NOVEL SIMPLE The D…D-D-D…D-D…D-word?
Get a grip! Eric scolded himself over and over again. He cursed and spit in his heart profanities that reached the heavens and even wanted to make a certain Arcangel rise from hell back to heaven just to scold Eric.
The whole way to the canyon, Eric was absent-minded, his emotions complex and his expression complicated. He was trying to sort out his feelings. No, he wasn't in love with Del. No way. Eric had never felt the need for romance or a partner.
Eric only felt this strange feeling that might be called love by foolish people, because Eric was stuck in the Demon World and these stupid stories and Del's care and gentleness made Eric's heart waver because he was stressed and needed someone to help him. Yes, that was it.
Eric only felt this way for Del because Del was the only person at the moment helping him and trying to understand him. Yes, yes. If this was someone else, Eric would feel the same way for them. Also sometimes even the smallest action of someone made another person fall of them, but this didn't mean it was love. Just because Del rubbed his cheek against Eric's a little, held his hand and cared about his well-being and mental health didn't mean Eric nor Del liked each other romantically.
Del only acted this way because he needed Eric to continue being his students' editors and Del's horniness could be explained by the insane sex drive demons had. Yes, Eric was sure this was it.
If Eric was someone else, Del'd act the same. There was no meaning behind his actions and Eric's feelings.
These feelings would go as fast as they came. Yes, yes. With this Eric calmed down and surprisingly discovered that the whole way they never ran into anyone.
How smooth! In reality, in Eric's deep drowning abyss thoughts, he failed to realise how Del guided him away from danger. Every time they ran into someone, Del quietly led Eric to a safe spot. Del found that Eric wasn't paying attention and must be thinking about their next steps, so Del didn't bother Eric and only made sure he was safe.
Once they arrived, Eric's body started burning and he knew his magic worked. They found 'the true canyon'. No mind games, head aching mystery and whatever other shit that needed Eric to use his head because obviously, Eric's head was capable of producing clever brain juices.
Yet the reveal of the true canyon was underwhelming. It literally looked like everything else! Fucking hell, what the fuck? What was the difference between this particular canyon and the others, huh? Explain yourselves whoever came up with this checkpoint idea!
What is it? Is it the damn distance between the two mountains being wider? The water clearer? The fish thicker? The air fresher? Ah, ah I get it! This is the only real canyon right? The others were just illusions to throw us off, right?
Damn you, answer me! And as Eric willed, it happened.
[Congratulations. You have passed the second checkpoint. Please make your way to the third checkpoint].
Wait, Eric also received this notification? Wasn't he a proxy?
However, this still didn't provide Eric with the answer he was burning to know! What! Is! The true! Canyon!!!
"Did you get a notification?" Del's warm voice snapped Eric out of his thoughts and Eric smiled, "Yes, we passed."
"Then can you undo the invisibility?"
Del's voice was very close to Eric, to the point Eric once again claimed the title of the king of rosy cheeks for himself.
Cough. Eric was glad they were invisible. He pushed down these weird butterflies and made them visible again. As expected, Del was so close, their noses almost touched.
Eric quickly turned his head away and realised-
They were holding hands again! They were literally being lovey-dovey while fights erupted everywhere around them! Eric quickly withdrew his hand and pretended to be busy with the map, "The third checkpoint is..."
While Del's eyes only narrowed at his lonely hand that had to part from the warmth of Eric's. What a sad sight. An abundance of questions and thoughts ran through Del's overblown head again, along the lines of 'What did I do wrong?'
'Why won't he hold my hand?' and 'We've been acting so romantic now.'
"The others are waiting here," Eric marked a place on the map, blabbering, being unaware of Del's conflicting and pitiful thoughts.
Just show Del some love! Look at this big puppy's tail and ears lowering! Quick Eric pat him and-
Fling. Eric flung a piece of earwax away. Why did it seem like someone was whispering in his ear trying to influence his movements? Weird... and ominous.
"Let them go to the third checkpoint first," Del finally said.
"Huh? Why?"
Because I want to spend time alone with you, of course-
But Del didn't say this, so instead something worse came out, "Don't you have to raise your points? How much was it again?"
At the mention of NSFW, Eric almost made the colour red jealous by how vibrant he was, "2000..."
"How many do you have now?"
"A little under 300..."
"I see," Del looked at the countdown to the next checkpoint. A week.
"We have a week."
Cough cough. Atchoo. Cough. Cough. Ahem. Ahahaha!
"Are you ok?" Del patted Eric's back who was choking dramatically.
"I-I'm fine," as if Eric didn't understand the implication behind Del's words! A week! A whole week of... touch touchy with Del! How... How could Eric survive? He'd die of blood loss!
Being alone in bed with Del... Eric couldn't do it anymore but-
"If you don't quickly fill points we'll run out of time and have to resort to more drastic measures."
Stop! Stop smiling! Stop giving me this little erotic smile! Fuck, I'm straight! I'm not into a demon who wants to put his monstrous tube inside of me!
"Don't worry," Del sensed Eric's aversion and reassured, "I'll be just touching you. My hand won't get tired. I'm using it all the time so-"
STOP! Stop this bullshit this instant! All of these innuendoes, fuck off! No place for you here! What? My mind is dirty? Screw you, your mind is dirty! I'm perfectly normal! Hahaha!
But Del was right. To get the rest 1700 points with just touching was... incredibly hard. Del had to touch Eric continuously at night. Cough cough. Eric's coughing fit started again. Either way, stop getting embarrassed. It's not like I haven't done worse things with Del.
Eric fired his all-familiar angelic fake smile, which has always felt very natural to him but now it was like a mash he was trying to glue on his face and said, "You're right. It's best to get over it as soon as possible."
"You make it sound like you or I don't like it. Don't worry," Del crept closer and kissed Eric's forehead, "I like it very much so."
Stone. Remain to live as a stone Eric and calm down. Don't fall for his obvious flirting techniques and advances. He just wants to bed you.
This horny demon can stick it inside someone else! For all I care.
Sulking, Eric turned around and started to fly, "Let's go to the next city already and spend the night there. I'll contact the others."
And Eric quickly did. Although his allies weren't happy about it, the plot willed it for the MC and villain to have their spicy alone time when no unnecessary side characters could interrupt, and so they had to give up.
On the other side, said villain was overjoyed. Since it was only early afternoon, Del had a wonderful plan. Once they arrived in the city, Del instantly took Eric's hand, not caring about the passerby, and declared, "Let's go on a date!"
D-Date? Oh no, yes... stop spinning!