Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Tom had just arrived home from work at the office. After shutting the door, taking his shoes off, and hanging up his coat he raises his arms above his head to stretch, groaning softly as his back pops. Letting his arms fall to his side he starts walking to his kitchen to start on his dinner. Getting some bread from the pantry and a jar of Peanut Butter and grape jelly he stands at his counter making a sandwich, softly humming a song his mother used to sing to him as a child. After Tom finished making his sandwich he sits down to eat. It is then that Tom hears it. Someone is crying. Tom, confused by the sound, wonders where the noise is coming from.

‘Did I leave the TV on?’

He gets up from his chair and walks into the living room where the crying is coming from. As he turns the corner to enter the room he immediately freezes in place. His heart skipping a beat as it kicks into overdrive, thumping loudly in his chest. Sitting in front of him is a monster. A great horned beast with blood-red skin and large feathery wings protruding from its back. It has its back turned to Tom and is hunched over something that is in its lap. Tom, still petrified with fear, studies the creature. The horns protruding from its head are flat but thick as they arch back from the creature’s head before curving upward toward the ceiling. Atop the monster’s head where the horns are attached lays velvety strands of hair that seem to defy gravity, sticking up in clusters pointing away from its face, reminding Tom of frills on a reptile. At first, Tom thinks the hair is as black as coal, but upon further inspection, Tom notices that in some parts the hair is actually a dark red. Tom next moves his eyes downwards to the creature’s wings. The large appendages are tucked in loosely to its body, almost draping over its shoulders, the tips gently brushing the floor. The wings themselves are made up of enormous ruby red feathers, each feather delicately arranged in a smooth pattern. The tips that are brushing the floor take on a brighter orange color than the rest of the wings. A spark of desire shoots through Tom to reach out and touch them, but before the compulsion can take root it is squashed down by Tom’s fears. A flash of movement catching his eye draws Tom’s attention to the ground. There hidden within the confines of the wings is a tail. The part of the tail that Tom can see is covered in hard bright red scales, the tip of the tail is thin, but the farther Tom follows it to the rest of the body the thicker it gets. Tom watches as the tail continues to give lazy twitches in and out of the confines of the wings.  

‘Huh,’ thinks Tom as he stares at the tail. ‘Milo does the same thing with his tail when I give him catnip. Wait a minute, where is Milo? OH MY GOD, DID THIS THING EAT MY CAT!’ Tom starts to look around the room, hoping to see his cat hiding somewhere.

“Meow.” Hearing his beloved pet, Tom whips his head toward the source of the sound. Only for his eyes to lock with eyes so black, they seem to steal the light from the room. The creature has turned so it is now facing him. Tom lets out a quiet whimper. In the monster’s lap is his cat. Suddenly the thing picks Milo up and holds him at arm's length towards Tom.

“He is so soft.”

Tom, not expecting that to come out of the thing’s mouth, replies with a confused. “Wha?”

The creature jumps up suddenly, still holding Milo, and stomps its way towards Tom. Stumbling away as the monster stalks towards him Tom is soon backed into a corner. Flinching and expecting the worse Tom is surprised when his cat is suddenly shoved in his face.

“See! Soft!” As if to prove a point the thing starts rubbing Milo in his face.

“Eh, Pu, yes, yek, yes Milo is very soft,” Tom replies while trying to keep cat hair out of his mouth. The creature stops at his words and lowers the cat away from Tom’s face and tilts its head in confusion.

“Milo?”

“Yes, that’s his name,” Tom states as he looks down at his cat that is currently trying to escape the monster's hands. Clawing and biting at the red appendages to no avail.

“Oh.”

Tom snaps his head up as the thing starts to speak again. It is looking down at the cat in its hands.

“He doesn’t look very happy, and he has a collar already. Be free little soft thing!” The creature turns slightly and tosses the cat away from him. Milo lands on his feet and then turns back to the red creature, arches his back and lets out a loud hiss then he bolts out of the room.

Tom starts to follow but almost bumps into the creature that is still blocking the way. He jerks back to avoid touching it and slams his back on the wall in the process. Sadly, the responding thunk of the wall draws the creature’s attention back to Tom.

