Read the Air; It’s Hot Alright
Ain x reader
Warning: long
drawn by @21andree10 on Instagram
(y/n) let out a sigh of relief as they sunk into the lukewarm water. They were truly blessed to stumble across hot springs which they could have all to themselves. It was their night to relax and get rid of all the stress from battle… The El gang was quite exhausting to be around sometimes, especially since there weren’t any peaceful moments; every single person had a thing to complain about or start a fight for no reason.
Their thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another figure stepping into the water. Mind racing, they thought who could it have possibly been? No one dared use the mixed hot springs because they didn't want to deal with the opposite sex- but there it was, some possible predator stepping all over their territory.
“Ah, (Mr/Ms) Thief. I didn't know you'd be here as well,” Ain greeted with the ever-present smile. Turns out it was just the oblivious priest invading their space.
They didn't bother giving him another glance as he sunk most of his body into the water. It was impossible to comprehend why he didn't choose the other side of the bath; it was already tiny enough. An awkward silence followed, (y/n) blowing bubbles out of boredom while Ain closed his eyes as if to meditate. For the first time ever, he wore a peaceful expression in front of another living being.
“(Mr/Ms) Thief,” they groaned, “if you don't mind me asking, what is the point of those ‘hot springs’?” *bubbles stop*
(y/n) stared at him bewildered, but they didn't ask if he was joking; he never did anyway. They sighed and gathered all their intellect to answer the question as seriously as possible.
“Well, you see… hot springs… help you relax.”
“?”
“The water… you get in it… it feels good???”
“...I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”
“Aaaah, how can you not get it?? Just shut up and relax in the water!” flailing their arms around, they missed one crucial detail…
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, it seems your towel slid off a bit.” they covered themselves instantly as a blush quickly formed on their cheeks.
“You didn’t see anything.”
“...Alright.” he didn’t pursue the subject further, which (y/n) was very thankful for. After a short while of mildly awkward silence, they took it upon themselves to break the quiet atmosphere since it was getting unbearable.
“Anyway, why do you keep calling me (Mr/Ms) Thief?? It’s not gonna take long for me to feel insulted, y'know?”
“I don’t mean it as a derogatory term, of course. Yet, when we met, you tried to swipe all of our food during an expedition in Sander… I still don’t understand Elsword’s decision to take you in.”
“Wow. Just wow. I’m not talking to you anymore.”
“Did I say something out of line? If so, I apologize.” his unwavering smile diagnosed (y/n) with a severe case of pouting.
“Aren’t priests supposed to be more social? It’s like you came from another world!”
“...Is that so?”
“You don’t even know what hot springs are!! How can I possibly believe you’re human?!” his passive aggressive expression told (y/n) something they weren't supposed to know…
“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t make that face and change the subject.”
“That would be most wise, (Mr/Ms) Thief. If I were you I wouldn’t speak about a secret this important.”
“Wait wh- Holy- You’re not actually human??? That’s it, I’m not letting you drop this ‘till you tell me what you are.”
“I can’t understand how that would help you in any way.”
“It’s not about help here, it’s about what I want. So spill it or else I’m letting the whole gang know.”
“...!”
“I wonder what Elsword will have to say about our alien comrade…”
“Foolish human…” he mumbled inaudibly, quickly switching back to a smile to tell his story. “Alright, I’ll ‘spill it’, as you said. I was sent on a mission by Goddess Ishmael-”
“Hold on a minute, Goddess? And Ishmael as well?? Don’t tell me, or are you the El Lady too?!”
“...I feel as if you’re mocking me.”
“You’re delusional mate, there’s no way around it. Or is it a priest trick where you pretend to be God’s messenger to attract followers?”
“I truly have no words. I had no idea a mere human could cause such an offense. Convince me not to strike you down this instant for disrespecting the Goddess.” his booming voice was no match for (y/n)’s savage laughter.
“I’d like to see you try...! Come at me, pretty boy!” Ain deemed the situation not worthy to break his pendulum over and began chanting his gibberish in German. Before he could even get halfway done, (y/n) launched themselves onto him, making sure to pin Ain’s hands in place. They completely annihilated any chance he had of fighting back. After securing a dominant position, they delivered their lines.
“Here’s reason one: you’re just a pretty boy outside the battlefield, and second, would your Goddess like the idea of her messenger murdering a human? I think not.” they slowly loosened their tight grip on him as he pondered on their words. Shortly afterwards, Ain made his thoughts clear.
“I suppose I should thank you for reminding me. I lost sight of my mission and acted out of line, so I apologize.”
“...Hmm? I didn’t quite catch that.”
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, I said, you have disrespected the Goddess. An apology is in order, no?”
“Fine, fine. I am sorry for disrespecting the Goddess. There. I won’t do it again.”
“I will make sure to relay your message to the Goddess.”
After the very heated debate, silence took over. They were too tired to try anything else and just quietly accepted their predicament; being forced to share hot springs with the strange alien priest.
“Why is this a place of relaxation? It feels as if it’s an elaborate trap I’ve mistakenly stepped into,” he pondered.
“Because you’re doing it wrong, dummy.”
“Then how would the right way be?” Ain asked confused.
(y/n) didn’t respond. He waited, and waited… “You just shut up. That’s it.”
“Is that all I have to do?”
“Yes. That’s all there is to it.” making a surprised face, he processed her words. His features relaxing, Ain looked up into the night sky. It was quite late judging by all the stars visible, and he wondered what he was still doing there; resting was mandatory since heavy battles awaited them the next day, yet he was wasting time with a human nonetheless.
