“What a day!” Arcanis sighed as he collapsed on his favorite green chair.

Arcanis, a tall young man with bright blue eyes, sorta long brown hair, and a cold manipulative nature that contradicted his attractive appearance, had just returned from a harrowing day at college.

“Fools! Blubbering idiots!” he cursed in his mind his fellow students. “Must I do everything? People are such burdens!” As he completed this thought, a beast stirred in his gut.

“Maybe there’s some ramen left” he muttered hungrily to himself as he proceeded to the pantry

“Damn it!” he thought furiously as he saw his efforts were in vain, He bitterly remembered botching it last night.

Now Arcanis, despite his opinion that others slowed him down, was deeply flawed. Deep down, he had fallibilities like any mortal. He didn’t like to believe that he was incapable, and out of that came a resentment of his own arrogance and weakness. He needed someone to complete his life, someone to caulk his faults, and stave off his inner-demons. He needed a yin to his yang if you will, for a half cannot roll without being whole.

Arcanis decided to complete his physical inner-self first though. There are few who can change their lives on an empty stomach. So he walked to the plaza, a short distance away, for a muffin. It was one of those serene, calm places where one can sit back, relax, and sip some cocoa while catching up on a good book. It was this serenity that Arcanis held so dear. The muffin was $1.99, that price can buy a new direction in life sometimes….

Arcanis made for a comfortable looking sofa in the bakery’s lobby. Normally, this place was quite happy, buzzing with joyous news and such. Today was different.

A crying girl had been sitting next to him, her face buried in her arms. She was wearing guy’s clothing, although that lustrous black hair and a gentle, alluring aura spoke of her femininity.

“They hate me, they all hate me” she sobbed.

Arcanis knew she wasn’t really saying this to anyone, but a certain inkling, call it fate if you will, made him ask

“Who hates you?”

The girl looked up, a surprised expression on her face, and looked at Arcanis with eyes full of tears

“Everyone!” she cried and retreated back to her arms.

“I don’t hate you” Arcanis said comfortingly. He knew he could not hate her. Those eyes spoke of a tender, gentle nature betrayed by the cruelty of a majority. She was beautiful, in a sad sort of way, transferring her pain and sorrow upon those who gazed at her. She looked up, paused, and finally

“Y-you don’t h-hate me?” she asked, almost as though she thought it was too good to be true.

“No” Arcanis confirmed. “Now tell me, what is your name?”

“My name?” she asked nervously.

“Y-yes.” Arcanis replied, starting to feel his own nervousness.

“I’m, I’m…..Sesshy” she spurted, blushing. Arcanis also began to blush

“I am Arcanis ” he said. Sesshy then laid her head on his shoulder

“You’re the first one…to ask…..no one else cared”

“Why do they hate y-you?” Arcanis asked, suddenly bashful due to the girl resting on his shoulder.

“They, they hate m-me because… because I’m…. different” she struggled to say, choking back her tears.

“Why would they hate you for that?” Arcanis asked appalled.

“Because…” she whispered “…I’m a demon!”

“A demon?” Arcanis asked, unsure if this was true.

“Yes” Sesshy confirmed solemnly “I’m the last of my kind.”

Arcanis was speechless, surprised by this news, how could this sweet, forlorn girl be evil incarnate? It was likely that demons were not the absolute abominations they were made out to be.

“Now you hate me too! Everyone does!” she wailed, and retreated from his shoulder back into her arms. Arcanis, coming back to his senses, approached the curled and cloistered Sesshy and embraced her.

“How could I ever hate you?” he consoled/

\ She looked into his eyes, entrancing him with that forlorn beauty that could move even the hardest hearts.

“T-thank you, for…understanding.” she said softly as she wrapped her arms around him. To Arcanis, it felt indescribably satisfying to hold her in his arms, and cause the warmth of joy to flutter in her forsaken heart. To Sesshy, it meant the world to have someone to love, and someone to love her back. The sparks that flew during that embrace had ignited the flame of passion. Not the flame of war that stirs men into a frenzy and burns flesh from bone, but the flame of love that coddles cold couples by the hearth as they cling to each-other. It was from that moment that Sesshy finally felt complete; someone to accept her kind, gentle nature, and return the love that had eluded her for so long. With this flame soothing their hearts, Sesshy and Arcanis headed home, their arms entwined, for this was the day they had been waiting for; the day that had not been wasted.

Arcanis led Sesshy to his gloomy abode; a perfect testament to his bottled despair.

“This place” Sesshy spoke “speaks of misery and madness.” Arcanis nodded

“That is all I knew” accentuating the past tense with a soft smile

“That’s one thing we share.” Sesshy said, returning his smile.

When Sesshy smiled it was as though the whole room lit up. It was not that depressing, draining elegance that she had before, but a radiant brilliance struck him as though he’d never seen a smile before.

“W-why don’t you tell me of your life?” Arcanis asked, desperate to break the awkward silence.

