An Uncharmed Life (DevDice Fic)

Chapter 4

*Dev*

As the night continued, Dice found several people who were caught cheating or lying. He was quick on his feet to run and tackle anyone who tried to run away. King's agility was remarkable for a baker. At one point someone started a fight and King had the elegance to separate it.

"Gentleman, please! Either separate or  both of you get kicked out!" He separated the two by standing between them.

"Oh please! As if we'll listen to some pint-sized baker." One man had spoken and then pushed Dice. King hadn't expected the reaction and hit the roulette table with his back. He got some complaints.

"Well, now you've done it." King pushed up his sleeves. King wasn't a very tall man, only 5'5" in stature, but he sure was toned and firm. King tried to push the men out. He wasn't violent or even remotely rude when one man turned and decked King right in the face. I stood up from my seat out of worry.

"King!" Before I could make my way to him. King got up and felt a chip on the side of his face.

"Oh, you absolute moron..." King pulled back his arm and went to strike when the man who previously was fighting the other man held him back to give the other man another clean shot. I immediately made it across the room and grabbed both men. King however was still holding the side of his face.

"You both have caused enough trouble. Stealing from me is one thing, but harming my employees is another." I dragged the two away to my office and left them to the imps who hadn't eaten yet. I closed the door to hear nothing but screaming and begging. Everyone looked at me and whispered in fear as I came back out. I signaled the band to proceed back to perform and once the music was on, everyone minded their business.

King was still hiding the chip on his face with his hand. I made my way over to him to see he was back to work already.

"Let me see." He looked up at me annoyed and reluctantly moved his hand. The chip was pretty bad and had cracked some of the porcelain. He was clearly in bad shape.  King had gotten the pieces thankfully, they sat loosely on his face. 

"It's fine... it'll heal on its own." King tried to look away, but I hold him firmly still. "Sir, it's none of your concern, please let me be." He seemed embarrassed. I gently warmed my hand against the side of his face, and a light low red glow emitted from my hand. He flushed a light lavender a bit as I healed him. Eventually, I removed my hand.

"There." The chip was healed perfectly as King gently rubbed the side of his face. His green eyes widened as he realized that he was fine. "I apologize for putting you in harm's way, King." I smiled and helped him to his seat.

"Thank you, sir." He smiled a bit. We sat the rest of the night watching for cheaters, but King kept talking and joking with me. He was kind and told me stories of his little brothers getting into all sorts of mischief. However, King did also mention the harder parts of it all.

"I love my brothers. Heavens knows I adore them more than anything, but it can get so tiring some days being their caretaker." He sighed and slumped back in his seat. 

"What did you do before being their guardian?" I never usually cared about the lives of mortals, but I was curious about King oddly enough. King's face lit up after I asked him.

"I used to scam men out of their money, however, it was always the gross men." He played with a playing card in his hands. "Men would flirt with me all the time in these little bars; I don't get why I'm not a prize or anything- but anyway they'd get too close or touch my arm or be annoying so I'd challenge them to a game and cheated every time just to get them away from me. Good times... Wheezy and I would play till early morning and leave looking like we'd outsmarted an entire bar when in actuality we would trade a couple of extra aces between the two of us." He seemed to smile in the most nostalgic way I've ever seen. He seemed happier in those few moments. "It was the best..." He sighed and hugged himself a bit.

"You miss it?" I put my hand on his shoulder when King saw someone cheating and went to them, swiftly taking an ace from the man's sleeve. He kicked him out and set the ace of hearts in front of me.

"While yes, I miss those nights, you've given me a small taste of that here."  He sat contently, scanning the room, and looked around a bit for any cheats. I blankly looked at this beautiful man in front of me.  I quietly picked up the ace of hearts, and we sat in comfortable silence. King's hand would gently brush against mine, and I'd just ever so slightly hold his much smaller hand in mine. We didn't make a scene or even look at one another. However, my eyes did wander to his much smaller porcelain hands. King was a tough and strong man, but every part of me knew there was a soft gentle angel under the strong exterior. The way his green eyes flicked across the room looking for any problems was something I loved. He was quick and witty, but so incredibly kind and gentle.

Though, I loved how you can tell he is trying his best to stay awake. Eventually, his head dropped a little from exhaustion. I picked him up and walked to my bedroom and office. I gently sat him on my bed and he began stirring a bit, eventually waking up.

"King you should change. You're exhausted. Do you care if I help you?" I asked him. King was awake enough and nodded.

"Sure, Luci." I nodded as he spoke and helped him with his shirt and shoes. I gave him a shirt(a bit oversized) and as he put it on I noticed some surgery scars on his chest, but I dismissed the thought to ask about them. King finally laid down, seeming to pass out. I made sure to cover him with a blanket. I went to sleep on my couch to give him some space.