Light snoring interrupted his train of thought. He glanced at (y/n), only to find them in an apparently deep sleep. Ain let out a chuckle, but stopped himself midway in shock. It was too genuine for his liking, and he couldn’t comprehend why a simple gesture provoked such a reaction. Yet he felt tired as well and didn’t bother thinking about it anymore.
Ain decided to wake them up; it would be bothersome in battle if (y/n) caught a cold.
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, you should wake up.” No response. “(Mr/Ms) Thief?” they didn’t answer the next time either, so Ain was stuck on what to do. He settled for lightly shaking their shoulder, but he’d soon find out that wouldn’t be the wisest decision… once the tip of his fingers touched their bare skin, they suddenly got up, headbutting him in the process, somehow. He truly felt that and hissed in pain, while (y/n) was frantically looking around as if woken from a daze. They eyed the nearby floating towel and realized that Ain wasn’t wearing anything. Then they jumped to a conclusion.
“P E R V E R T !”
And Elesis kicked down the door.
“Whose butt do I have to kick?!”
~A thorough scolding and some misunderstandings later~
Everyone had gone to their rooms for the night, but (y/n) decided to hang around for a little while longer. The staff at the inn was more than glad to cater to all their needs and brought them a Lanox specialty; they grumpily slurped from the glass, but then thought it actually tasted pretty good. It was mostly water with a tint of exotic fruits, just like the sweet, sweet syrup they used to-
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, can I have a moment of your time?” (y/n) spat the drink, accidentally splashing their lower face with it. They glared at the cause of her misfortune.
“I was wondering if you could clarify something for me.” they grabbed their drink and started slurping loudly, while also avoiding eye contact as much as they could.
“I will take that as a yes, so I’m going to ask my question.” they spat their drink again.
“I tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter,” they sighed. “Have a seat,” they pointed to the other side of the table.
“Sir, would you like a drink as well?” asked the waitress who just snuck up on him out of nowhere. (y/n) got a little spooked, not even their skills were that godlike.
“Of course, if you don’t mind. What would you recommend?”
“The Lanox Nectar is the best we’ve got. I’ll bring one on the house for you, sir!”
“Thank you~.” (y/n) watched the very human exchange with widened eyes.
“Is something wrong, (Mr/Ms) Thief?”
“I’m the one who should be asking that.”
“?”
“Here’s your drink, sir!”
“Gah!” (y/n) couldn’t help but lose their composure at the sight of the sneaky waitress. Once again, the wannabe thief got bested by a staff member who was just doing her job. Then she vanished and no matter how hard (y/n) would squint, there wasn’t any trace left of the mysterious girl.
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, I’d like to ask something about the hot springs today.” he didn’t even touch his drink and already got down to business. ‘Ah shit, here we go again’ they thought. “More specifically, about the way you reacted at the end.” They remembered with a somber expression the event and the excuse he dared to give: ‘It was an accident’, he said, but they didn’t buy one bit of it. They wondered why they were still hanging out with that pervert.
“Why did you shout ‘pervert’?”
“Because you are one.”
“I don’t understand why I’m a pervert, so I was wondering if you could explain.” ‘This guy’s a lunatic’, thought (y/n), but humoured him nonetheless.
“Do you really not know? Do I really have to talk to you about this? What did I do to deserve such harassment?”
“Oh, am I questioning something inappropriate? If so, I apologize.”
“Yes, it’s highly inappropriate…” then a yellow light bulb appeared above their head. “But it can’t be helped, can it? I’ll just have to explain it to you so that you won’t do it again.”
“That would be most helpful, (Mr/Ms) Thief.”
“Now, now, disclaimer (...). Here I go:
When two people share a bath together under the full moon, an ancient ritual is unleashed. The only way to prevent it from happening is for the people to wear towels. When yours fell off, I was really worried! So that’s why I shouted for help.
...Also, I forgot to mention, but only chosen people can perform the ritual correctly, and I panicked because we aren’t chosen. Get it?”
“Interesting… I never knew such a thing existed. I can’t help but wonder, what are the consequences of a ritual performed incorrectly?”
“A big explosion, of course.”
“I see now… So you were just trying to help me. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I understand now what Ms. Knight meant about ‘some things are just forbidden’. She was talking about the ritual going wrong, no?
“Yep.”
“If you don’t mind me asking-” Before he could finish his sentence, they got up and spoke.
“It was really nice talking to you Ain, but it is really, really late so I would like to go to sleep. Good night!”
“Ah, you’re right. May we resume this discussion another time?”
“Of course, of course! Good night!!”
“Have a good night as well, (Mr/Ms) Thief.”
There were only so many brain cells a person could afford to lose.
~to the beds, onwards we go~
(y/n) stared blankly at the ceiling, endless minutes of shuffling around having just passed. They usually slept like a log, but something wasn’t right this time. A bad feeling lingered in the air, and no matter how much they tried to shrug it off it was still there.
Inevitably, they got up and groaned. It was their duty to check for possible intruders; or at least that’s what (y/n) told themselves. They reached out for the emergency pocket knife, only to find it was gone.
Then, anger took over. Nobody dared swipe their weapons like that, and if they did, they’d have to speak to the unholy pair of fists (y/n)’s got.
Silent footsteps right outside the room made their ears perk up. They prepared a fighting stance, ready to face the intruder head on. By literally headbutting them.
The door opened suddenly. (y/n) didn’t waste a single second and grabbed the other person’s shoulders, striking in full force. They were more than ready to pin them down-
“Ahh, (Mr/Ms) Thief… This is the second time today. I see you’re quite relentless when it comes to violence,” he rubbed his head in an attempt to alleviate the pain. “I may not be as weak as a human, but I still take damage.”
“Ain?! What are you doing in my room this late at night? And without knocking, no less???”