“Eep” Tom squeaks when the thing whips its head back to face him. With the monster so close and without a cat in his face Tom is finally able to study the rest of the creature that is towering over him. Tom is therefore surprised at how humanoid it is. Starting at its feet, Tom counts five toes on each foot, the only noticeable difference besides skin color is that its toenails are black and curled outwards to a point, looking more like claws than nails. Moving his gaze upwards, taking a quick note of the gold ankle bracelets, Tom moves up the muscular red thighs to the creature’s chest, skipping over the creature’s thankfully covered private area. Tom’s eyes widen somewhat at the sight of so many pieces of jewelry that hang from the creature’s neck, the cluster of gems that hang from gold chains cover the creature’s well-defined abs. Shaking off his aw Tom moves on to the monster’s broad shoulders down one of the creature’s powerful arms, again taking note of the armband that circles it. When Tom’s vision reaches the creature’s hand, he gives an audible swallow, the hand itself is normal, it is the creature’s claws that scare Tom. Attached to each finger is an inch-long black talon, each one slightly curved and sharpened to a point. Ripping his eyes away from the hands, Tom does another sweep of its body. It is during this sweep, and his close proximity of the creature that Tom is able to notice that the monster’s skin is littered with tiny scales, seemingly interwoven into the creature’s skin. Finally, Tom gathers enough courage to look at his uninvited guest in the face.  

‘Hot damn, he is hot!’ Tom blushes furiously as he stares at a face that could cut diamonds on its cheekbones, an aristocratic nose sits in the center of its face, its jaw is sharp and strong, but it is the bandages that encircle the jaw that pulls Tom short. Blush going down, Tom studies the creature more closely. Noticing the slight bit of drool gathering at the corner of the creature’s lips, and the way the creature seems to be swaying back and forth on its feet, finally Tom remembers how the creature’s tail is acting. 

Suddenly Tom is hit with a memory of when he had to drive a friend home from the dentist when they had a tooth removed.  

‘They were acting the same way as this creature is, they were all goofy from the drugs and they had to wear a bandage around their mouth.” Looking back at the creature before him Tom feels realization take hold.  

‘HOLY CRAP, THIS THING IS HIGH FROM ORAL SURGERY!’

Tom is broken from his internal monologue by the thing placing a massive hand on top of his head. Tom looks up at the creature’s face to see it break into a grin exposing razor-sharp teeth. Swallows heavily, Tom waits to see what it would do next. He is suddenly grabbed by the front of his shirt and is dragged back to the center of his living room.

“Hey, wait what you are doing, let me go.” Tom tries in vain to get the thing to let go of his shirt. When that doesn’t work, he switches to begging.

“Please I won’t bother you, I’ll leave you alone please don’t hurt meeaa.” Tom is cut off when the creature sits down on the carpet, pulling Tom down with it. Right onto its lap. The creature then lets go of his shirt but before Tom can make a break for it a strong red arm snakes around his stomach, pinning his arms to the side and forcing his back up against the monster’s stomach. He is completely at the monster’s mercy.

Tom starts shaking as tears sting his eyes. ‘What does it want with me? Is it going to eat me? Kill me? Drag me back to its lair to torture?’ Tom is again pulled from his thoughts when his captor places a large hand on top of his head. Tom braces himself thinking he is about to have his neck snapped. When no pain arrives Tom slowly relaxes, the creature isn’t hurting him it is petting him. Tom lets out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. After a few moments, Tom gathers enough courage to speak.

“W-what a-are you doing?” He feels more than sees the smile on the creature’s face.

“I am petting you; you are even softer than that other creature and you don't have a collar!” At the last statement, the creature tightens its grip on Tom.

“Hehe, thanks, I guess?” Tom relaxes a bit more knowing that since the thing is in a good mood, he has time to try and think of an escape plan.

‘Ok Thomas, think how I can get out of this situation alive without angering the weird red monster thing that could easily snap me in half.’ Tom’s throat goes dry at this last thought.
‘No, I need to focus, what do I know about this thing. It likes soft things, it is currently high from oral surgery, and it likes to wear gold jewelry. Wait, that’s it! Maybe if I offer to give it some old jewelry that I have stored in my attic it will let me go!’

Tom is about to open his mouth to speak when he is cut off by a growl that sounds right in his ear. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he has missed the creature’s change in mood.
“Wh-hat’s wr-rong?” Tom squeaks out.

“You’re quiet, the other one was purring when I was petting it, you’re too quiet.”

“I-I'm so-rry, only cats purr I am a h-uman.” Tom stutters out, hoping his captor doesn’t get any angrier at him. This hope is dashed when the growling returns. With him pressed up against it, Tom’s whole body starts to shake with the force of the growl.

“But we can sing!” He blurts out in a last-ditch effort to save himself.

The growling cuts off abruptly. “Sing?”

Tom lets out a breath as his gamble pays off. “Yes, humans can sing.”

“Alright then sing.” The creature demands.

Tom quickly racks his brain trying to think of a song that will hopefully calm the monster down. The only one he can think of is a lullaby his mother taught him; the same one he was humming in the kitchen before this whole mess started.

