If I were a human, would you still love me?

Chapter 19. Ice cream.

Asmodeus's pov:

"Shit, Iruma!"

I should have known something was wrong when I heard someone hyperventilate. It wasn't a weird sound some of the vents made after all.

I held his body up while it lifelessly fell forward. Shit. I should have stopped him from hyperventilating, but how?

I don't want to be a bother.

I moved my legs to create more space in the cupboards and dragged his body to mine. The cupboards were quite cramped, but they were enough for two people to fit in, barely.

And in the place we were sitting, neither of us could get out of the cupboards without falling to the ground.

Iruma wasn't moving. I put my hand on his chest, listening to his heart. It was beating as if he were asleep, slowly and calmly.

I then listened to his breath, waiting for him to regain consciousness. His breath was slow and weak, like that of a child with a fever. My arms were starting to feel uncomfortable, keeping him in this position wasn't easy, I had to hold his body up.

I switched the position yet again, pulling him to my chest this time. I couldn't see him, it was dark in here, but I could hear him, and after a while his breath became different. It became much quicker, much faster.

He tried to move, but the small space cupboards wouldn't let him.

"Are you alright, master?" I asked, waiting for him to answer.

It stayed quiet, but he didn't have to answer with words, and answering without them he did. I could hear him sobbing, his body moving as if it were uncomfortable, I couldn't see him, but I knew he felt bad. I wanted to hold him.

I slowly pulled his body even closer to mine, gently letting his body rest on mine, his head on my chest.

Master, whatever could have happened to you to make you this sad?

What can I do to ease his pain?

Right now, lets just hold him. He wouldn't talk to me when I asked him what was wrong, and he isn't responding to anything else, so he problaly doesn't want to talk, or he can't.

I slowly put bot of my arms around his body. He is so small.

I already noticed it before, for example when he got sick and was unwell in the Babelys garden.

I wonder, what happened to you as a child? It could be genetic for all I know, maybe both of his parents were small. It wouldn't make sense though, since the chair demon is quite tall.

He would at least be a little taller.

I slowly felt Iruma changing positions. He probably feels cramped too. I could feel the warmth of his skin radiate against mine. It feels nice.

"Iruma, are you alright now?" I asked, trying to get him to talk.

He is the only thing that makes me feel truly happy after all.

I waited, but had gotten no response.

Its fine that he doesn't reply to me. I will just focus on calming him down then.

"It's okay, master Iruma. Everything is going to be okay. Theres no need to weep."

I whispered into his ear, trying to get him to calm down his sobbing.

After a while, it did. His breath became slower, and his sobs less frequent. Yet he was still crying. I knew that if I wanted to calm him down all the way, that this was my chance.