“Was I supposed to knock?”
“YES. What if you had walked in and found me naked or something…”
“But you said the ritual can only fail when two people share a bath together under the full moon. Did I hear it wrong?”
“Ugh… Just stop talking.”
“Either way, I didn’t come here for nothing. I sensed… demons.” his expression darkening as he spoke.
“Ooh, that makes sense! Hey, hey…” she approached him and whispered quietly, “Do you think those demons you’re talking about snuck into my room and stole my weapons?”
“There is no doubt in my mind. Such filth....” his eyes spelled ‘anger’ and his mouth shouted ‘murder’. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, there was someone else who thought the same.
“Then let’s go give them a piece of my fists.”
~one sneaking montage later~
“Do you think this is their room?” spoke (y/n), their eyes glittering in excitement.
“I’m not certain.”
“Then we’re about to find out.”
“About to find out what?” they jumped into a clumsy stance, startled by Ciel’s sudden interruption. Ain just glared and mumbled inaudible insults.
“You’re making quite the ruckus in the middle of the night. Did you need something from Lu and I?” just then, (y/n) noticed Ciel was carrying a tray full of freshly baked cookies.
“Ooooh, can I have some?” Ain glared at them repulsed.
“How can you talk so casually to this… to this-!”
“Pretty please? Just ignore him, by the way, he’s stupid.”
“!”
“I made them for Lu, so…” staring into their puppy eyes, he sighed. “Alright, you can have one. But only one.”
“Thank youuuuu!” they squealed in delight while grabbing a cookie. “...You didn’t hear anything.”
“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” he chuckled.
(y/n) very rarely got to eat sweets, so holding one in their own two hands they couldn’t help but study every inch of it. Drooling at the chocolate chip, their eyes turned into glittering stars. Ciel smiled at the sight; but just as they were about to take a bite…
Ain slapped it out of their hand.
The other two gasped, but (y/n) didn’t hesitate to kneel on the floor and stuff it into their mouth. The guys watched in shock, while their taste buds were assaulted by heavenly flavors.
After an uncomfortable silence accompanied only by chewing noises, (y/n) got up and faced Ciel, her tone turning dopey.
“Thank you! I love you! Welcome to the team!”
“Thanks…?” Ciel was stuck between feeling flattered or repulsed by what he just witnessed.
“Sorry for suspecting you of stealing my weapons! I didn’t know you made such good cookies… heheh…”
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, that’s no way to behave around a demon. Cease at once.”
“Shut ep, grumpy face. I know just what you need… you need a cookie.”
“...What?”
“Cieeeeeel, can I get a cookie for Ain too?”
“Um, sure?” Ciel was still in shock and couldn’t think too much. The thief snickered evilly.
“Eat the cookie, Ain.”
“Preposterous.
“I’m gonna force you to eat it.”
“Stay away from me.” he glared at the cookie revolted, hoping that it would disappear. Instead, (y/n) extended their hand.
“Say aah~” before he could slap the cookie away, they attempted to kick him as hard as possible. Unfortunately, the attack was too heavy and they fell on their butt immediately afterwards. “Oof!”
Ain kneeled before them to check if they were unharmed.
“heheh… *hic*”
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, are you alright?” he could only watch as their smile got bigger and their movements dizzier. Ain had no clue about what could've possibly happened, since he'd never witnessed such strange behaviour before. ‘Is this a human function I was not aware of…?’ he thought.
“Did she drink something this evening?” Ciel inquired, but Ain leered.
“I didn't give you permission to speak to me like that, demon.”
“I'm not too happy about that either, but (y/n) doesn't seem well. Do you want to help them or not?”
If it had been any other person, Ain would have refused without even thinking about it; yet looking more attentively at (y/n)’s dopey face, something just wouldn't let him leave them like that.
“...I'll let it slide just this once.” all the softness drained from his face, he glared disgusted at Ciel. His hatred ran deep, despite the situation at hand.
“We should carry them to their room.” spoke Ciel while putting the tray full of cookies in front of his door. The instant he stepped towards the pair, Ain wrapped his arms around their shoulders as to shield them while aggressively staring Ciel down.
“...Or maybe you should carry them.” he backed away in realization.
“Ooh, are we hugging? Do you like me?” Ain forgot that the thing he held close was actually sentient. With a click of his tongue, he avoided their hopeful gaze, which brought upon a great disaster to the land of Elrios.
Incoherent bawling echoed loudly through the whole inn. Tears spilled like waterfalls from (y/n)’s eyes who was rubbing at them like a little child. Ain’s hands froze in mid air; it felt as if he'd just set off a bomb and he was really confused as to why. They kept going, Ciel starting to threaten the priest with his menacing gaze.
Wishing for (y/n) to be quiet already, he put a hand over their mouth, the noises now muffled. Slowly, the whining subsided and Ain almost sighed in relief before a pang of pain shot through his palm.
It was getting more and more painful, and only then did he realize that (y/n)’s teeth were sinking into his skin.
“Oh, you little f-”
“Ciel, what's with all this ruckus in the middle of the night? Where are my cookies?” Lu spoke after opening the door, a most peculiar sight entering her vision. “What have I just walked into…? Ciel, answer me this instant!”
Chuckling nervously, he replied “I'm not too sure either, Lu…”
Ain, with his hand still in (y/n)’s mouth, spat angrily “You filthy creature dare show yourself before me? Know your place and begone.”
“Huhu, how ironic of you to say that while kneeling on the ground, bested by a human!” Lu smirked, gaining the upper hand. Ain reacted by yanking his arm away from (y/n)’s grasp, making them whine and flop on their face.