“Hush a bye, don’t you cry,
Go to sleep, my little baby,
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little ponies,
In your bed,
Momma said,
Baby's riding off to dreamland,
One by one,
They’ve begun,
Dance and prance for little baby,
Blacks and bays, dapples and greys,
Running in the night,
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little ponies,
Can you see the little ponies,
Dance before your eyes,
All the pretty little ponies,
Will be there when you arise.
Can you see the little ponies,
Dance before your eyes,
All the pretty little ponies,
Will be there when you arise,
Hush a bye, don’t you cry,
Go to sleep, my little baby,
When you wake, you shall have,
All the pretty little ponies,
All the pretty little ponies.”

Tom trails off as the last haunting note passes his lips. The silence that has been left in the room is broken by a sniffle. Tom cranes his neck to look back. Only to be met with tearful black eyes. He has brought his captor to tears.

“That was beautiful.” The creature says as it wraps its other arm around Tom and pulls him even closer to it. Tom lets out a sigh of relief, he has done it, he has impressed this monster enough that he is no longer angry at him.

‘But how long will I be able to last?’ Tom wonders as the creature continues to cuddle with him.

Suddenly the creature speaks again. “I have decided. Since you don’t already have a collar, I am going to keep you!”

Tom goes still. “YOU’RE GOING TO WHAT!” Tom begins to struggle with all his might, twisting and turning to try and escape but nothing works. If the creature even notices Tom’s protests it gives no indication. It simply lifts one of its arms, the other still holding Tom in place, and takes off one of the golden bands from its arm.

“Now hold still, I don’t want to hurt you by accident.”

Tom freezes, unsure whether that is a threat or not. He whimpers as the creature puts the armband around his throat and squeezes to bend the metal. When it finally takes its hand away, it surveys its work. Satisfied, the creature finally releases Tom from its grip.

Seizing his opportunity, Tom scrabbles away until his back hit another wall. Never taking his eyes off the thing in front of him. Hands flying to his neck, Tom inspects the golden band that now encircles his throat.

‘Why would it put this around my neck? What does it want with me? Wait, just now it was talking about wanting to keep me, and earlier it was talking about a collar.’ With that thought, realization dawns on him.

‘It wants to keep me as a PET!’ No longer able to hold them in, tears start streaming down Tom’s face. The creature stands up from its place on the floor and walks over to where Tom is huddled against the wall. Too overwhelmed to react Tom doesn’t flinch as it crouches down in front of him to places a hand back on his head.

“Do not fear little one, I take good care of my pets.”

His fears now confirmed, Tom, no longer able to withstand the stress, succumbs to the darkness that has been creeping in on him since he escaped his captor’s grasp. His eyes roll back as he slumps forward in a dead faint, right into the waiting arms of a monster.

Weeks later the police arrive at Tom’s house after getting a missing person's report that was put in. They search the house from top to bottom but find no evidence of a struggle. They interview all of Tom’s friends and coworkers, but they are no help at all. Saying that Tom was happy with his life and would never decide to leave without telling someone, especially if he had to leave his beloved pet, Milo. The police were baffled, it was like the man had just disappeared into thin air. The only clue they found was a Peanut Butter and jelly sandwich that was half-eaten by a hungry cat.

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”

Recap

‘It wants to keep me as a PET!’ No longer able to hold them in, tears start streaming down Tom’s face. The creature stands up from its place on the floor and walks over to where Tom is huddled against the wall. Too overwhelmed to react Tom doesn’t flinch as it crouches down in front of him to places a hand back on his head.

“Do not fear little one, I take good care of my pets.”

His fears now confirmed, Tom, no longer able to stand the stress, succumbs to the darkness that has been creeping in on him since he escaped his capt or’s grasp. His eyes roll back as he slumps forward in a dead faint, right into the waiting arms of a monster.

Deep in a dark cave, Tom lays on the stone ground still unconscious. He is still wearing the same clothes he wore yesterday, a light blue button-up shirt and a pair of jeans. His dark brown hair is sticking up all over the place but most of it is resting over his eyelids. Tom finally starts to stir, groaning from the aches in his back and neck from sleeping on the floor. He pushes himself into a sitting position and brushes his bangs out of his face, revealing dark emerald colored eyes. Looking around the small empty cave in confusion. 

‘Where am I? And why was I sleeping on the floor?’ Suddenly the past events crash into him, drawing a horrified gasp from his lips. ‘Getting home from work, finding a monster in my living room, being man-handled by it, the collar, OH MY GOD THE COLLAR!’ Hands flying to his neck, and sure enough, there is still a metal band around his throat.  

“No, oh god no, please no,” Tom mutters to himself as huge sobs rack his body, large tears streaming down his face. ‘It must have brought me back to its lair after I passed out, I am supposed to be its new pet! Why would it even want a human pet! The only reason it wanted me in the first place was that it was high from oral surgery!’ Tom’s thoughts screech to a halt. ‘It only wanted me because it was high, but that was who knows how long ago, will it still want me now that it is no longer drugged? If it doesn’t then what will it do to me? Will it let me go?’  