“My life, what life?” Sesshy replied “It’s been all hate and violence, prejudice and pain, all because I’m different. You treat me like an equal, and maybe my life will begin now. I was dead before, but now I finally live…with you.”

“That is all I ever wanted” Arcanis said gladly, and they embraced. They gazed deeply into each-others’ eyes, and by some unseen force of attraction, their lips met. Their kiss lased five minutes, or perhaps ten, or perhaps a million, they did not know anything but their lust for each other. By the time their flame of passion diminished, they were asleep in a warm embrace.

When Arcanis awoke, Sesshy was absent from his arms. For a moment, he was devastated that Sesshy was too good to be true. But then, he smelled muffins, and heard Sesshy’s voice humming a playful tune. He rushed to the kitchen, and found that Sesshy was indeed making muffins.

“Good morning Arcy” Sesshy said merrily as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Arcy?” Arcanis wondered aloud as he blissfully absorbed the heavenly aroma.

“Yes, it’s a cute name” she said happily as she removed the muffins from the oven. “I thought you’d like to eat food for once” she jested, indication the piles of burnt ramen in the trash bin.

Arcanis laughed, and he took the muffin he was being offered. He sampled it, and it was the best he had ever tasted. It was a mixture of love, muffin, and a lack of incompetence in cooking.

“Yay! You like it!” Sesshy exclaimed cheerfully as she saw his eyes light up. “Nobody has ever tried my cooking before, they thought it was tainted” she said in disgust.

“I’ve never been more blessed!” Arcanis said in surprise.

“Oh you!” Sesshy said as she hugged him. But Sesshy suddenly recoiled and covered her ears, then scurried to the bathroom and locked the door.

“Sesshy! What’s wrong?” Arcanis called.

“N-nothing!” Sesshy said panicking.

“You were covering your ears” Arcanis questioned.

“Yeah, I had an…um…earache” Sesshy made up.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” Arcanis inquired. Sesshy hesitated and finally said

“But you’ll think I’m hideous”

“Even if I did, I could never hate you. I’m not like the others, you can trust me” Arcanis pleaded. Sesshy sighed

“Alright, but you won’t like what you see” Sesshy said solemnly, and slowly the doorknob turned. When the door finally opened, Sesshy was there, but she was…different. She had the eyes, ears, fangs, and tail, of a wolf! Arcanis decided to ignore her lupine features and kissed her

“I’m glad you’re back” he said smiling.

“Oh how could I ever doubt you?” Sesshy declared gleefully, and she embraced him.

That afternoon was the best they had ever had. They talked endlessly, discussing loves, hates, quirks, and catching up on all the stories they had missed together. It was full of chocolate, laughter, and a clear lack of worry that meant so much for the couple. By the end of the month they had become inseparable. Sesshy could not bear to be without her Arcanis, and Arcanis could not stand the absence of his Sesshy. It was fate that had brought them together, and true love kept them together. Today they walked in the park, hand in hand, and heart in heart. The grass was green, the birds were chirping, and the sky was a brilliant cerulean as though celebrating their awakening.

“Oh Arcanis! The weather is so beautiful today!” Sesshy stated cheerfully.

“Indeed it is, although it envies your own.” Arcanis replied.

“Oh stop flattering me!” Sesshy said as she smiled and playfully punched him. Suddenly, a bullet flew past her nose. She quickly looked to the direction the shot came from, and saw a madly zealous looking priest pointing a smoking pistol at her.

“Submit, and be exorcised demon!” he declared. Arcanis made a move toward the priest, but Sesshy stopped him

“I won’t have your hands stained” she said solemnly. Her lupine features reappeared, and she deftly dodged the priest’s shots as she swiftly approached him. The Priest started to recoil, but Sesshy’s claws had already found his neck. She raised him off the ground with ease and said

“LEAVE ME BE!!” and tossed him aside. She then picked up the pistol that the priest had dropped, and crushed it in her grasp. The priest’s eyes were wide in horror, and he ran away screaming like a frightened little kid as his neck bled profusely. Sesshy reverted back to her usual form and sunk to the ground with her face buried in her hands

“I hurt him! I’m evil!” she sobbed

“You’re not evil, you had to defend yourself.” Arcanis consoled.

“He…he attacked me. I don’t know what I did wrong. I didn’t want to hurt him!” she said sadly.

“You did nothing wrong, it was his own fault.” Arcanis reasoned

“You mean it?” Sesshy asked hopefully.

“Yes” Arcanis confirmed.

“Thank you Arcanis! You’re too sweet! Everyone else would always call me vermin and Hell spawn! They’d torch my home, they’d throw stuff at me, and they’d taunt me! But not you! You’re the only one who’s ever treated me with a smidgen of respect. I don’t know how I ever lived without you, I was…”

“Incomplete” Arcanis finished

“Well…yes, actually. How did you know?” Sesshy asked.

“I know all too well” responded Arcanis. They smiled, and walked home, hands locked, and eyes forward towards the setting sun. The brilliant magentas, violets, and oranges clashed brilliantly as though to celebrate the newfound happiness as they headed home.