Ain got up and dusted himself off: “I have business to attend to. Don’t get in my way, demon.” he snarled, to which (y/n) gasped.
“Demon? Did you just say demon?!” they spoke excitedly. “The demons took my weapons!” shouting, they then slapped themselves so hard the sound of it echoed through the whole inn. The other three watched in shock, each with a face more hilarious than the last.
Charging up their inner energy, (y/n) let out a long fierce battlecry. “You!” they pointed to Lu, “You stole my weapons!”
“What a bold accusation! I, Luciela R. Sourcream, steal a commoner’s belongings? How ridiculous. Ciel, put them in their place!”
“Lu, I think we should give them a chance to explain first.”
“...I’ll listen to you just because you baked my cookies on time.”
“They’re really good, by the way,” (y/n) spoke without thinking, making a grave mistake. The bomb was set off.
“CIEL!! How could you defile my cookies so?! I TRUSTED YOU!” whined Lu dramatically, stomping the floor with her small feet. He hurried towards her to calm the storm. While Ciel was distracted, Ain grabbed (y/n)’s hand and whispered into their ear:
“Let’s make haste.” before (y/n) could complain, Ain took them swiftly to the lobby.
They stared at him confused and more than ready to complain about the situation, yet Ain silenced (y/n) by putting a finger over their lips.
“We’ve successfully escaped the demons,” he smiled. “Now we can focus on figuring out your strange condition.”
“There’s nothing to figure out…” they grabbed his hand and moved it away from their face. “Anyway, it was that drink’s fault! It tasted weird,” spoke (y/n), quite proud of themselves.
“I see… Do you have any ideas where we could start?” Ain inquired with his eyebrows raised.
“Hmmm… I feel like I’m missing something…” they rubbed their chin as if a beard was there,” OH! I know! That girl who served our drinks! The blondie with the ponytail, remember?!”
“There was someone like that? I didn’t even notice.”
(y/n) opened their mouth to remind him of the event, but a gut feeling told them it would be futile to do so. ‘There is also another matter to take care of’, they thought.
“That girl stole my weapons! And drugged me! That’s it, I’m gonna go look for her. She better pray for her life.”
“Ah, an occasion to spread the word of Ishmael. How wonderful,” he beamed.
“Ain, no, you stay right here ‘till I’m done. It was a figure of speech anyway…”
“?” visibly confused, he prepared to ask what (y/n) meant by that, only to notice them stomping towards the counter.
“I would like to speak to the manager.” with a booming voice, they slammed their hand on the wooden surface to attract attention. Staring the girl into the eye, they noticed her blonde hair, tied into a ponytail.
“IT’S YOU!” they pointed,”You’re the one who drugged my drink!” The girl looked right, then left. Finally, she stated in a deadpan tone, “Ah, shit.”
In less than a second, she was gone from (y/n)’s sight and sprinting towards the employees’ back door.
“Excuse me?! I’m not done with you, you little wh*re, I’M TELLING THE MANAGER AND YOU’LL GET FIRED AND YOU’LL HAVE NIGHTMARES FOREVER OF THE DAY I RUINED YOUR LIFE-” shouting more nonsense, they tried jumping over the counter to chase her but a certain priest stopped her just in time.
“That’s not an appropriate way to behave, (Mr/Ms) Thief.”
“And that’s not an appropriate way to tell me my ways are not appropriate.”
“You’re quite childish, aren’t you?” he chuckled. All of (y/n)’s defenses cracked because of that one simple gesture, and steam started coming out of their ears. Taking a deep breath, they tried to calm the burning chaos inside of them and smirked.
“I’m going to Ciel now.”
“May I ask about the reason?” he furrowed his brow.
“Nay, thee shan’t.”
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, surely, you wouldn’t actually stand near filth such as that?”
“What can I say? He’s much more pleasant company than you; trust me, I know.”
“Unbelievable…” he looked visibly offended now, ready to strike someone down in less than a second. “I apologize, but I won’t tolerate this sort of behaviour, thief.” Ain spat their nickname like he’d spit one of Ciel’s cookies, making them gasp dramatically.
“That’s it, I’m murdering you. Better pray to Ishmael while you still can.” (y/n) spat back, preparing their fists.
“After I teach you a lesson, I think it would be most enjoyable to have you pray alongside me.”
“Did you just say enjoyable? Did you just say enjoyable?! I will completely mop the filth out of this floor with your moppy hair!”
“I find it hard to believe that you would stoop to words this lowly, thief. Be warned, I will not go easy on you this time.”
“If only I had my weapons… You’d be crying on the floor right now.”
“I highly doubt it.”
“Look, I’ve made lots of people cry before, what makes you think you won’t be one of them?!”
“I have plenty of reasons. It is truly regrettable that I even considered having a tiny speck of respect for you… Not only do you fraternize with the demons, but you also act like a degenerate human being.”
“Tiny? Tiny?! You want me to mourn for a tiny speck?!”
“It matters little to me whether you mourn or not.”
“Wh- It was supposed to be an exaggeration, you massive idiot! Why do you have to take everything so seriously, it triggers me deeply on a personal level!!”
“Any last words, thief?”
“Yes. Feel my wrath!” they lunged, while Ain was prepared to break his pendulum.
“You know Ciel, this is really entertaining. I don’t regret having my cookies stolen in the middle of the night, just because I got to see this!” (y/n) got a glimpse of Lu and Ciel watching their fight, before their fist finally collided with Ain’s chest in a very underwhelming manner. Then, as a balloon without air, they deflated, landing unceremoniously on the floor.
Ain looked at the scene with a confused smile, wondering why (y/n) started giggling out of nowhere with their face in the ground. Did they have a plan? Was it just another strange human ritual?