Tom thinks back to his interactions with the creature, how it growled at him when it got annoyed. Green eyes widen with horror. ‘No if that thing decides it no longer wants a pet then it will kill me, oh God, I’ve got to get out of here before it comes back!’ Looking around frantically for any signs of an exit, Tom spots an opening in the cave wall opposite him. He scrambles to his feet; taking off through the archway. Running through the tunnel in a panic, coming to many twists and turns, lit only by torches that are nailed to the cave wall, Tom eventually runs out of breath. He bends over with his hands on his knees, gulping in lung fulls of air. He looks up, his hands still braced on his knees.  

‘Everything looks the same. How can I escape when I don’t even know where the damn exit is?!’ Tom stands up straight and looks around, seeing only more corridors that give no indication on which way to go. Feeling despair but determined not to give up, Tom picks a random direction and starts walking, too tired to run anymore.  

After wandering for what feels like hours Tom eventually enters another room. The room he has stumbled upon is humongous, bigger than two football fields. The ceiling has to be at least seventy-five feet high. But it is not the size of the room that makes Tom freeze in the doorway. It is what the room is filled with that stops him in his tracks. The room is filled with all sorts of treasures. Mountains of gold and silver coins as far as the eye can see. Stepping forward in a trace Tom’s foot collides with something. Looking down, his eyes nearly bug out of his head. What he had first thought to have been a rock turns out to be the biggest diamond he has ever seen. Bending down to inspect it, he picks it up. 

‘This thing is bigger than my fist! I didn’t even know diamonds can get this big.’  

Suddenly a thought occurs to Tom. ‘If I take some of this treasure home with me, I will be set for life. No more office job, no more stress. It's not like that creature would even notice if any of it is gone. I would only take a little bit; it would never notice anything is missing.’ Tom suddenly shakes his head, dropping the diamond as if it has burnt his hands.  

'What the hell am I thinking?! I am not about to steal from a monster that can rip my throat out with its teeth!’   

Tom stands up and turns away from the room. He is about to continue his search for an exit when he sees a shadow on the wall of the corridor. Something is coming this way. With nowhere else to go, Tom bolts into the treasure room, scrambling among the coins as they shift beneath his feet. Ducking behind the nearest mountain of trinkets, Tom holds his breath, hoping he escaped detection. His hopes shatter when an all too familiar voice cuts through the silence that had previously filled the room.  

“You know, I have had a lot of thieves try and steal what is rightfully mine, but I have got to admit, you are the absolute worse one yet.”  

Tom feels his eyes start to water as despair washes over him. It’s the same creature that had put a collar on him and kidnapped him from his home. Before Tom can be consumed by his own despair, the monster speaks again.  

“How about I offer you a deal, thief, if you reveal yourself to me, I will let you live.” 

‘Lair, you don’t seem like the type to let someone who tried to steal from you go that easily.’ Tom thinks even as he forces his body to move to reveal himself.  

‘Maybe if he sees me, he will remember what happened yesterday. Even if he doesn’t remember it will be better if it doesn’t have to search through all this treasure just to find me. I don’t want to confront him when he is annoyed.’ So, Tom slowly creeps his way towards his captor. The soft clinking of coins that shifts with each step are the only sound that can be heard. As Tom is about to step out from behind his hiding place disaster strikes. The mountain of precious metals that is his hiding spot starts to come tumbling down. An avalanche of gold, silver, and other valuables racing towards Tom at a dangerous rate.  

“Ahhh!” Tom tries to run but is quickly swept up by the oncoming treasure. When the avalanche of gold finally slows to a stop, Tom finds himself on his stomach, half-buried under the gold. Taking a second to regain his baring's after getting thrown around, Tom tries to stand up again. But when met with resistance he turns his head to look at his legs, finding them buried deep beneath the gold.  

‘I’m stuck. I am not only lost in an unknown place, with a monster in the same room as me but now I can’t even move if I want to.’   

Suddenly booming laughter fills the room causing Tom to flinch where he is buried.  

“Ha ha ha, you have got to be the clumsiest thief ever! Even a newborn has more grace than you.”  

Tom grumbles at the creature's taunts, too emotionally exhausted at this point to be terrified anymore. After laughing for a couple more seconds, the creature calms down enough to continue speaking.  

“Alright, now that we have established how bad you are at stealing, why don’t you come out of hiding now? At this point, you are just embarrassing yourself.”  

Tom can hear the smug satisfaction in its voice, the thing is enjoying his humiliation. Tom tries again to free himself but is met with the same results as the first time he tried. Seeing no other choice Tom calls out to the creature.  

“I can’t. I’m stuck.”  

