I’ve Stolen a Powerful Talent

Arlo slipped back into their inn window and slowly peeked around the door. Sho was still sleeping thankfully, this at least would make it easier to heal him. He didn't want to think about what was going to happen when Sho woke up.

He focused on the mess that was the spell. Like a giant knot or magic energy. So annoying. Left thread up, under, round, down, up? Shoot where did this one go?

Three hours later the massive pile was slowly starting to look like a spell. Two more hours later it was finally almost there. Left, up, center, through. Done. Arlo stared at the spell's fully cast-able form. It was beautiful. Most spells were just a few colors in the cube, but this... it was like a world of its own.

Arlo opened his eyes and gently placed his hands onto Sho. The whole room glowed from the green light that emanated from his hands. It slowly changed to a bright white before breaking off to darkness again.

[Skill 3: Heal of the year: remaining time: 364:24:59:55]

Arlo glanced at Sho's stats.

[Energy 55/55]

It felt like a whole lifetime or maybe multiple lifetimes of stress left his body. Sho would be okay. That was all that mattered. Dead Sho or angry Sho, he'd always take angry. He could feel the sense of betrayal growing in him now that the stress of Sho living was gone, he should have found another way, sleeping with another was so wrong..... he couldn't even ...….

He glanced at his own chest again. The tidal wave claim marker remained. How to go about explaining it? It wasn't like he could be truthful...… could he? No bad idea he didn't want anyone to know about his messed up skill even Sho.

He leaned against the wall trying to come up with something, he could leave in the morning come back in the afternoon apologize and say he was fetching some bread for breakfast. Nah Sho wouldn't be likely to believe that. Gosh darn it why was he so bad at excuses.

Arlo's breath caught in his throat as the clock changed to 7am. Sho would probably wake up any minute and he still didn't have an answer for the claim. Rain started to patter against the window pane filling the room with a light noise.

Arlo slumped to the floor against the wall. What would Sho think, could this somehow be written off as a misunderstanding? He swallowed as the other demon shifted slightly in his sleep. Another half hour passed and then Sho's eyes slowly blinked open.

Arlo still on the floor felt his gut clench up.

"What are you doing over there?" muttered Sho blinking sleep from his eyes with a concerned look.

Arlo still didn't have an answer and ended up opening his mouth only to close it again.

Sho frowned and got up walked over and hugged Arlo. "Whatever it is you can tell me you know." He said softly.

Arlo still kept his mouth shut and felt a few tears run down the side of his face. Sho wiped them away and just sat holding him for a half hour.

"Well" Sho muttered at last, "Let me set your new claim then we can just stay like this all day if you want."

He reached over to pull of Arlo's shirt and Arlo stiffened as the claim marker became visible. He didn't bother to try to hide it other than at the beginning.

Sho paused gently running his finger over the mark, "Who?" he finally growled, "I will destroy them for you. Slipwater, wait the heal person. This is low even for him." He pulled out a blade.

Arlo gulped, no unintentional murder... wait if he just let him kill him...…. no, no, bad Arlo you are not a murder even by a misunderstanding. "Wait" he finally managed to whisper.

"What?" asked Sho, "You have a specific way you want him to die?"

"No" he said quietly.

"Okay then what?" Sho asked.

"No" he replied again.

"No what?" Sho asked.

"Don't kill….." Arlo's voice trailed off.

Sho was silent for awhile. "You shouldn't let anyone claim you by force, I will kill any of them for you."

"I… I….. wasn't." Arlo's voice was practically silent.

"You let him claim you?" Sho finally asked. A trace of hurt and anger in his words. "Why?"

Arlo stayed silent looking at the floorboards.

"Why!" asked Sho again his voice rising. The hurt in his voice was clear.

Arlo glanced up weakly and could see the hurt in his eyes as well. He quickly looked back at the floor.

"Am I not good enough?" Sho's voice had traces of anger in it again but mostly just hurt.

"No I just…." Arlo jammed his mouth shut again unable to come up with anything. A few tears formed on his face again.

"I need some time alone." Sho finally muttered getting up and headed toward the door.

"Wait!" Arlo's whispered yelp stopped him.

He turned and looked at him. "What?" he asked when Arlo didn't immediately give him a reply.

Arlo's opened and closed his mouth a few times before saying, "I'll leave for a bit." He got up he didn't want Sho to see him burst into tears like a weakling.

"Catch" Sho tossed a few silvers at him, "Just get a room and I'll come find you when I'm ready."

Arlo numbly stuck them in his pocket and left with his head down. The door falling shut behind him seemed like the worst thing ever and he burst into tears. He made his way down the hall a little ways but couldn't get himself to get a room.

He didn't deserve a room. Especially not one paid for by Sho. No what he deserved was a ... he didn't know even a pile of lava sounded too nice for his betrayal.

Even if he did it for Sho he still had partly enjoyed it, he couldn't forgive himself for that. Some stupid part of him had gotten hard and had a 'good' time. That was the worst thing ever. Betrayal. Tears were flowing down his face in streams now.

He'd just go hide in a cleaning closet for a bit. Even if Sho forgave him and came looking for him in a few minutes, he wasn't ready to forgive himself yet. Would he ever be ready to forgive himself? He already knew the answer and it wasn't a yes.

He saw a door at the end of the hall and slipped through it, the door ended up leading outside to the back of the inn though. The light drizzle had turned into a down pour. Fitting, even the sky was crying.

He sat against the edge of the wall where the edge of the roof blocked some of the water. He'd still be soaked soon enough, fitting, he deserved way worse. A little shiver was far too nice, he had broken a sacred law of adultery. He dug his fingers into his palms until they started to bleed a little.

How long till Sho looked for him? Would he even look for him? Arlo didn't deserve it. He dropped his head onto his hands and started crying with the sky. At least here no one would see it.

He didn't know how long he stayed there. Maybe he would just stay here for good. The rain had long since soaked all the way through his clothing. Maybe Sho had just decided to leave if he went looking and Arlo wasn't there. Arlo didn't deserve him, what had he ever done for Sho?

The demon had shown his all kinds of kindness then he had run away when it was convenient. He saved him because he felt like he owed him then he had gone and leached off him till now. Sure the way his hair fell, the midnight activities, Arlo's growing feelings for him….. Sho deserved someone better. Arlo couldn't even tell him the truth about a stupid skill.

He sobbed into his soaked jacket. He wanted nothing more than for Sho to forgive him and wrap him up in his warm arms. But he couldn't let that happen, he didn't deserve it. If he stayed it would only prevent Sho from finding the perfect match. After all he was a weird reincarnation transmigrated something or other. He didn't really fall right into either category. He didn't belong.

He wrapped his hands around himself tighter unable to get rid of his own stupid insecurities. He was probably being stupid and over thinking, people had told him in the past that he did it a lot. The logical side of his brain was overrun with the feeling side though and he fell back into a fit of sobs unable to control anything.