“I can’t watch this anymore…” Ciel sighed and tried to approach (y/n), yet a tiny hand stopped him midway.
“How dare you offer help to those people? The cookie thief and the hateful priest?! Ciel, I thought highly of you, but it seems it was wrong of me to do so…”
He gasped dramatically and retaliated in less than a second. “I apologize, Lu! I will go bake another batch of cookies just for you and leave those two to their own devices.”
“Chocolate chip cookies, don’t forget.”
“Yes! I will certainly leave those two to take care of themselves and definitely not check on the situation later!”
“Good job! I surely do not regret choosing you as my butler, Ciel~,” beamed Lu, walking away with Ciel in tow.
“...Ah.” Only then did Ain realize that the odd acting human was in his care. ‘What is there to do now?’ he thought, for (y/n) had started to munch on the carpet. Then, he remembered humans didn't usually eat carpets.
“Thief, cease this disgraceful behaviour at once.” After he spoke, a pair of curious eyes settled on his magnificent coat. (y/n) could only imagine the deliciousness of such a minty looking beverage and leaped towards it in an attempt to get a taste. He noticed before they even thought about it and intercepted their attack with a quick slap on the forehead.
(y/n) responded by hugging the floor and sobbing into it, to which Ain didn't bother reacting to anymore. His face spelled ‘I'm done’ yet the thief kept on crying the same sentence: “I'm hungryyyy…”
Ain gazed upon their snot filled visage, a repulsive sight which was supposed to engulf his entire being with disgust. Yet, despite all of his alarms having set off, he kneeled before (y/n). He recalled a similar sight which had only taken place recently; Elsword felt defeated when In and Jin escaped, but his sadness was gone as quickly as it came since Ms. Knight had ruffled his hair and offered words of encouragement. ‘Is that what’s missing?’ he thought, his gloveless hand finding its way onto their head as if to comfort.
Almost gone by unnoticed, their sobbing had gotten quieter. The more Ain would pat their head, the less they'd cry, and so he thanked Ishmael for this newfound wisdom.
“...Let's get you to your room,” he mumbled, grabbing (y/n) and pulling them over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Without a sound, Ain traveled through the whole inn twice, probably even three times before he remembered where (y/n)’s room was; after all, it was by sensing their energy he stumbled across it the first time.
Ain laid their body on the bed as roughly as he picked them up, but he received no reaction. Instead, (y/n)’s sobbing had turned to silent tears as they covered their face with their palms.
‘A pitiful sight’, he thought; yet he could not stand still and watch since a strange feeling had wormed its way in. Then, the priest decided it'd be a good idea to repeat what he had done earlier and pat their head.
(y/n) on the other hand, couldn't even tell whether they were hungry or in complete despair for no reason in particular; but what they did know was someone's gentle hand comforting them and a gentle voice whispering ‘sleep well’. They did not know if it was actually real or not as they dozed off into a state of nothingness.
~darkness~
The bed was an incredibly soft surface and (y/n) wouldn't have gotten out of it if it hadn't been for the hot springs. It was finally time to relax and forget about all the worries that had plagued their mind for weeks.
On their way to the place in question, they grabbed a jerky and gulped it down in a second. ‘It's a lot tastier than usual’, they thought.
(y/n) sighed relieved. Fixing up their towel to make sure it wouldn’t fall, they opened the sliding door.
What a wondrous occasion for them to be able to finally savour the joy of hot springs! It had been a really long time since they'd been to one.
“Come in, (Mr/Ms) Thief. I’ve been waiting for you,” Ain had gotten there before them, but they didn’t mind too much and stepped into the water. They were really tired, and once they sunk their body into the hot springs their entire being relaxed.
“Would you mind if I gave you a massage?” (y/n) shook their head.
“Come here,” they approached him and he then tended to their sore back.
“You’re really good at this… I should ask you to do it more.”
“I’m glad to be of assistance.” a brief moment of silence followed as his firm hands ran over their bare skin. They felt themselves getting quite hot.
“...Do you hate me, Ain?”
“Why would I hate you?”
“I dunno…” their posture slouched.
“Just so you know, I don’t hate you. You don’t have to be sad.” his fingers moved onto (y/n)'s shoulders, their back straightening once again.
“I was a bit mean to you…”
“But I couldn’t hate you for that.”
“Maybe more than just a bit…”
“You’re still dear to me, (y/n).” they suddenly turned their head to face him, barely believing what they just heard.
“...Really?”
“Really.” he tucked a strand of hair behind their ear, staring at them lovingly. They didn’t know how to react.
“...I’m sorry for trying to hit you..”
“It’s alright. I forgive you.”
“I’m sorry for calling your hair moppy.”
“It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry for disrespecting the Goddess…”
“It can be easily solved.” they frowned. He gently caressed their head as he pulled them into a hug.
“...You’re really hot.”
“I’m flattered.”
“No, I’m… nevermind.” they gave into his touch and closed their eyes.
“You can sleep if you’d like. I’ll take care of you.”
“...You’re different.”
“I could say the same about you.”
Enveloped in warmth, they didn’t bother giving another argument.
“Look at me.” he raised their chin, gazing into their sleepy eyes.
“...Why though?”
“I just wanted to see you from up close. That’s all.”
“I should consider that creepy, but I’m too tired to care…” he chuckled, admiring their face even more. “What about the massage?” they asked innocently.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I got distracted.” his hands returned to their shoulders, making them even sleepier than before.
(y/n) looked up into the night sky. It was quite late judging by all the stars visible, and they wondered what they were still doing there; resting was mandatory since plenty of delicacies awaited them the next day, yet they were killing time with this pervert nonetheless.
