Eternity and a Day

Summary: One day the prince would come back to collect his bride… Shiemi/Amaimon

A/N: I really wanted to do something angsty/serious for this pairing because my series for these lovelies (Sleepwalkers) is mostly fluff and comedy XD Anyway, reviews are appreciated and loved! Thanks! Oh, and apologies for any OOC-ness; Amaimon can be a pain to write—especially in a crack pairing :P

Warning: spoilers for the Blue Exorcist manga (mostly about Mephisto). And bad attempts at romance.

Disclaimer: If I owned Blue Exorcist this would be a canon pairing.

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"Without love we are monsters…"

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i. It is with a surprising gentleness that the Earth King cares for his bride.

Hesitantly, the demon brushes back her golden bangs to plant a kiss on her forehead. He sits on the edge of her bed, the mattress dipping down against his weight as he stares at her with a seemingly unreadable face, claws trailing from her cheek to her neck.

"…You have a fever." It is said with little inflection, but the honey-blonde woman could hear the tell-tale signs of worry in his voice.

"It's just a cold, Amaimon. I won't die from this." She responds with earnestness, emerald eyes holding his gaze. He nods in understanding but remains immobile, stoic in his silent pondering.

It seems as if an eternity had passed between the two until the green-haired man speaks, cerulean eyes clouded with emotions he had once thought impossible. "I know. I know yet whenever I think of a time without you my heart aches. I've never felt real fear. Demons cannot die; when our human hosts are destroyed we are sent back to Gehenna, free to steal another body and continue the endless cycle. We are free of Death, at a price."

Her voice wavers against the spindles of sleep as the demon gently runs his claws through her hair, "I'm just happy to have you by my side. I don't care if it's only for a year, a hundred, or a thousand, all I need is you…" Shiemi's eyes flutter closed as she finally succumbs to sleep, leaving the demon alone with his thoughts. He watched as her chest rose up and down rhythmically. She murmured in her sleep but otherwise seemed peaceful, golden locks fanning out around her pillow like a halo.

"You are too trusting. It is a trait unbecoming of an exorcist." He speaks, tracing the outline of her jaw until his fingers once again find their way to her slender neck. It would only require minimal effort to puncture her skin with his claws, to end her life swiftly and without warning in a scarlet haze. It is a fear that he had never expressed to her. It was in a demon's nature to kill. It was as inbred as breathing and the more time he spent with her the more he worried that one day he would wake up to her blood painting the walls.

The need to feel the slick crimson against his fingers, on his tongue, in every pore as the life drained from his hapless victim in red rivulets was overpowering. And sometimes, it won.

The next morning he found himself sprawled out in some forgotten alleyway. There was a dim recollection of leaving Shiemi's room in the late hours of the night, bounding out of her window to clear his head. He slowly rose to his feet, feeling a particular stickiness against his torso and face. There was a pool of blood leading from where he stood to a corpse. Frantically, he tried to wipe the blood off of his mouth and hands to no avail. It marked him for his true nature: that of a monster.

Immediately he noticed the similarities between the corpse and his own lover. A single green eye was still intact, the other, he came to realize later, stuffed in his coat pocket. Most of her internal organs were spilled out against the concrete, ribbons of flesh pried away with his claws. Tipping her chin up, he could see the markings of his fangs against her neck and shivered in disgust.

The gaze of the dead woman with blonde hair seemed almost accusatory, as if she were trying to speak to him from the grave in broken words. "Why? Why would you do this? What did I do to deserve this? Why am I being punished?"

But, the demon had no response, no closure to give the woman. It was his nature. And nothing, not even love could change it.

Guilty, the man made his way back to the exorcist's house, stopping by the slow stream to wash the blood from his skin and clothes. When he jumped through her open window (despite warning her many times that an open window could be a magnet for demons) he found the exorcist sitting up against the headboard, a book propped open in her lap.

"Amaimon? Where did you go? When I woke up you were—"

He glided to her bedside, revealing his crimson-stained clothes and hands before pulling the woman into a tight embrace. Hands to her side, Shiemi gasped in surprise, jade eyes filled with pain as he murmured broken words into her ear, "I… I didn't mean to—I didn't know!"

She shushed him, bringing her arms around his upper torso. He closed his eyes, listening to the steady beat of her heart as it drummed along against her ribcage. No words were spoken as her heartbeat calmed him, reminding him that he hadn't lost the one thing he craved the most: her love.