When Arcanis arrived home, he was exhausted from all the happy events that he had experienced with Sesshy, so he bid her goodnight, and slipped into his bed. After a couple minutes he rolled over, or tried to as he hit something. He reached his hand out to touch it. Whatever it was, it was soft and squishy. Perplexed, he began to pull the blankets off it….

“Hey Arcy! What’s up?” the thing said laughing, and it so turned out to be Sesshy! Stunned, Arcanis slowly looked down to see just what he was touching, and quickly recoiled in horror.

“Uh…um… I’m sorry, I-I didn’t…r-realize” Arcanis stuttered. Sesshy laughed out loud and said

“Relax! It’s alright!” Regaining his composure, Arcanis asked

“How long have you been there?”

“Since ya got here!” Sesshy said clearly enjoying his confusion.

“But…how? I didn’t hear you come in!” Arcanis asked perplexedly.

“I have my ways” Sesshy replied mysteriously as she snuggled up next to him and put her arm across his chest. As Arcanis felt her cling to him, he only felt the soothing touch of her skin on his.

“W-where are your c-clothes?” he asked nervously.

“I don’t need clothes when I have you to keep me warm dear Arcy!” she said seductively as she snuggled closer. Her hand caressed his chest, and he could feel hers pressing against him, almost poking into his skin.

“I-I never t-thought you’d be so…so…”

“sexy” Sesshy finished.

“I thought you’d be more…”

“Innocent? Hah! Don’t judge me on what I look like Arcy!” Sesshy jested

“If I did that, I’d expect you to be completely corrupted.” Arcanis argued.

Sesshy gave him puppy dog eyes and pointed out

“There’s more than one kind of innocent Arcy!”

“Yeah I guess” said Arcanis.

“Now Arcanis, I want you to make love to me” Sesshy requested.

Flabbergasted, Arcanis sputtered

“Um…uh…I’m not sure, are you sure? I don’t…”

“Your significant other seems sure!” Sesshy laughed, prodding the tent that had been pitched under the covers.

“Alright then!” Arcanis declared, and he hugged and held Sesshy close. Their lips met, and they kissed as though they’d never kissed before as Sesshy removed the covers from the bed. Arcanis blushed a deep crimson as she exposed him. No girl had ever paid him mind before, and now this one was exploring his forbidden depths. Arcanis wondered why she did not blush or stutter as he did.

Maybe she was stronger willed than he, or maybe her demonic heritage hid the signs of nervousness. Nevertheless, the faint quiver of her lips spoke of her butterflies, but her normally timid nature was eclipsed by the shadow of lust. As he held Sesshy in his arms, he blissfully absorbed the pure ecstasy of her love for him. Their lips parted, and Sesshy climbed atop him, and they each gazed deeply into the other’s eyes.

“Arcy…I love you.” Sesshy said slowly.

Arcanis could only lay in silence; she was so innocent, how could he defile her? But then he realized that it would not be a defiling, but a covenant that bound their love in a knot of ecstasy. It might seem wrong later, but in the heat of the moment it felt so right! Arcanis felt himself slowly slide inside Sesshy. It was done, there was no turning back from here. Sesshy gave him a faint smile, and their lips met again.

As though by instinct, Sesshy began to move her hips back and forth, and Arcanis kept that rhythm with her. So the ritual began. Arcanis stroked Sesshy as he impaled her, expecting her to be in pain from this first meeting. But Sesshy’s face showed no pain, but relief that the years of her true pain, solitude, were over, and her elation that the time she had been hoping for had finally arrived. She now had something to love. Being rather tired, Sesshy suddenly switched places with Arcanis.

“Give me all you got Arcy!” she said with a sly grin on her face. Arcanis nodded and gladly obliged. He held her close and gently slid his length in and out of her. Eventually, as lust consumed their reason, the ritual gradually sped up, until finally he released into her. Holding each other in a loving embrace, breathing heavily from exhaustion, they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning they woke up to the sight of one another. They stared for perhaps ten minutes before they finally burst out laughing.

“What’s up Arcy? Tired?” Sesshy teased

“Nah, demon encounters are quite relaxing, believe me” Arcanis replied sarcastically.

Epilogue:

The next week, Arcanis and Sesshy married in seclusion. What shaman or priest would bless the union of a man and a demon? Not to say the relationship wasn’t blessed, of course. They spent many years in solitude with their family. Sesshy had given birth to a half-demon daughter named Muffin some nine months after their wedding. Arcanis delved deep into the secrets of magic, and become immortal using his arcane powers. Eventually, their descendants restored the race of demons, and with their guiding hands, they managed to repair the years of enmity to bring peace between demons and humans some millennia later. In the years after that, they seemed to have transcended the realm of mortals. Some say they became gods, being the last immortals. Some say they merely left, believing their work to be done. Whatever really did happen, the constellation “union” will remind the world for eons of the love that conquered all, between human and demon. It tells the world that despite all our diversity, our goals remain the same.

THE END