Fluffy gray hair tickling their neck interrupted that train of thought. Not long after, a pair of arms wrapped around their torso, the towel seemingly gone.
“You will make a fine trophy to my wife collection.” he smiled wickedly, and (y/n) remembered: he was still a priest.
~darkness ends~
They woke up in a cold sweat, questioning reality with a distressed frown. Events of yesterday mingled with their dream, instilling uncertainty in what they were currently seeing.
“You're awake. How are you feeling?” inquired the man seated at their bedside. Upon closer inspection, they noticed his dark blue hair and identified him as Ciel; yet, (y/n) couldn't shake off the feeling that they were expecting someone else.
“I feel… fine, surprisingly. What happened yesterday?”
“You don't remember…?” he asked confused and (y/n) scratched the back of their neck. “Well, you weren't in your right mind, to say the least,” a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but (y/n) didn't notice. If they had, they'd have punched it right off.
“Either way, I made you some breakfast,” he offered them a plate. “Don't tell Lu.” Ciel added a little more serious than usual.
(y/n) studied their dish; it was smaller in quantity than what they were used to, and so it made up in craftsmanship. Not only was the pancake softer than anything they'd ever touched, but it also had a smiley face drawn in chocolate topping, together with a small ‘get well soon’ next to it.
(y/n) had never seen such effort put into breakfast before and couldn't contain the little blush that covered their cheeks. Ciel smiled at the sight.
Yet, despite the good start they'd gotten, (y/n) couldn't take their mind off the dream they just had. Who was it that they dreamed of? The thief could only feel disturbed and slightly horny, but the reason remains unknown.
The person in their dream had a name; what was it? It stood on the tip of their tongue…
“Ciel, wasn't there another guy with us?”
“There was? I'm fairly sure I found you alone.”
“Never mind… I probably just dreamed it all.” slouched (y/n). They could not tell why that person they forgot was so important to them and it frustrated them endlessly.
“Which parts do you remember from last night?” spoke Ciel, attempting to make conversation. (y/n) pondered on the question and didn't answer too quickly.
“...I was drinking what seemed like normal juice, but then I realized the sweet syrup in it was supposed to mask the taste of a drug. Something distracted me from that, but I just… can't remember what.”
“Drug?! Do you know who did this to you?”
“Yeah. It was the blond ponytail girl at the counter who I went to question with… with….?”
“With who?”
“I don't know. I don't remember,” they replied sheepishly to which Ciel sighed.
“I think I know what girl you're talking about. She also tried to break into my and Lu’s room, but not without good reason. We caught her a while after I found you unconscious; the whole El gang suspects she might be working with the demons.” (y/n) nodded in understanding, although they spaced out in the middle because the explanation was getting too long.
“We'll be waiting for you downstairs. Until then, eat your breakfast and take your time.” before leaving, Ciel ruffled their hair and (y/n) stopped responding.
At that point, they truly felt that something was missing and it wasn't just their memories of last night. Something like… something that would barge into their room and complain about getting along with a demon, even though Ciel was only half demon. Something that would throw the pancakes on the floor without an ounce of hesitation.
“(Mr/Ms) Thief, would you like to explain what that is in your lap?” and there he goes again, coming in uninvited with a glare that could kill.
(y/n)’s dream came back to them in an instant and they didn't know whether to hug themselves in embarrassment or run for their life. They couldn't even utter his name because of the overwhelming emotions that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere. Yet what they said was this:
“You don't have a wife collection, do you?”
“??? Are you trying to distract me from the devil’s food? Give me one reason why I shouldn't obliterate it right this instant,” Ain spat.
‘As grumpy as ever’, (y/n) thought and laughed out loud, a little relieved that their dream was far from reality. On the other hand, the priest was livid from that reaction.
“What did you just say about me, you puny human? I'll have you know I am Ishmael’s most trusted agent. No matter where you may hide I will find you and wipe you out in the name of the Goddess with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this land, mark my words. Laugh, human, I'll serve the divine retribution you are owed nonetheless and you shall perish by my wrath.”
(y/n) did their best to abstain from laughing even louder, but it was to no avail; the gates had already been flooded, a swarm of pure joy took over their mouth and even stomach, for the endless laughter had made it hurt.
"Wow, and here I was, actually disturbed by you for some weird reason-" wiping off an imaginary tear they squeaked out, hiding their relief. Ain was not amused.
"I will not tolerate-"
"Nom." (y/n) nommed a quarter of a pancake, interrupting his incoming speech. Ain's aura had turned menacing as he approached the hungry thief's bed.
"Oh, do you want one too?" (y/n) munched; Ain froze.
"Preposterous."
"Dont lie, you know you want it."
"Such audacity. Take that poison away from my sight. Now."
(y/n) smirked and nommed another pancake. "Om nom, very yum. Me like."
Ain looked mortified as they ate pancakes one by one, until only half a piece remained. It was doused in chocolate to the point of feeling like a wet towel when touched; just the way (y/n) loved it.
"Are you suuuure you don't want any?" No answer.
He thought a little more; weren’t they in such a predicament because of him? His incompetence led to (y/n) laying in that bed after a shaky night they had no choice over. It was his fault only, for not noticing the subtle details and letting a vital member get almost injured from sheer stupidity from his part. Ishmael would believe that he had to atone.
Defeated and upset with himself, Ain shut his eyes and whispered, "Just one bite…"
(y/n) beamed at the response and gladly gave him the bite he asked for. At first he looked like he'd spit it out the instant he put the pancake in his mouth, but his face didn't lie as his features slowly relaxed. He hummed in delight.
And when things seemed to be going well, the dream came to their mind again, along with an idea.
"Hey Ain, you're really hot."