A beat of silence and then the creature responds. “What do you mean you’re stuck? Stuck under what?” The sound of clinking coins starts up as the creature makes its way to where Tom’s voice is coming from. When Tom looks up from where he is trapped, he comes face to face with his captor. Looking at the ground as if it is the most interesting thing in the world Tom asks for help, his face bright red with embarrassment.  

“Under all the gold. Can you help me up? I can’t move my legs.” More coins moving is the only answer he gets before he is grabbed by the back of his shirt and wrenched out from under the treasure. He is left dangling in the air for a few seconds before he is set back on the ground, the creature’s grip on him never loosening.  

“Thanks,” Tom mumbles to his captor; standing still with his head down. When the monster next speaks it sounds confused.  

“You’re human.”  

Nodding his head numbly, Tom peeks up at the creature to see it studying him.  

“Why is a human trying to steal from me? Better yet how did a human even get into my home?” 

 Snapping his head up and shaking his hands in front of him, Tom begins to deny the claim.  

“No, no I wasn’t trying to steal from you I promise I just got lost and when I saw someone coming, I panicked, so I tried to hide.” Bright green eyes stare into soulless black, hoping it believes him. Sadly, the creature does not.  

“Oh really, so if you aren’t trying to steal from me then where did you get this.” Reaching its other hand up to Tom’s throat to roughly grab at the golden band still around his neck, drawing a choked gasp from Tom as his airways are cut off. When his capture releases his grip on the collar Tom coughs a couple of times to regain his breath.  

‘Shit he doesn’t remember yesterday at all.’   

Once Tom can speak again, he tries to jog the creature's memory.  

“You put this on me yourself.”  

The creature cuts him off by shaking him violently. “What are you talking about? I have never seen you before in my life and I certainly would never give a human any sort of gift.”  

Tom quickly continues his story before the monster can get any angrier. “You were high from oral surgery!”  

The shaking stops as quickly as it started. Tom opens his eyes that he doesn’t remember closing to look at the creature’s expression. It does not look happy; a low growl is slowly building in its chest.  

“Explain.” 

Tom flinches at the barked command but is quick to obey. “Yesterday after I got home from work, I heard a noise coming from my living room. When I went in to see what it was, I found you sitting on the carpet petting my cat. You kept talking about how soft his fur was, but you were also sad for some reason because he already had a collar on. You eventually let Milo go but then pulled me onto your lap and started petting me instead. I was so scared I didn’t do anything to try and stop you. But then you grew upset because I can’t purr like Milo can, so I sang a lullaby my mom taught me so you would calm down. You must have liked the song because after I was done singing you said you were going to keep me. I tried to get away, but you were too strong. You took off an armband and then bent it around my neck. That is the last thing I remember before I passed out.” Tom chose to lie at the end.  

‘I am not about to remind him how he wanted to keep me as a pet.’   

He then continues with his story. “I woke up alone in a cave a couple of hours ago and tried to find an exit. I found this room and then you found me, and you know the rest. Please if you want your armband back you can have it. Just please let me go.”  

Tom looks pleadingly up at his captor, tears cascading down his cheeks, hoping it believes him. But he has no such luck.  

The monster narrows its eyes. “You lied. You remember something else before you passed out.”  

Tom is picked up by his shirt again so that the creature’s face is only inches away from his own. 

“It is not wise to lie to a demon; I suggest you try that again. What is the last thing you remember before passing out?”  

Tom whimpers pathetically at the newly dubbed demon. “You said you always take care of your pets.”  

The silence that has descended upon the room is suffocating. Tom is once again lowered to the floor but this time his legs refuse to hold him up. He would have fallen to the ground if it wasn’t for the demon holding him up by his shirt. Heart pounding in his chest as he waits for the demon to decide what to do with him.  

Suddenly he is thrown up onto the demon’s shoulder, getting the wind knocked out of him he lets out a grunt but falls silent. He has stopped caring about what happens to him. The demon makes its way out of the treasure room and starts walking down the corridors. At first, Tom tries to make a map in his head but give up after the first couple of turn. Instead, he lets himself go limp on the demon’s shoulder.  

‘I wonder what it is going to do with me. It could have killed me already so if that was its goal it would have done so already. It could be taking me to a torture chamber, or to the kitchen so it can eat me.’   

Tom starts to cry softly to himself, thinking that this will be his last few moments to live. When they finally arrive at their destination, the demon slides Tom off its shoulder to the ground. While on the ground the demon grabs a fist full of Tom’s hair, using it to jerk his head back. It kneels in front of him, inspecting the make-shift collar. Once it is satisfied by whatever it is looking for, it stands up. Giving his hair a yank to gain his attention the demon waits until Tom looks up at him.  

“Don’t move, I will be back soon.” It then walks over the other side of the room where a bunch of chains are dangling from the wall. Tom inspects the rest of the room only to find more chains. 

