‘You stupid dumndum~’

‘You stupid!’ Sehun batted his hand out to catch Tao’s nose. ‘you stu-‘

‘Hush hush~~ this time, you don’t have a leg to stand on~~’ Tao laughed as Sehun glowered- he’d somehow managed to work them both around to lie on their sides, wrapping his arms tight about Sehun to cuddle him to his chest, bending every now and again to peck Sehun’s brilliantly red forehead – while the human half of the act kept his arms locked as tight as he could against his chest, blocking Tao’s advances [though totally half heartedly].

‘You idiotchicken, when I finish the Rite, it just means I can go home… it doesn’t mean I have to, right that very second… I can stick around a while longer if you want…  - Plus, I can always come visit, as much as we like!’

‘……… ……………… you can do that?’

‘…….well….well technically we aren’t allowed to, of course, but didn’t I tell you, I’m a genius~~’

‘…………… ………………………………………………………………….’

‘…………………………’

‘………………………… …………………………’

‘SEHUN!!!!’

‘…abwahhhhaaaaaaaaahhhahhhaaaahhahhaaaa-‘

‘SHUTTUP!!!!!!!!!! I am too!! Granddad said so!!’

‘N I bet your mom did too~~’

‘Huh? Whoa…how did you know that?!’

For a moment, Sehun froze; gaping at Tao’s honest to goodness 100% real wonder and bewilderment. Then - ‘………… …………. Bwaaaaaaahhh hahahahhaaaa!!!!!’

‘Yeah fine, go ahead and laugh, and I’ll never come visit you!!’

‘…yeah you will~~’

‘No I won’t!!’

‘…..no, nope, I’m pre-tty sure you will~~’

‘……okay yeah, I totally will, ehehe~~~ coz I luubbbbb Hunhun soooooo muchh~~~’

‘Wh-O- Tao!!! Gettoff!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ge-Don- Tao!!! Look,  lo –ah – mmhh… sto- look, you were – ah-this ing tail -  telling me about how you’ll come back, you’re not allowed to right?’

‘Hmm? Oh yeah, it’s totally against the rules for us to Cross Over unless we’re Summoned, or have been granted permission by the Demonic High Council - and that only happens if you have a recommendation from the Ministry of Defence, or like…..the War Offices or the Secretariat of External Affairs or something! Well, unless you’re some super VVVIP n have a Belphegor Other Side B-1 visa… ha, do you even know how difficult it is to just apply for one, it takes centuries of filling forms, and even then barely anyone is ever approved!! Even Lord Aka Manah couldn’t get approval last century, I heard! Ha, get across?! For a normal Demon!? Forget it!! The only time you can is during the 666^th-yearly Grand Alliance of Greater, Middle and Lesser Hell Party – and obviously that’s like, once in 666 years!!

Well, anyway, none of this is really enforced per se, coz..well… no one can Cross Over on their own; and all the Portals are in Greater Hell, in the 9^th Circle Offices and stuff, so…’

‘….!!! Then how can you-‘

‘Ehehehe~~~ Oh Ye of little faith, didn’t I tell you – I’m a genius~~ I’ve basically mastered Sigil Magic, my granddad taught me – secretly of course, ehehe, the Council knows he can do it so they monitor him, but since they don’t even know I can – ‘

‘Tao!!! Omg, are you serious!?’

‘Uh-huh~~ damn straight~~’

‘….. wow!!!’

‘Ehehe~~ ehehe~~ I am a genius, right~~’ Beaming expectantly, Tao crinkled his nose at Sehun, who, red with excitement, had risen to his elbows to look right at him. ‘I’m good, right~~’

‘….’ Grinning in reply, Sehun just reached out his hand – and started vigorously petting him, rumpling up his hair and smoothening it out again, rubbing his knuckles down the sides of his jaw – while Tao wiggled so hard at the pleasure he’d been deprived of for days, he set the whole bed shaking. ‘Yesh- yousha gggood boy~~ yesha good boy~~’

 ‘Ah!!’ Suddenly, though, he stopped short – his face falling as he pushed Sehun’s hand away. ‘..but.. – ‘

‘Hmm~~?’

‘…actually… well…’

‘What~~’

‘I’m really close, okay, I’ve totally got the drawing and the chants down, it’s just.. sometimes I mess up on where I come out? Like…last time I ended up in the middle of the pacific ocean – ah, that’s this huge pool – ‘

‘I know what an ocean is!!!!!!! And – ‘

‘And once in the middle of a volcano – Sehun, volcanoes are soo cool!! It’s just like our brimstone-and-lava baths, they’re so nice n refreshing!! Feel so friggin good, I really don’t know why you humans don’t live in ‘em all the tim-‘

‘Tao!! Focus!!! You can’t do it after all!??’

‘Eh…?? No!!! No, I can!!!! Just… the..erm.. fine-tuning, is all!! Besides, even if I do end up like, somewhere else when I come, I can always get a taxi-cab, right~~’

‘……..sure, sure… they have a special line from the middle of the Pacific to our front door.’

‘Really!?? See!!!!!!!! Hahahahhaaaa!!! So it’s not a problem at all!!!’

‘…………….. ………………… …… ………………… oh, alright~~ I can’t even laugh at this level of idiocy, it’s too sad~~ well, you’re right, ne, after you get top side you can always get here somehow… - oh c’mon, don’t look so upset and guilty, it’s still incredible you can do that – the Sigil thing… look – c’mere – ggooddboyy~~ whosh my genius – you are~ yesh you are~~ ywesh ywou awre~~’

‘…ehehee… Hunhun really thinks so?’

‘Yeah I do!’