Perplexed, he spoke: "I'm not. My coat may seem warm, but was that supposed to be a question?"
"I didn't mean it that way."
"Then what way did you mean it in?"
(y/n) giggled.
~
Elesis: “You’re finally here! What took you so long?”
Ara: “Um, m-maybe it’s not very appropriate to ask that..?”
Aisha: “I don’t buy it one bit. (y/n)’s not smart enough to handle a guy like Ain.”
(y/n): “Oi, wanna fight?”
Rena: “Ahem.” the whole El gang’s attention was on her. “We have more important things to deal with, don’t we?” Everyone looked at the suspect; she seemed regretful.
Raven: “You should explain yourself now, while you have the chance.”
Add: “Can’t you see she clearly doesn't want to speak? We should just end her here and now.”
Eve: “Any allies of the enemy should be exterminated.”
Add: “See, even Eve agrees with me…! Kuku..”
Elsword: “Now that everyone’s here, tell us: why did you make a deal with the demons?”
Lu: “And to bring me down, no less. To bring me, Luciela R. Sourcream, down…!”
???: “What could I have possibly done…?” For a brief second, her and (y/n)’s eyes met.
Ain: “(y/n) and I can prove that Emily concealed vital information. When confronted about the drugged drinks, she avoided answering and ran away.”
Emily: “tsk..”
(y/n): “Why’d you do it though? Other than peace, don’t you have everything you need?”
Emily: “You know, maybe if you didn’t have your heads so far up your asses, you’d be aware. What kind of heroes are you guys if everyone's starving to death even when working their hardest?! Why should we care if demons invade us when even in this so called peaceful world we have nothing anyway!”
(y/n): “...Girl, have you looked at yourself?”
Emily: “...?”
(y/n): “Those mad skills of yours… they got me wondering if I was working in the wrong field. If you can even call what I’m doing ‘working’. You can move in the shadows better than I can, and I’ve been doing this for years! I’m surprised you’re not a demon by how fast you were moving.”
Emily: “...What are you on about?”
(y/n): “There’s a great future ahead of you, yes, you’re destined for greatness! You can get into places I’ve never been able to, you can swipe treasures I never even knew existed… Greatness, I say!”
Emily: “So you’re saying…”
(y/n): “Eat the rich, Emily. Eat the rich and sleep on their skins.”
Chung: “Ahahah, I don’t think that’s the lesson she had to learn…”
Aisha: “That’s a little ironic, coming from royalty…”
Ciel: “Now, now, whether or not we’ve learned anything, why don’t we eat this celebratory cake I’ve baked just for this occasion?”
Elesis: “Wow, what a convenient cake! I’m all for it!”
Lu: “Huhu, my butler never disappoints, as expected.”
Ain: “But doesn’t it seem like someone took a huge bite out of it?”
Elsword: “No way… (y/n), you betrayed us?!”
With a fistful of cake, (y/n): “I’d rather betray the world than let the world betray me!” then laughed proudly.
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A Chevalier’s Promise - Chapter 3
Ainchase Ishmael x Ciel (Bluhen/Chevalier)
AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23959063
Fanfiction Summary: To the outside world of Elrios, the Steel Queen and the newly appointed Grand Duke Ishmael have announced their engagement. Many speculate it was love at first sight; in reality, they have merely forged a political alliance to stabilize their respective reigns. Ciel, aside from his typical obligations as Her Majesty’s knight, must ensure things go smoothly with the alliance. Yet upon meeting a peculiar fellow, he soon realizes the troubles surrounding the Grand Duke are more than they appear.
The countryside strolled past them as the horses walked along the old path. The last time Ciel saw a normal tree was years ago. The vegetation in the Demon Realm delved into shades of blue, purple, but never green. Alas, the atmosphere inside the carriage was less than desirable. Sir Bluhen sat across from Ciel. Meanwhile, Lu and the Grand Duke shared the carriage in front of theirs.
“Have I caught your eye?” Sir Bluhen smirked as he continued to gaze out from the small window.
“Why did you insist on this arrangement?”
“I think you’re quite special,” Sir Bluhen said.
“What do you mean?”
“I like you. A lot.” He turned to face Ciel and crossed his legs. “By the way, please call me Ainchase from now on. Ain is also fine.”
“...A fake name?”
“Bluhen is an alias.” Sir Ain chuckled. “I also don’t need even more strange looks from the priestesses.
“I see.”
“You’ve heard about the assassins from Richter, right? That’s where you come in. Your qualifications are quite good.”
“There must be a reason for not using one of your people to-“
“With the... enemy around, we have to resort to our own methods.”
Ciel raised an eyebrow. Sir Ainchase leaned back, smiling at Ciel’s expression.
“Regardless, we’ll be seeing each other more often.”
Ciel sighed before returning his attention to the outside.
***
In the textbooks, the capital city was drawn as a solemn figure, standing like a picturesque relic of history. As they neared the entrance, the landscape warped and proved those textbooks were incorrect. The supposed white walls, tall buildings, and a single tower were nowhere in sight. Instead, a strangeness encroached; part of the brilliant blue sky turned into something akin to peeling paint. Beneath such was a mixture of purple and black. The wrongness was neither a darkness, nor something Ciel saw from the Demon Realm.
“So you see it,” Sir Ainchase said. “That is the result of the enemy’s movements.”
“Surely you must have a good explanation.”
“Reality, space itself really, has been changed into a troublesome obstacle. Perhaps corrupted is a better word.”
“Then how will we pass through? Will we need to eventually fight this corruption?”
Sir Ainchase shook his head. “Hopefully, we can avoid such a situation. As for the former, just watch.”
