14. Minos

The next few days passed in a haze of peace and the beginnings of a routine. Minos was still hesitantly waiting for the Leadership Team to show up, and he was dreading a memo or call from the soul-flow coordinators, but so far, they hadn't heard from either.

Adam went to work with Minos, and the lower level demons had developed, amongst themselves and without any guidance from Minos, a new system of judgment. He was really quite impressed with them, and it made him appreciate them all the more. He made a mental note to do something to show how much he valued them. He knew he hadn't been the easiest to work with over the last decade or so, but they were loyal and hard-working, and they deserved recognition. He'd have to ask Adam for some ideas. His little human did seem to have some wonderfully unique thoughts on things.

Minos judged all day with Adam on his lap, and the demons made sure the first part of each working shift was populated with no souls who had engaged in extreme torture or sickening depravity that would be overly disturbing for his Adam.

The demons delighted in Adam's interjections, as well. He came up with some truly inventive, fun, and creative punishments, and they always seemed to fit the crimes perfectly. When he asked questions or made comments, he found his demons smiling and chuckling along with Adam's little outbursts. His demons were already loyal to his human, and it was all Adam's doing. He was infectious in his delight and enthusiasm.

Toward the latter half of the judging, when Adam was growing bored and distracted, Minos offered a nap or a little exploration in hell or Limbo. Adam always chose to stay with Minos, and he napped. Minos was a little surprised at how much his human slept, but Adam had simply laughed at him, saying he was used to getting seven hours of sleep and he had loved sleeping as a human, so there was no reason he couldn't love it in the afterlife too. Then he'd usually kiss Minos and make some gooey comment (which Minos secretly loved, even though he scowled) about having the perfect napping spot on Minos' lap.

At that point, Adam blissfully dozed off, and the judging of the hardcore, truly depraved souls began. Before, most demons had vied to deal with these worst offenders, for the punishments were the most extreme and often inventive. However, Minos noticed now that when they came in they looked a little sullen, and he guessed that his human's interjections and creative punishments were missed. Nevertheless, he would not subject his Adam to hearing the very worst things that humanity had to offer. His demons, apparently, agreed, for the depraved were never brought in until Adam was asleep.

When Adam awoke there was more normal human awfulness to judge, and somehow, again, his demons seemed to sense Adam's limits, for when his human was just starting to get bored, the demons stopped dropping in.

In the past, Minos had judged for days, months, even years straight. Yes, he might also have taken some prolonged vacations from judgment—everyone needed a break—but he found they were slipping into a sort of work day routine, which made sense, since it was what Adam had been used to as a human.

After judgment, they went back to Minos's home. Adam was usually halfway naked before they'd even crossed the threshold, and Minos never complained. Adam delighted in sucking Minos off, and in sixty-nining, and he absolutely adored being rimmed and fucked. Minos was discovering that his little human thoroughly enjoyed being told what to do in the bedroom, and Minos discovered that as much as he enjoyed having his Adam service him, he also adored laying him out and completely focusing on him, feasting on him until he was a writhing, begging mess of need.

Minos cherished those moments, but even more precious were the times after. He showed Adam around hell, and his joy was contagious and made Minos see everything as if for the first time. Minos conjured a picnic by the firefall, where they talked about history and mythology, Adam utterly fascinated and hanging on Minos' every word. He showed Adam the hot springs (yes, hell had water, and yes, of course they were hot springs), and Adam debated the veracity of reality television—mostly with himself, since Minos had never watched any. It was fun for Adam to relate some of the more ridiculous events and for Minos to be able to come up with similar events from judgment. They ate food in Minos' house and cuddled on his couch. Minos conjured a television and books for Adam, who was overjoyed at both.

Minos didn't know what to make of it all. He had existed longer than his memory cared to recall, and yet it was like he was only alive for the first time now. Minos had dreamed once or twice upon a time, and his life now had that same airy, unreal quality to it that he faintly remembered from the dreamscape.

Minos kept waiting for something to happen, so after perhaps a week or two, he was unsurprised to have his snuggle time (as Adam had termed it) interrupted while they watched some television show on a network with a fruit logo—Minos had chuckled at that logo, thinking about Adam's name and now the fruit. So many strange coincidences. If he hadn't lived so long and seen so much, he would say it was more than merely coincidence, but he was old enough, and perhaps jaded enough, to know that free will always allowed for choices, and that fate was often an excuse for people to do terrible things.

"Oh demons," Adam stated. He had been trying that phrasing out lately; he said now that he'd actually met god, he figured he shouldn"t be calling out their name all the time. Minos had merely chuckled and told Adam whatever he screamed out when he was cumming was fine with Minos.

Minos sighed. "Yes, I expected we would hear from them eventually. As Luce said, they are quite overzealous."

"Seriously, they can't wait? I mean, there is major drama between my favorite couple, and how could he think she'd go away for six weeks when she's starting a business? And they better not be breaking up. And can't you, like, conjure up the new season from the director or something? Because I don't think I can wait to find out what's going to happen!" Adam whined out.