‘…ehheheee… more~~ more~~’

‘…… ohh whose a good Tao-baby~~ whosha….’

☲☲☲

‘wffhuhuhffhww~~~’

‘…. Okay, my hand’s tired now, may I stop’

‘No!!! Hunnie keep petting me – you have to make up for three whole days!!!’

‘………… ………………………….. …………….. I changed my mind – I don’t want you to ever come back~~’

‘…… ……….. ehehe, Hunhun’s always such a liar~~’

‘fei-akjs-wai- waitwait-TAO!!!!!!!!- ‘

‘Ehehe~~ Well, anyway, see?????!! It’s perfectly alright, even if I finish the Rite – I’ll still stay – at least till the big barbecue dinner you were telling me about… and then I can com-‘

‘A-HA!!!’

‘……eh…??’

‘So that’s why you’re being so cooperative – it’s for the food!!!! You just wanna eat, you greedy pig, it’s not about me at all!!!!!!!!!!’

‘……. But of course!! However yummy this barbecue-thing is, it can’t possibly be yummier that Hunnie!!’

‘……… …………………….. …………………………….. can you not say such things with such a serious face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

‘………huh….?’

‘just – awdhs- Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrghhhh!!!!’

‘NO!! Sehun!!! Don’t hide your face in the pillow again!!! It’s so difficult to get you out, I really don’t like this game!!’

‘kjkjalksjdaa!!!’

‘….eh?’

‘It’s not a game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

‘Ehehe – you just came out, so I win~~!!!~~’

‘I told you, it’s not a game!!’

‘But I won, so now tell me!’

‘…eh?’

‘OH SEHUN!!!!!!!!!!! YOUR WISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

‘Aaah……………..’

‘……………………… …………… Sehun. I’m done kidding around, I thought that was clear.’

‘…. Fine!! Fine!! But just so you know, me telling you is not gonna change anything!! And you know whyyyyy!!??’

‘……Why….?’

‘Coz A. You can’t do it – the stupid rite stupid messed up and stupid send the stupid wrong stupid demon, and B. – EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU ARE, I’M SOOOOOO NOT LETTING YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! So THERE!!!!!!!!! HA!!!!!!!’

‘…………………….. …………………………’ Climbing off him, Tao clambered off the bed, to kneel by the side so he could bring his face close to Sehun’s – who had slammed into the pillow again, trying to hide his steaming red cheeks.

‘…well…?? If you’re really convinced you can stop me, you wouldn’t mind telling me at all, would you~~’

‘…………. ……………. ……………..’ Taking a deep breath, Sehun sat up – putting some totally necessary distance between his and Tao’s faces – honestly it was bad enough he had to confess to something like …..that…to him, but to have to do it while his stupid ing chocolaty cinnamonwarm sweet breath was wafting in his face!!??? – still keeping the pillow tucked tight against his face.

‘o…..k…. so….erm…..well…. I…. ‘

‘Yes???’

‘I….’

‘Yes???’

‘I…wished I… I mean, I wanted…. Well.. the thing is – damn, isn’t it really hot in here…?’

‘Sehun!!’

‘Okay!!! Okay, alight, ! I wished that I would – okay, you have to know, I am totally goodlooking!!!!!!’

‘………………………. ………….huh??’

‘I’m super hot!!!!!!!!!!! Girls ing fall all over themselves for me!! You know what it’s like, you’ve come to school – all the endless giggling, all the squealing even if I just walk by – they all think I’m the iest guy on the planet – and they’re basically right!’

‘………….. ……. And……. You……. wished you’d be even hotter?’

‘No!!!’

‘Hey! Don’t snap at me, I’m just trying to keep up with all your dumb human ramblings~~’ Playfully, that stupid tail rose up from behind Tao, climbing through the air to curl about Sehun’s cheek, before teasingly trying to dive into his nostrils. ‘So c’mon!’

Angrily, feeling like he would just explode with embarrassment, Sehun swatted it away, yelling, ‘Iwishediwasn’taanymore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

‘…………………. Huh…….????’

‘TAO!!! I wished I… could… basically, Iwantedtodo…. It….’

‘…………….. you wished you could do ‘it’??? What’s ‘it’??’

‘……………gfdsagffkjhlkjgf stupppiiiidddddddduuummbbbbdemmonnnn!!!!!!!!!!’

‘……….. you wished you wasnavirg anemone, n you wanted to do it…

It….

…………….

……………………….

It…………………….

……… …………………… ……………………

………. Ehehehe, Hunnie, it almost sounded like you said you wanted to have  coz you didn’t wanna be a  anymore, ehehehehehehehheeeeee~~’

‘…………………………. ………………………………….. ……………………….’

‘………………………. Ehehe…hehe..hehe…’

‘………………………….’

‘…………………………eheh………?’

‘…………………..’

‘………………………………….

…………

…

EEEEHHHHHHHHHHH???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

‘AfddghShuttup!’

‘..no……way…………..’

Gawping, Tao pulled back – even his stupid tail falling spinelessly to the ground in utter shock. ‘…………S……..e…………….h….’ Unable to finish, he swallowed hard, like he’d just discovered Sehun was suffering from some horrible condition. ‘You….. Se…. you’ve…. Never…’

‘……..Shut up!!!!!!!!!! So what if I-‘

‘….you….never….never… not…’

‘..Aarrrghhhh! So What??!! So what! Not everyone – ‘

‘…..ne…ver…..’

‘SHUT THE  UP!! STOP THAT!’

‘…..se…hu…n… is a….. a….. v-vi-v-v-‘

‘For GOD’S SAKE!’