‘I was right, he is going to torture me.’ He turns head to look back at the door they just came through then back at the demon that is too engrossed in the chains to pay him any attention. 

‘Should I make a break for it? No, he told me to stay put and I don’t want to make him mad. Besides, where would I go? I have no way to navigate these tunnels, he would catch me in no time.’   

So, with that thought in mind, Tom sits and waits for the demon to begin torturing him. Ultimately the demon finds the chain it was looking for and moves back over to where Tom is. Stopping in front of him, the demon again grabs Tom by his hair, dragging him to his feet. Once he is standing again the demon lets go. It then starts walking toward the door.  

“Follow me.”  

Tom is quick to obey, walking three feet behind the demon as it leads him through the tunnels. As they walk Tom studies the chain that the demon has picked out. ‘It’s so thin, it looks more for decoration than actual use, but it also looks sturdy, it will serve its purpose of restraining me.’ Tom is broken from his thoughts by the demon speaking.  

“You know, I keep expecting you to make a break for it and try and escape, or at least to not follow every order I give you. I’ve heard many stories about humans. How they love to express their free will and how long it takes to break their spirit to get then to obey. But you, you are surprisingly obedient.”  

Tom swiftly drops his eyes to the floor as the demon glances back at him. “It sure makes things easier for me in the long run. Ah, here we are.”  

The demon cuts himself off as he turns into another room. Tom enters right after him. He stands in the archway awkwardly, unsure what the demon wants him to do. When the demon turns around to look at him it beckons him over to where it is standing. Tom scurries over, not wanting to anger him. He is rewarded with a smile that puts him more on edge than anything else. 

Reaching up the demon grabs the metal band that encircles his throat. With barely any effort he bends it so he can easily remove it. He then places it back on his arm where it had originally sat. He then grabs one of Tom’s sleeves and rips it off.  

‘My shirt.’ Tom wines slightly at the destruction of his only shirt. The demon chuckles as it smiles down at him.  

“Don’t worry you won’t be wearing these rags for much longer.” It then wraps the sleeve around Tom's eyes and ties it in the back, effectively blinding him.  

“Now be a good little human and sit.”  

Tom obediently sinks to his knees. He listens as his captor rummages around the room.  

‘What is he looking for? And why did he blindfold me?’    

“Ah-ha! Found it.”  

The sudden exclamation rips Tom from his thoughts, causing him to flinch. He hears the demon come back over to him. His hair is grabbed and he is once again dragged to his feet by it. Once standing Tom feels the demon wrap something around his neck.  

“Almost done, there. You can take off the blindfold now.”  

Tom reaches up and removes the shirt sleeve from his eyes. The demon is standing in front of him holding out a mirror. Taking the mirror from its outstretched hand Tom inspects his throat, as he does the blood drains from his face. Sitting on his neck is a collar, a proper one, complete with a dog tag that says Property of Clauneck.   

‘Huh, I guess that’s his name.’   

The chain that Clauneck had gotten before is clipped to the collar's D ring, making the perfect leash. 

“Do you like it? I found one with emeralds embedded in it so it would match your eyes. The leather is so it doesn’t irritate your neck.” 

Clauneck suddenly jerks the leash tight, causing Tom to stumble into the demon’s chest. As Tom looks up at him, tears returning to cascade down his cheeks, a sadistic glint fills the dark, soulless eyes.  

“After all, I always make sure I take good care of my pets.” 

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”

Recap

Tom reaches up and removes the shirt sleeve from his eyes. The demon is standing in front of him holding out a mirror. Taking the mirror from its outstretched hand Tom inspects his throat, as he does the blood drains from his face. Sitting on his neck is a collar, a proper one, complete with a dog tag that says Property of Clauneck.

‘Huh, I guess that’s his name.’

The chain that Clauneck had gotten before is clipped to the collar's D ring, making the perfect leash.

“Do you like it? I found one with emeralds embedded in it so it would match your eyes. The leather is so it doesn’t irritate your neck.”

Clauneck suddenly jerks the leash tight, causing Tom to stumble into the demon’s chest. As Tom looks up at him, tears returning to cascade down his cheeks, a sadistic glint fills the dark, soulless eyes.

“After all, I always make sure I take good care of my pets.”

Tom is being led through the tunnels of his new prison by the demon that has kidnapped him to another part of the demon’s home. He makes sure to keep as much distance between him and his captor as possible, but the leash that is attached to his collar only allows him to walk three feet behind the demon without choking him. As they are walking the demon starts to speak.  

“If you are going to be staying here with me, we are going to have to set some ground rules.” 

Tom looks up at the demon’s back, slightly annoyed as the demon seems to be talking at him rather than to him.  

