The Prince of Demons

Helga was sitting happily on Nautilus's lap while I was sprawled out on the ground, panting to try and recover. Why? All my attempts in sparring Nautilus were just getting thrashed; I knew I needed easily five more years before I stood a chance at inconveniencing her which was unfortunate. Literal hours of training and exercise and Nautilus wasn't even winded. I would've settled for minorly labored breathing at this point. Nautilus was nuzzling Helga joyfully while hugging her, seeming over the moon at the moment. It's fine when they do it, but unfortunately neither of them are ones for fair. My body was screaming still as I recovered; the downside of healing <Magic> was the pain still lingered regardless of how skilled you were. Nil appeared with <Warp>, holding fries and something I didn't recognize.

"Are you done training for the day?" Nil checked as he eyed his admiral and caretaker acting like a couple.

"Yes." I panted, wondering what food Nil was holding as I sat up.

"We are on our own for dinner as my uncles and grandparents are using the dining hall." Nil informed me. Fair enough; I think Nil made more food from Earth for me!

"Okay, so what are you holding?" I inquired as I looked at the sandwich like food he was holding.

"Burgers." Nil answered as Nautilus and Helga looked curiously at him. He smiled because he knew the answer barely clarified anything. That's definitely a food from Earth!

"Can we relax in our tearoom?" I requested before Nil instantly brought us there.

"Of course, world." Nil chimed as he set our plates on the table. Flirty dork, but this is the pick me up I needed.

"What are burgers?" I probed, wondering what this sandwich thing in front of me was.

'Dinner." Nil told me; he had such a shiza eating grin going while I gave him an unamused stare.

"Nil, I just spent the last several hours getting my gip beat by Nautilus. Please tease me on something else." I explained to him.

"Ground meat shaped into a patty, seasoned on each side, and cooked on a grill topped with cheese, an artisanal amat sauce, and pickled rubuni." Nil explained, smiling like when he was being facetious.

"Why do you have that smile going on?" I checked. Nil looked at me confused, seeming caught off guard by my question. So, it is some stupid joke only he would probably find funny.

"What smile?" Nil probed with obvious confusion.

"What joke were you making? You had the cheeky joking smile going." I clarified for him.

"Oh, the artisanal amat sauce." Nil stated with the smile instantly returning. Nil was painfully dense at times. If it's not <Magic>, he does not overly elaborate.

"Nil, I love you, but you are being extra dense at the moment." I told him. Nil mulled it over for a second, shrugged, and then began gremlin eating his burger.

"I have no idea how to concisely explain it." Nil confessed as he made a face similar to the one I saw when past him ate fast food.

"Try me, I can use the distraction." I requested of him, debating if I wanted to eat the burger similar to Nil or with a fork and knife.

"Back on Earth, there was a condiment called ketchup, but ketchup was considered low class and not suitable for 'more refined palettes' at nice restaurants, so they would call it artisanal tomato sauce when it was just fancy ketchup." Nil explained before resuming his unrefined eating as I chuckled.

"Eat with more refinement, Nil." I ordered him. Nil sighed before eating nicer than before.

"But it is hand food meant to be enjoyed how you want." Nil grumbled. I smiled at him.

"And if you eat like a Crown Prince, I'll lay into you the way you like." I offered, picking up the burger with my hands.

"Someone is using their hands." Nil teased me. I took a tentative bite, surprised at how good it tasted. This is unique, but delicious.

"Yes, and someone was shoveling the food into their mouth with the relish of a starved animal finding food after a week of famine." I shot back. Nil's eyes shot to me.

"That is hurtful." Nil quipped, acting offended as he ate some fries.

"You did an excellent job making these." I complimented him with smile.

"I explained the idea to the chef, and he made the meals for me." Nil confessed with a shrug.

I ate slower than Nil, who ate with more refinement after my offer. The burger and fries tasted pretty good overall, but definitely less healthy than the normal meals at the castle. Nil looked happy while humming a joyful tune as he ate. Nil finished his dinner before sitting down while looking at me with his begging face as he clearly wanted me to be done eating. I smiled, seeing Nil shifting back and forth with so much enthusiasm it was making me smile. He's so simple-minded sometimes, but I do enjoy it. I ate a little slower to tease Nil, who only began shifting more because he noticed I was slowly finishing my meal; Nil had such massive pouting eyes while I ate slower and slower. It was fun teasing him because Nil kept shifting, making funny noises in annoyance but not voicing it because he was trying not to let his displeasure show. But it's so obvious Nil when you make such incoherent whines. I could feel myself smiling more.

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"Why are you doing this?" Nil whined at me after several minutes.

"It is funny watching you squirm." I told him with a smile. Nil had an unamused expression as the gears were clearly turning in his head.

"I see." Nil stated as he got his plotting face going.

"Really Nil? Scheming over some harmless teasing?" I taunted him. Nil had a smile slowly stretch across his face.

"I have no idea what you mean." Nil lied. How fast his mind worked was quite impressive, as I could see the scheme he was thinking of was taking form rapidly.

"Your scheming face while you clearly have the gambit form in your mind is immensely convincing." I pointed out. Nil's expression only got more confident which was not reassuring. That confidence of his means he is willing to commit or knows he'll succeed.

"There is no gambit." Nil stated with a sincere expression. Nil's confidence was cute as he believed in whatever idea he cooked up.

"Uh huh." I quipped, not believing Nil while he was blatantly lying. Wait, it might be a straightforward point, not some elaborate gambit.

