Ten Minutes

Lars sniffs the air with his piggy nose, his already beady eyes squinting further to make them look dark and miniscule. He begins to salivate heavily, and wipes his dripping mouth on the back of his arm. I set down the platter of fresh chocolate chip cookies, the porcelain plate clinking on the ceramic counter. Lars approaches swiftly, licking his chops.

"Don't eat them," I instruct him coolly, watching as his small glistening eyes slide from the plate to me.

"Why?" he asks testily, thumbing some drool from his chin.

I glance at my watch, "Because I want to see how long you can wait."

Disgruntled, Lars grumbles to himself, crossing his arms. He stares at me bitterly, knowing full well what game I'm playing.

"You know I can't," he shrugs, already reaching for a hot, gooey cookie. Then he pauses, "But what if I do?"

"If you wait ten minutes you can have all of them."

"I already can have all of them, you're not going to stop me," Lars grins, reaching forward again.

"Nope. But there's a catch. If you gobble up all of the cookies now, you only get," I look down at my watch again "About twelve seconds with your prize."

Again, he retracts his arm, and stares at me suspiciously.

"What prize?" he grunts, to which I bow my head and chuckle.

"Well, it may or may not be worth anything at all to you. However, Liam said... well... the longer you wait, an equal amount of time will be yours to command me as you please," I smirk, as Lars' face turns red.

"However I please?" he ponders wistfully aloud "Okay. Sure."

"A fine choice," I agree smoothly "The most you get is ten minutes. Last that, and you get all the cookies, and all that time."

I take the pretty plate, and lead Lars into the den. He follows obediently, and plops down next to me on the couch, as I set the platter on the coffee table.

“Why do you have to set them right in front of me?” he mumbles disconcertedly.

“It adds a little challenge,” I smirk, watching as as his gaze shifts to the fresh baked cookies.

He sinks down into the cushions, holding his upturned nose shut, and squeezing his eyes closed, breathing heavily through his mouth. That lasts for less than thirty seconds. He takes a peek at the cookies, and then squeezes his eyelids closed again. His mouth is dribbling steadily, and his piggy ears twitch every few seconds in agitation. When he can’t take it any longer, he puts a pillows over his face, and through it I can hear him counting. I can also hear someone trodding down the steps from upstairs, and then dress shoes tapping on the tile floor. Walter comes sashaying in, smartly dressed and disdainful.

“Sonny? Have you been baking again?” he pauses “What are you two dorks doing?”

A muffled exclamation of distaste comes from behind the pillow. I smile cheerfully at Walter.

“Just running an experiment,” I insist.

“With cookies?” the tall man sneers “Is this another discipline thing?”

“Kind of.”

“Well, can I get one?” Walter asks, approaching carefully, skirting around Lars.

The pillow is dropped, and Lars swats the other demon’s hand away, “Not a chance,” he grunts “I was promised all of them!”

“All of them? Good gracious, you greedy swine!” Walter sniffs disgustedly, not at all kidding “Sonny, for shame!”

I shrug “It was Liam’s idea,” but Walter shakes his head in disappointment.

“Doesn’t mean it’s a good one. Well then, I shall be off. You two dinguses can stay here.”

And with that he strolls from the room, leaving me and Lars alone again.

“How long has it been?” he groans, leaning in to smell the cookies once more.

“About a minute and a half,” I grin “You could take one you know. You’d get a full minute with me.”

“You’re cruel,” he sighs, and reclines yet again.

We sit in silence for the longest time, until Lars begins to fidget, his leg bouncing up and down as he drums his fingers.

“What is it? It’s only been two minutes so far,” I frown, looking over at him worriedly.

“No, it’s not that,” he shakes his head of black hair “Are there any terms or conditions I should know about? I can request anything? Anything at all?”

“As long as it’s physically possible, and can be done within ten minutes,” I assure him, patting his arm.

We get five minutes in before he begins reaching for the plate, then stops himself, and sits on his hand. He does this a few more times. He’s sweating slightly, his forehead shiny.

“You need to help me,” he urges “I can’t do this.”

“You don’t have to,” I can’t help but grin deviously “But you’ll have half the time.”

Lars licks his lips and swears quietly. He wipes his brow. He wiggles in his seat. He scratches his arm. He stands up, and sits back down again. He slides onto the floor. He gets back on the couch.

“Sonny, please,” he begs, pawing at my arm.

“You can do it, Lars,” I give him a sincere smile without any mischief “I have faith in you.”

He pouts, but sits still. Two minutes later, I look at my clock, and announce the time.

“Almost up,” he mumbles to himself, staring determinedly at the cookies.

His stomach growls loudly, causing him to chuckle nervously. I put my hand on his back, and he stiffens. The seconds tick down, seemingly slowing, as my heartbeat quickens. Finally, finally, finally, the little numbers hit zero. My digital watch beeps thrice, and then is silent.

“You did it!” I exclaim enthusiastically, startling Lars, who was staring intently into space, zoned out entirely.

“I what?” he blinks, before a big, doofy smile breaks out across his face “I… I did?”

“Go ahead. Make your request,” I can’t help but giggle, as Lars gawks.

He takes a deep breath, before blurting out; “I want you to like me.”

I sit, stunned. “What.”

“I… I want you to… like me,” he stammers, face turning fiercely pink.

“Lars,” I furrow my brow “I do like you.”

He grimaces, “No. Just… care. For ten minutes. Really, deeply care.”

Offended, I recoil angrily, “I do care! Lars, of course I care!” I gently, despite my indignance, place my hands on either side of his head, and stare him down, eye to eye “Lars?” I state firmly, to which his pointed ears prick “I am very cross with you for not realizing I care very, very deeply about you.”