“The first rule is that you will call me Master, or Master Clauneck, as that is my name.” Suddenly Clauneck stops walking, Tom just barely stops in time to not bump into him. The demon turns around to face him with a smile, dagger-like teeth on full display.  

“That reminds me, what is your name? I am going to need it if I am going to get you a name tag for your collar.”  

Tom reels back slightly at having the demon’s full attention on him.  

“T-tom” he stammers out. Clauneck raises an eyebrow at him, seemingly waiting for something. When Tom realizes what he wants, he quickly tries to fix his mistake by adding on a hasty.  “...Master.”  

The demon chuckles and turns back around to continue walking. Tom follows, relieved to no longer be in the spotlight.  

“Good, you are learning. I’m not an idiot. It will take time to train you properly, so mistakes are bound to happen. But don’t expect to get away with things like that for long.” He drives this point home by giving a sharp yank on the leash, causing Tom to stumble forwards before regaining his footing.  

“Now, where was I? Ah, yes rule number two. You will only speak when spoken to, especially when we are out in public or if I have company over. I will allow you to ask questions, you simply must gain my permission before you start speaking. I won’t punish you for being curious or not understanding something, so don’t be afraid to ask.”  

Tom relaxes a little bit at the last statement. ‘Well, that is one less thing to worry about.’   

“Rule number three, you will follow every command I give you without hesitation. This includes punishments. So, no begging me not to do something, it just pisses me off and will make your punishment worse.”  

Throat going dry, Tom’s voice cracks as he speaks. “W-what kinds of p-punishments?....Master.” 

“That will depend on what you did wrong. If it is something small like breaking something by accident, then it will be something like no dinner that night. But if you do something stupid like running away, then I will have no choice but to bring out the whip.”  

A whimper escapes Tom’s throat at the word whip.  

“Don’t worry my little pet. I will at least listen to your reasoning before deciding on your punishment, it might not stop it from happening, but it might lessen it.”  

‘Well, at least he is fair and will give me a chance to explain.’ Tom thinks as he continues to follow the demon. He is starting to fall behind, every now and then he has to jog a little in order to keep up. Ever since he woke up in that cave hours ago, he has been running around. The roller coaster ride his emotions took when being claimed by the demon did not help with his exhaustion.  

“That brings us up onto the topic of rewards for good behavior. Your rewards will most likely be small things like not having to wear the led around the house or getting a special treat for dinner. How does that sound?”  

Clauneck turns back to look at Tom only to find him with his eyes half open stumbling slightly. Slowing to a stop, he is about to ask what is wrong with him. But before he could Tom surprises him by walking right into his chest. He watches as Tom jumps back away from him; emerald eyes wide with fright. Clauneck studies Tom as he stands shaking before him. He takes in Tom’s slumped posture, the rise and fall of his chest that is slowly evening out, his eyes that have begun to droop again. Realization dawning on him, Clauneck smirks to himself.  

“Falling asleep on me?” When his only response from the human is a sleepy hum his smirk turns into a grin. “We will continue this discussion when you no longer look like you are about to fall asleep on your feet.”  

He glides over to where Tom stands and throws him over his shoulder again. Calling upon his powers he commands the shadows to surround them. Once covered, Clauneck instructs the shadows to teleport them to his manor above ground. Arriving in his living room Clauneck makes his way past the kitchen and up the stairs. Pushing the door to his room open, he slides Tom off his shoulder onto the carpet.  

Still fighting off exhaustion, Tom looks around the room in a daze.  

Meanwhile, Clauneck has walked over to another door in the room that he opens to reveal a walk-in closet, leaving Tom in the main room, he enters the closet. After rummaging around for a bit, the demon emerges from the closet with his arms full of pillows and extra blankets, Tom watches as the demon sets them down in a corner, arranging them into a makeshift bed.  

Averting his gaze when the demon straightens and turns its attention toward him, Tom stays where he was placed. It is only when he feels a tug on his collar that Tom moves to crawl over to where his new master stands.  

Reaching his destination Tom sits back on his heels as Clauneck ruffles his hair with his large hand.  

“Good boy, already following orders.” He then clips the end of the leash to a hook on the wall that Tom hadn’t noticed before.  