"Your lack of faith is hurtful." Nil whimpered, feigning his feelings were hurt.

"So, if there is no gambit, what has you suddenly all smiles?" I inquired. Nil had the most victorious smile on Tenebrae on his face.

"I finally thought of what I want my request to be." Nil answered. What was he thinking? Nil had such an enthusiastic smile going.

"Oh? Someone is going to immediately cash in my offer for blatantly taunting his caretaker?" I teased Nil. His face was all the answer I needed.

"I need to use it before you forget." Nil told me, nodding along like it was the best idea.

"Like I am going to forget your brazen taunting of poor Helga." I shot back at Nil who was giving me his dorkiest smile.

"You offered." Nil pointed out like that somehow absolved him.

"I should have known who I was giving the offer to." I taunted him. He was smiling at me calmly with the same confidence.

"It is fine." Nil deflected, continuing to happily shift in his chair. I grabbed a single fry and nibbled on it. Nil gave me the same unamused expression.

"These fries are tasty." I quipped, giving him a shiza eating grin.

"I'm glad you like them." Nil replied as he slowly began smiling again and happily humming to himself. Nil really wants his request. I took another nibble.

"I want to truly savor them." I added on to tease Nil some more.

"It's great you like burger and fries." Nil stated. He's just calmly and happily humming to himself while he waits; Nil is clearly focused on what he wants.

"So, what do you want for your request?" I probed. He mulled it over for a few seconds on how to phrase it.

"Finish eating as it's easier to show than explain." Nil answered after a few moments.

"Okay." I chimed as I finished the remaining fries.

Nil motioned to the couch, where I got up and moved to. Nil laid down, nestling his head just beneath mine as he hugged himself into me. Ah, I usually lay into him. He could've just asked and I would've done this for him; I nuzzled my head on his, hugging Nil's head into me as I began stroking his hair. Nil relaxed into me as he hugged me a bit tighter. I guess he is more nervous about Krahinn vanishing than he's letting on. He's still not the best about voicing his feelings, but Nil is slowly getting better about it. I kept stroking the hair of my dorky prince, enjoying him snuggling into me.

"It's okay Nil; it will be alright. I'm here for you." I assured Nil who just shifted a little more into me.

"Are you sure? Krahinn is missing, my uncles are fighting, and I just don't know if I'm growing strong enough fast enough." Nil confessed. I just kept petting him.

"Yes Nil. You are getting plenty strong; you are already ahead of where you were. Your uncles I feel will work through it; disagreements happen sometimes, but they are working on the argument. As for Krahinn, I do not know. Maybe he was looking at the compendium and just lost track of time? Neither of us know how large it is." I comforted Nil. Nil nuzzled me a bit, letting his <Mana> relax around us. I let mine out a bit more as well which Nil seemed to relish in.

"Thank you." Nil told me after a moment.

"You know, I would've done this for you without the request?" I checked as Nil hugged me a bit tighter.

"I know; it was the only thing I could think of that didn't give me an ick. I had another idea or two but being physically kids kill the alternatives I could think of. I had alternate idea, but it seemed like a bit much to ask." Nil explained. His voice sounded a bit embarrassed. I am curious what Nil thought was too much of an ask. I doubted it was anything too out there.

"What was the idea that you thought might be a bit much of an ask?" I inquired, wondering what he was thinking of.

"Not important." Nil deflected while sounding a bit embarrassed.

"Please tell me." I requested while I kept petting Nil's head.

"Promise you won't make fun of me?" Nil asked, his embarrassment apparent in his voice.

"I promise." I told Nil, still stroking his hair. What could he have possibly thought of?

"See you dress goth and a bit emo slash alternative." Nil answered. What? My mind flashed to the memory of Nil when he wore all shades of black with several faux piercings.

"That all black style with the piercings?" I checked. Nil shifted a bit as he seemed a bit surprised.

"Yes." Nil confirmed. I hugged my dork a bit tighter.

"Want to make a date of it? Not the Festival of Renewals as I can't get an outfit that fast, but maybe in a week or so?" I offered. Nil nearly crushed the life out of me with how hard he began hugging me.

"I'd love that." Nil agreed, sounding elated.

"So, you like the goth aesthetic?" I asked. Nil's <Mana> was excitedly swirling around us. He's cute when he gets like this.

"Yes, it was always my favorite way to dress, and I like how it looks." Nil informed me while he was hugging so tightly into me at the moment.

"It's not that much of an ask, Nil. I think it'll be fun." I told him. Nil nuzzled me affectionately, seeming over the moon.

"I could do something for you like that if you want." Nil stated, I kept petting his head, enjoying my dorky prince snuggling with me.

"You started eating like an actual prince when I requested it." I informed Nil. He seemed a bit confused.

"Really? That is all you want?" Nil probed, sounding a little baffled.

"Yes. I like when you act like a crown prince for me. Your dorkiness is endearing, but I do not like when you eat like a starved gremlin." I explained to Nil.

"You like when I act more regally?" Nil checked. I imagine I need to answer this question carefully. I thought of how to phrase my answer for several moments.

"To an extent, yes. I like when you try to act better and meet the expectations of being a crown prince, but I do like your uniqueness and when you act all dorky." I clarified for him.

"Okay." Nil stated, relaxing fully into me with a massive smile on his face.

"You better still be dorky." I teased Nil which made us both chuckle.

"Do not worry Luna, I got that covered." Nil assured me as we stayed like that until it was time for bed.