Eventually, he pulled away, azure eyes trained to the floor. "Do you know why demons rarely sleep?"

She shook her head, confusion clear on her face.

"We are fighting against our hosts all the time. When we sleep we can lose a hold of our hosts… and our more base natures."

ii. He could only find sleep in her arms.

Some nights he would watch her as she tended to her garden, whispering to her flowers under the light of the moon. The glow would glide against her soft features, lighting her cheekbones and jaw as she busied herself with planting new life. He would sit obediently, content on listening to her sing and watching her face as she smiled down at her little garden.

"Aren't you bored, Amaimon? You don't have to stay while I'm watering my flowers."

He shook his head, face as impassive as always. He tilted his lips upwards, giving a rare, genuine smile. "I don't mind sitting here. Your company is enough."

She blushed but returned to her garden, intent on pulling out any weeds that could threaten her flowers. "I'm sorry, little weeds, but I have to pull you out so my flowers can grow. I wouldn't do this unless I had to." Almost in a remorseful manner, the blonde girl would pull them out by the roots. This behavior always confused him. They were just weeds, nothing to get sad about. Most even considered them a hindrance and would be glad if they disappeared from the world entirely.

"…Why do they make you sad?" He questioned, helping her pull out the weeds. She turned to him in surprise, startled as he focused his attention on her, unabashed.

"W-Well, it's hard to explain! I find that weeds are really resilient despite being weak and easily removed from the ground. They build their roots under the ground and cling to the soil even as everything around them is uprooted. They never give up, despite not really being helpful. I think weeds are really great! Someday, I want to be as strong and resilient as them!"

The Earth King stared at her in his peculiar way, cobalt eyes flickering from her cheeks, to her nose, to her lips. Wordlessly, he reached out, ruffling her hair. "Don't worry, Shiemi. You're strong enough already."

She gave him a radiant smile, dropping her shovel into the dirt. "Thank you, Amaimon. For believing in me." He nodded, stretching out his arms and yawning.

The night was still young but he could feel his eyelids becoming heavy. He dropped to the ground, resting his head in her lap without a word. She giggled at his antics as he wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in her summery scent. She was a mix of cinnamon and the flowers that she planted; it was a calming, warm scent that always put him at ease.

"I'll just rest my eyes for a little while…" he trailed off, the bags under his eyes even more pronounced as he slept. The blonde ran her fingers through his hair, humming as she rested against the oak tree.

Eventually, she too fell asleep, lulled by his steady breaths and warmth.

A scene played under his eyelids, marked with blood and screams. He heard Shiemi's cries and turned to his right, eyes widening. Crimson bloomed against her pink kimono like a twisted flower. It marred her pale skin as she fell, collapsing onto the grass in a dull heap.

"Why? Why Amaimon?" She whispered out, tears falling from her eyes. He stood, frozen, looking down at his blood-stained claws and clothing. He could feel the liquid trailing down his mouth, dripping onto the ground in a steady rhythm that was only broken by her sobs.

He ran towards the fallen woman, fingers outstretched just as a giant chasm perforated the dirt, swallowing the blonde into heavy darkness. And as quickly as the hole emerged, it closed, leaving the demon to beat against the ground uselessly.

"I am the King of Earth! Hear my voice and return to me what is mine!" He punched at the spot where his bride had fallen, roaring as the ground held against his blows. Amaimon continued to beat at the grassy land, knuckles becoming raw and torn as he cried out into the empty garden.

"Amaimon? Amaimon, wake up!" He awoke with a start, backing into the oak tree as he took in his surroundings.

The sun had just peaked over the horizon, illuminating the garden in soft, peachy tones. When he turned his head he saw his bride, peridot eyes furrowed in worry.

"I… had a nightmare." He responded to her worried expression, pulling himself off the ground. He rested against the large oak, fingers digging into the exposed bark as he steadied his breathing. The demon pulled at his striped tie, loosening the offending article in hopes of removing the pressure he felt in his chest. Eventually, his heart slowed and he managed to give a small smile. He walked towards the blonde exorcist, placing a clawed hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry." He spoke before jumping over the iron-wrought gate, disappearing into the sky.

iii. They never thought of the future.

They lived in the here and now, in the tangible, in the feeling of each other's closeness and breath and life. It was living a day at a time. And it suited them.