I pull him in, kissing him on the lips. When I finally let him go, his face is hot and red. Clumsily, he grabs me again, and brings me into another sloppy kiss. We kiss for a while, intense and inexperienced, the latter being on Lars’ part. Panting, Lars pulls away.

“S-Sonny I-I-I-” he splutters, yet again wiping a bit of saliva from his face.

“Mm?” I take both his hands, pecking each of his fat, stubby fingers.

He shivers with delight, unable to speak for a moment, “You don’t mind m-me?”

“I adore you,” I pick up and cookie and offer it to him “You deserve one.”

“I’m not hungry,” he admits, before scrunching up his nose “I’m… not hungry?”

I chuckle, “Wow. I don’t suppose Walter gets any though?”

“No way, but Liam can help himself,” Lars mutters “Is… is it okay if I change my request?”

“Of course!” I agree “What do you desire?”

He ponders it, until finally he decides upon a suitable option, “Just… would you mind kissing me? I mean, more. Please.”

“Although I appreciate your manners, this is the one time you don’t have to use them,” I reassure him, to which he smiles sheepishly.

“Okay then. Kiss me,” he commands, a bit of a waver still hiding in his voice.

I nod obediently, and scoot closer to him on the couch, leaning in and finding my way to his neck. He jolts, surprised, but lets me make my way down to his collarbone.

“Was that good?” I inquire, and in response he nods vigorously.

I move in again, only to be cut off by someone clearing their throat.

“You two disgust me,” Walter snaps, standing in the doorway casually watching “How could you be kissing the pig-boy?!”

Me and Lars exchange looks, mine being incredulous and his being frightened.

“Butt out, Walt,” I growl “How long have you been standing there?”

“Since ‘what do you desire,’” he says snidely “Sonny, I could’ve sworn you were smarter. I bet he hasn’t told you everything, hm?”

“Me and Lars are pretty close, so-”

“Shut up!” Lars hisses loudly, to silence Walter.

“Or what?” snickers the other, redheaded demon “Sonny, I don’t think he’s told you half of what’s wrong with him!”

“I said, shut up!” he demands, standing up.

“Next time you kiss him, watch out for his weird little tusks, they-”

“Be quiet!”

“-Only come out when he gets worked up, and-”

Lars takes a step towards Walter, who begins to back out the door, still shouting at me about my friend’s darkest secrets.

“Don’t ruin this for me!”

“-He has a curly little tail! Catch him with off guard when he thinks he’s alone and you might see it!” Walter chortles, before Lars begins shouting, and chases him out of the room.

The last thing I hear from Walter is something about ‘rubbish’, and then the front door slamming, and someone stomping upstairs. A bit freaked out by the whole one sided conversation, I too stand up, and run into the front hall, and peer out the front door to see Walter hightailing it down the street. Uneasily, I go upstairs, calling Lars quietly. No response. I make a beeline for his room, where he usually hides during the day, unless he smells someone cooking downstairs. I knock softly on the door, which has been locked.

“Go away,” he grumbles from inside.

“Are you okay?” I murmur through the door.

“Nope.”

“Is there anything I can do?” I lean against the solid wood, and wait for his reply.

“He wasn’t lying.”

“Huh?” I frown “You mean Walter?”

“Yeah. If you were in here…” he sighs, loud enough for me to just barely hear him “I think you should go away.”

“Please, Lars, nothing has changed,” I promise “Even if you do have, well, whatever that damn superbia was going on about, it wouldn’t matter.”

He shifts around in his room, and then I can hear him undoing the lock. The door opens, and a very wary Lars pokes his head out, one hand covering his mouth.

“Sonny, I don’t like this. Why do you think I never mentioned all this weird stuff?” something about the way he’s talking has changed. It’s slightly lispy.

“I don’t know, Lars. I’d like to think you have faith in me,” in all honesty, I am beginning to feel offended, but I try not to let it show “Please take your hand away from your face.”

“N-No,” he ducks back inside his room, but he doesn’t lock his door this time, so I take some liberties and walk in.

It’s a filthy room, no question about it. Clothes are strewn everywhere, soda cans littering the floor, and there’s Lars, curled up on his unmade bed looking grim, still covering up whatever’s happened to his mouth. I approach slowly, stepping over empty snack bags and such. 

“Hey,” I sit down next to him “It’s going to be okay. Besides, I’ve never actually noticed your tusks before, so really, it can’t be that bad.”

Lars makes a choked noise as he drops his hand. The little fangs extend just past his upper lip, and don’t look that sharp.

“I hate myself,” he mumbles, cringing inwards as he says this.

“Oh, honey-” I climb onto the bed with him, laying down next to and cuddling up to him “C’mon, Lars, I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t like you.”

He shudders, and then sniffles, and then begins to quietly cry. I squeeze him gently, doing my best to comfort him 

“I-I just, I mean, y-you’re the f-first one to,” he stops to let out a gasping sob “To like me, in any w-way, besides Liam.”

I can’t think of anything to say to convince him otherwise. Walter certainly doesn’t, nor do Levi, Ace, Lexy, or, well, any of the other demons. He doesn’t get out much to make friends either. In general, Lars is a social recluse. Well… it’s hard to make friends when you’re a demon, or so I would suspect.

“Well, you have my love and respect, Lars. That’s more than Walter can say,” I offer sympathetically.

Lars turns towards me, face sticky and pink, tears rolling down his cheeks, drooling a fair bit. Shakily, he buries his head in the crook of my neck, and begins to cry harder. I want to shush him, to make things better for him, but I don’t know how. Drawing my arm around him,