Both carriages were brought to a halt; Ciel looked out the window. They were at the edge of a barrier made from distorted space. He heard of it before in the reports, but the spies still managed to infiltrate and gather intel. One of them even mapped out the possible entrances. Their current location, however, was not one of those supposed areas. The Grand Duke left his carriage and approached the barrier. Stopping before it, he raised his hand. A white, glass-like sword began to form. The sword’s elegance and distinct shape was unlike any blade Ciel had seen with his own eyes. With the blade, the Grand Duke cleaved the barrier. It cut through the warped space and created a passageway. The weapon dissipated, and he returned to his carriage.
“It’s a shame he has to do that every time,” Sir Ainchase commented.
Once the second carriage passed through, the space bended to seal the hole.
In the growing silence, Ciel recalled a previous conversation with Lu. It was one of their many discussions of how Grand Duke Richter was able to take control of the duchy. They had heard he owned a particular weapon: Fünft · Glänzendes Schwert, the Shining Fifth Sword. Its original wielder was a minor god who directly served Goddess Ishmael. To their dismay, the records only mentioned this minor god as the Divine Executor.
“Divine right certainly persuades a lot of people,” Lu had mused, setting aside her teacup. “Hence why Timoria’s backing from Angra Mainyu was used as a reason against my claim to the throne.”
Ciel skimmed the excerpt written on the document again. “‘I am the Judge who stands in the full light of Ishmael’s providence. To impose the Goddess’s will is my duty. Come forth, Fünft · Glänzendes Schwert,’” he read aloud.
Lu giggled. “How dramatic. Yet supposing such a thing does exist, I wonder how it shall do against our Sefirot Phantasma.”
“I shudder at the amount of cleanup I would have to do,” he had muttered.
Now, the two men regrouped with the Grand Duke and Lu. She flapped her wings and began to float off the ground.
“Is that how you will greet the priestesses?”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear anything, Grand Duke.”
Ciel swallowed his exasperation. “Your Majesty, please return to His Grace’s side. I doubt a lover’s quarrel will get us anywhere.”
She realized what he meant, scowled, then landed next to the Grand Duke. Lu held out her hand to him.
“Dear, may I ask you to be my escort for today?”
“I understand.” He took her hand in his own.
Sir Ainchase cleared his throat. “You two deal with the priestesses. Sir Ciel and I have our own date to do.”
He dragged Ciel in another direction, waving goodbye to the Grand Duke and Lu. Before Ciel could ask anything, Sir Ainchase began to explain the history of the duchy and various buildings. He pointed out services such as the alchemist, the blacksmith, an accessory shop. Ciel was thankful Sir Ainchase let go of his arm while they strolled. The marble statues, the canals, the gilded accents on the architecture were intricate. It had its charm, but Ciel preferred the Demon Realm or Lanox. The latter was a faded memory from his childhood, but he could never forget the smell of smoke or the crackling fires from the forges. He, Abysser, and Anular planned to visit that place again but never could set aside the time.
“...Sir Ciel?”
Ciel blinked, seeing Sir Ainchase’s perplexed look. “My apologies. What were you saying?”
“Would you like to see the Giant El?”
They had stopped at the entrance of the El Tower. The spies’ report mentioned a giant rock housed in the interior of this facility. Ciel scanned his surroundings. There was a lack of knights and servants even.
“For something so important, should you not have more personnel?”
“Unfortunately, I am the personnel. Don’t worry, the priestesses also have a duty of guarding the Giant El if I’m away.”
As they entered, a hooded figure was there to greet them. Dressed in golden and aquamarine garments, she bowed before Sir Ainchase.
“Welcome back.” Her voice was gentle like a flowing spring.
“Is everything going well, Lady Sasha?”
She nodded. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Who is this?”
Ciel bowed. “My name is Ciel, servant to Queen Luciela R. Sourcream.”
Sasha frowned when he said Lu’s name.
“Her Majesty is with Richter right now. Why don’t you meet them since I’m here now?” Sir Ainchase winked.
“All right. Please, excuse me.” She rushed off before casting another look at Ciel.
“Does she not like Demons?”
“I don’t know. Now then, this way.”
Ciel followed him, and several corridors later, they arrived in a single room. In the center was the Giant El. The crystal sat upon a floating pedestal-like object, surrounded by winged statues. A teal-whitish glow emanated from the Giant El; the color was similar to the Grand Duke’s hair.
Sir Ainchase gazed at the El. “I’m still in disbelief that Richter and I are still here.”
“How so?”
“Restoring the Giant El should have killed us. But as you can see, we’re still here.”
“If you do not mind me asking then, who or what saved you?”
“The Holy Creator, Elria. In exchange, I am his servant now.” Sir Ainchase shrugged. “Richter can enforce the Goddess’s will in my stead.” He turned his attention back to the El; the smile on his face did not quite reach his eyes. The beginning of a palpable solemness emerged from his shadow.
“I see. Your gods are quite different from those in the Demon Realm.”
“...Let’s talk about your actual duties here. Formally speaking, you are Richter’s bodyguard. So when needed, you’ll be by his side. No different than protecting Her Majesty.” He paused. “Otherwise, you’ll act as an assistant to his advisor. His advisor, of course, being me.”
“I suppose we can figure out a schedule.”
“Right. So, our first mission. Since there’s only me, Richter, and the priestesses, we’re limited in terms of who can go where, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I’m quite concerned about the… lack of servants and guards.”
Sir Ainchase waved his hand in a dismissive fashion. “We don’t need more of them. What we need are the El Masters, the humans who should be actually guarding the Giant El.”
“I don’t think I can be of much help in training El Masters.”
“Oh, no, no, no. We’re going to be finding the El Masters.”
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