with a smirk. "You'll catch a cold. Or something worse."
Kei's shirt had ridden up, exposing a sliver of his lower back and hip. One leg kicked the sheets halfway to the floor.
Az leaned closer, elbow on the mattress, face now inches from Kei's.
"You sleep like a snack, you know that?" he whispered teasingly.
No answer.
Kei mumbled in his sleep, lips parting slightly, a tiny puff of breath escaping.
Az's eyes darkened. "Don't do that," he whispered, smile growing. "That little sound... is dangerous."
Slowly—very slowly—he reached out.
His fingers brushed the edge of Kei's exposed skin. Just a gentle touch. A ghost of a caress down to his hip. Kei twitched but didn't wake.
Az exhaled, his voice low, teasing, almost reverent.
"Do you know what it does to me... watching you like this? So close. So warm. And not allowed to taste."
He trailed a fingertip along Kei's waist, barely touching. Kei let out a soft sigh, arching slightly in his sleep.
Az leaned closer.
His lips just a breath away from Kei's neck.
So close.
Just one bite. One press of lips. One mark.
Instead, he let his breath tickle Kei's ear and whispered:
"I'm going to drive you crazy, Kei."
---
In the demon realm...
Bel's brows twitched.
He didn't know why, but his chest tightened. Something burned low in his core. Like jealousy. Or worse.
He stood suddenly, eyes glowing faint blue.
"Azriel… What are you doing?"
---
Back in the room, Az chuckled as Kei shifted again, this time turning toward him, burying his face into Az's shoulder.
Completely unconscious.
Completely trusting.
Az froze.
His smirk faded just slightly.
Then, slowly, he reached up and ran his fingers through Kei's hair—gentle, soft, almost careful.
He whispered, "Don't make me fall for you, little human."
Kei's fingers twitched in his sleep, and he murmured softly:
"…Az…"
Az's eyes widened.
He swallowed.
Then smirked again. "Naughty boy. Dreaming about me already?"
He carefully tucked the blanket around Kei again, not saying anything else.
Then slid back to the floor, resting his head on the edge of the bed.
Even demons need to sleep eventually.
---
But in the realm of shadows, Belial stood alone... eyes burning.
He couldn't hear Kei.
But he felt it.
He was losing something.
And for the first time in centuries... he felt afraid.