That's why, when Mephisto makes a surprise visit to their little dwelling while Shiemi is out, Amaimon feels a sense of foreboding. The violet-haired demon had emerged in a flashy puff of smoke, plopping onto the sofa as if he lived there.

"What brings you here, brother?" The Earth King questions, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Ah, Amaimon, aren't you happy to see your big brother? It feels like it's been years! Maybe I just wanted to chat about you… and Moriyama-san." He gave his usual Cheshire grin, reclining in his seat.

The green-haired man frowned, eyes turning to slits. "What do you want with her?"

"Ahahaha, calm down, Amaimon. I actually have a 'proposition' for you. How would you like to be with Shiemi forever?"

"…what do you mean?"

"It's simple. I am the Gehenna prince of Time and Space. It would require no effort for me to say… lengthen her lifespan. Make it similar to that of a demon. All I need is your cooperation."

The demon stills, stopping dead in his tracks. Turning, he offers a single statement, "Nothing is that simple."

Mephisto broke into peals of laughter, clutching at his stomach as Amaimon glared at him. "You are much smarter than I give you credit for! There is a catch, as there always is. Father wants us, the Gehenna princes, to vacate Assiah. He will let me stay, however, in my little playground if I get everyone else who is currently in Assiah to return home. If you agree to these terms, you could live with Shiemi forever, in Gehenna."

"And if I refuse?"

"I won't force you to leave Assiah, but you know as well as I do that your human host is withering away. You would have to go back to Gehenna at some point to rehabilitate yourself and find a new host. But, the flow of time in Gehenna is different than Assiah. You don't know how much time will pass until you return. Shiemi could be old, frail… or long dead."

Amaimon looked at the ground, fingers clenched at his side. "I… need time to think about your offer."

"I understand. Take all the time in the world! I'll still be here, waiting. Oh, I almost forgot! You can't tell Miss Moriyama about this. I wouldn't want you to be influenced solely on her decision; I want the best for you, brother." He spoke, twirling his umbrella as he walked out of the house, leaving the demon to his thoughts.

iv. Amaimon stood at the rusted gate.

He brushed his fingers against the intricately weaved metal as time cruelly marched on. The hinge had been torn off (from age he supplies and immediately frowns at the thought), allowing the demon to glide into the forgotten garden.

He was met with a startling silence, broken only by the rustling of decaying petals and yellowed grass. The garden was in ruins, pots overturned, flowers wilted and brown, a stump where the strong oak tree used to stand. It made him question just how long he had truly been gone.

He waited seconds. Then minutes. Eventually hours passed. Not that he minded. He'd wait an eternity if it meant seeing her again.

Just as the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, bathing the dawn in a violet hue, he heard the light crunch of boots against dead grass.

"…Amaimon? That is you, isn't it?" A honey-blonde with long hair approached, emerald eyes wide with surprise and tentative hope. The wind teased her golden tresses, revealing a trademark flower pin in her hair. She hadn't changed at all…

Unlike Shiemi, the Earth King had changed. His new host had the same cerulean eyes but the spike was gone and his hair was a darker shade of green. It reached past his shoulders, tied up by a blue ribbon but Shiemi knew instantly that it was the man she loved. He still unconsciously bit his nails and tipped his head to the side when he was confused and showed a hint of warmth when his eyes met hers. Nothing could change his mannerisms or his love for her.

"I said I'd come back, didn't I?" He started towards her, bringing the lithe woman into his arms. She cried into his coat, cheeks flushed pink.

"You said it would only be a little while! It's been five years! I thought something happened, in Gehenna. That you wouldn't come back and—and I'd never see you again! T-there was a fire, near the school, and it spread to my house. The garden was destroyed but I knew—I knew that you would come back so I came here every day…" She trailed off as sobs rocked her body, digging her fingers into his clothes like an anchor.

He didn't say anything as she cried, running his fingers through her hair. He could only hold her, keep her next to him for as long as time allowed. Even if it was only for a handful of years he wouldn't complain. She was his and he was hers. And that was good enough for him.

Somewhere, a certain Prince of Time watched over the pair, flashing a fanged grin. "You are certainly full of surprises, little brother… I look forward to the future. For you and Moriyama-san."

Ok, I was so close to making this a tragedy but I just couldn't do it to them! Heh, maybe Mephy would actually return a 'surprise' for his brother in giving Shiemi immortality XD

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it! Please leave a review if you get a chance! Thanks!

-Isis