Minos chuckled again. He adored how invested his little human got in these fake dramas the humans created. He had to admit, it was light, fluffy fun, and he adored hearing Adam laugh. He also had to admit to chuckling a time or two himself. Perhaps one of the saving graces of humankind was their ability to poke fun at themselves and laugh at their own natures.

"You know it will only get more insistent," Minos replied.

"Ughhhhhhh," Adam groaned out, flopping back dramatically as Minos got up to read the memo. "You read it to me. I can't. They are so annoying."

Minos chuckled and cleared his throat, trying to suppress the irritation that was growing in him at just the opening line.

"For the Attention of Minos, Judge of the Damned, an Infernal King of the Underworld:

The following ticket has been assigned to your department: #1618033988749894. This ticket has been misplaced and was returned to the queue as such. The soul has not been assisted, and despite the ticket number being given to numerous workers in your department, the ticket has not yet been closed out."

Minos paused as Adam interjected, "Is that my ticket number? That's totally my ticket number, isn't it. Bless those lovely demons of yours, Minos. They didn't turn me in for being in the wrong ‘department.' They totally need a party or something. Ohhh, a party. So fun! We could do, like, demon team building!"

Adam chortled merrily, his mind off and running. "Can you imagine the demon version of a trust exercise? Oh man, that would be so much fun to plan. I bet they'd get hella competitive too with some team-building games. Some kind of team sporting event? Football? Eh, maybe that would get too messy. I just know someone would get gored with a horn. Oh, I got it! Dodgeball! Demon dodgeball! With water balloons or something. Filled with whipped cream! Because OMG—which does not count as saying their name, by the way—seeing a bunch of demons walking around looking all surly that they lost and covered in whipped cream would be freaking hilarious!" Adam ended with a giggle.

Minos chuckled again. "I'm sure they would love whatever you planned. Or rather, they'll pretend to hate it and complain endlessly, but then they'll gossip about it and poke fun at one another afterwards for decades. You may plan whatever you like, love."

"Oh, such fun! But first, focus, Adam," he murmured to himself. Then he looked at Minos. "All right, Mr. Sexy, what else do the idiots have to say about my ticket?"

Minos continued reading: "It is imperative that all misplaced souls be properly placed. We need not remind you that customer service and keeping backlog from developing in the queue are of the utmost priorities.

"Please direct any questions regarding this task to the Leadership Team. We are confident that with your assistance, we will be able to drive this matter to a speedy resolution.

"We appreciate your sincere attention to this problem,

"The Soul-Flow Coordinators"

"Oh my GAWD," Adam groaned out. Then he shot up, "Like G-A-W-D, not like the person upstairs kinda god. Anyway, seriously? Did they seriously say ‘drive this matter to a speedy resolution'?" Adam did his still adorable air quotes at that line, making Minos chuckle again.

"They did indeed, my little human," Minos acknowledged, feeling his irritation fade just a bit.

"They are freaking insufferable. Newsflash—if you have to keep reminding people how important you are, then you aren't that important. What do they do all day? Tell other demons what to do? Instead of actually doing anything themselves? Like seriously, that is the first truly hellish thing I've experienced here in hell."

Minos scowled. "They aren't hell's creation. They're a byproduct of the Leadership Team, which encompasses all departments. I don't think hell alone could've come up with the bureaucratic shitstorm that the Leadership Team has made the Afterlife. It's a joint effort, apparently. All the worst traits of heaven, hell, and everything in between."

Minos rolled his eyes, continuing his rant. "Everyone has different values and different goals, and all they can seem to agree on is efficiency, so that's all they focus on. Luce was right, however; we needed a team to coordinate between departments. No matter how many times they get replaced, they always end up like this."

Adam sighed. "I guess man really was created in the image of all of you guys or whatever. No matter where you are, dead or alive, I guess you can count on red tape and assholery."

"Do not concern yourself with it, Adam. Luce wasn't worried, so we won't be either." At that, Minos touched the glass, did some scrolling, and found Adam's ticket in the queue. He marked it ‘closed' and added no further comments. Minos knew the likelihood of that being the end of the matter were minimal, but one could hope the closed ticket would get lost in the bureaucratic shuffle and they'd be left alone.

With that, he walked over to his human, who was still draped across his couch, and in one swift pull had his pants off. Adam leaned up on his elbows and looked down his body at Minos, who was crouching above Adam's hardening dick.

"Oh, you gonna make me forget all the assholery with sex, Big Guy? Because I am heartily behind that plan. Two thousand percent approval."

Minos chuckled, giving Adam's dick one long stroke, feeling him come to complete hardness at just that touch. "You are so easy, my little human."

Adam wiggled his eyebrows. "Ah, but you like me that way,' he said, sighing as Minos tightened his hand and started to curl his tail around his body toward Adam. Adam moaned at the sight and flopped backwards.

"Yes, little human. I love you that way," he replied. Then he lost himself in pleasuring the soul who had come to mean more than eternity to him.