“Now, I need to run a few errands, but I will be back soon. You just stay here and rest, I will only be gone for a couple of hours. Don’t leave this room.” Looking down at Tom with a warning look Clauneck finds him already asleep. Letting out a sigh he crouches down and scoops Tom up and places him fully on the nest of blankets and pillows. Standing up again he makes his way over to the dresser next to his bed. Opening the top drawer, he pulls out a note pad and pen. He sits down on the bed as he makes a list of all the things he will need to buy for his new pet. ‘Food is a good place to start, they should have something he can eat at the pet store. I will also need a food and water bowl for him, maybe I can even get one that has his name engraved on it. While I'm there I can get him a proper bed to sleep on. A big fluffy one that he will enjoy. Oh, and I'll need to get a tag with his name engraved on it for his collar. Tom will also need new clothes to wear, I am not about to let any pet of mine to walk around in rags. That should be it, for now, we can go on another shopping trip together later when he is feeling more awake.’ Getting up from the bed, his list compete, for now, Clauneck makes his way to the door. Casting one last look at his sleeping pet he leaves the room and proceeds to the front door. Exiting his home and locking the door behind him he spread his feathery wings and takes to the sky, having no idea about the destruction he will be returning to.

Three hours later Tom finally wakes up from his nap. Sitting up he stretches his arms above his head and lets out a big yawn. Surveying his surroundings, Tom studies the room with more clarity now that he is fully rested. The first thing he notices is the gigantic king-sized bed, complete with heavy maroon curtains that are tied back to the bedpost. The sheets are a deep amethyst and look like they were made from Egyptian cotton. The pillows that rest up against the headboard are clearly made from the finest silks in the world, looking more like mounds of freshly fallen snow than real pillows.  

‘I wonder what it must feel like to sleep on a bed like that?’  

Tearing his eyes away from the bed, Tom studies the rest of the room. He spots a desk on the other side of the room, stacked high with documents. A fireplace is not far from where Tom is sitting, it is currently empty, but it looks well used. At this point in time, Tom’s bladder notifies him that it needs to be emptied. Tom scourers the room for a bathroom, spotting only two doors he vaguely remembers how one of them is just a closet and the other leads out into the hallway. Climbing out of the nest of blanket Tom starts walking toward the door, only to be stopped in his tracks by a tug around his neck. 

‘Oh, right the leash. I don’t think he will want me to take it off. But I really have to go. I'll just take it off for a few minutes to go to the bathroom then come back and put it on again, he’ll never know. Besides I would rather be punished for taking off the leash than peeing on his floor.’   

With that thought in mind, Tom unclips the chain from his collar and leaves the room. Wandering down the hall, opening doors as he goes, Tom eventually finds the bathroom. Stepping inside, the door closing behind him with a soft click, Tom is stunned by the beauty of the room. The shower is decorated with gemstones of all kinds from top to bottom and is big enough to hold five people comfortably, the bathtub, if you could even call it that, is also covered with gemstones, it looks more like a small pool than a bath. The sink, just like the shower and bath, has precious jewels embedded into the foundation. Shaking off his awe Tom finds the toilet and surprise; surprise it’s also made from jewels. After relieving himself he flushes the toilet and moves back over to the sink. Standing on his toes he washes his hands.  

‘Stupid demons and their stupid tallness.’   

Once he is done, Tom leaves the bathroom and heads back to the room he woke up in.   

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”  

Freezing on the spot, Tom whips his head around toward the source of the voice. Looming at the other end of the hall is another demon. This one, unlike Clauneck, has no wings or horns or even legs. It’s a sickly green color and has the bottom half of a snake. The demon’s bright yellow eyes are fixated on Tom. Two enormous fangs dripping with venom become visual as the demon smiles sadistically.  

“Looks like Clauneck needs to work on his pest control, but lucky for him I am always willing to help a friend in need.” The demon licks its lips. “Especially when I get such a tasty looking meal out of it.”  

Those words finally trigger the response Tom has wanted to do since the very beginning of this mess. He ran like the demons of hell are after him, which in this case is happening.  

Reaching the stairs, Tom takes them four at a time, the demon hot on his tail. Slamming into the wall at the bottom then using it to push off from Tom is just barely able to avoid getting caught by the snake demon. Scrambling into the living room Tom starts knocking stuff over in the hopes of slowing the demon down. This only works a little bit before the demon gets so annoyed that it just smashes through any obstacles Tom puts in its path. This continues all throughout the first floor, Tom throwing things and the demon smashing them to pieces. The only reason Tom has yet to be caught is because of his small stature allowing him to make last-minute escapes from the demon snake’s strikes, but he is slowly losing ground.  

‘I can’t keep this up forever, where is Clauneck when you need him?’   

As if by some miracle the front door opens and Clauneck steps into his destroyed home.  

“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE!”  

Hearing his master’s voice Tom makes a sharp turn towards the scream of outrage, narrowly dodging poison-tipped fangs in the process. Rounding a corner Tom spots his master standing in a doorway with a bunch of bags at his feet. His wings are on full display, claws extended and ready to tear something apart, lips curled back in a vicious snarl, eyes ablaze with fury. Altogether, Clauneck makes an opposing figure that screams danger, but to Tom, all he sees is safety from the creature that is chasing him. So, without slowing down Tom runs full tilt at Clauneck, launching himself into the demon’s chest.  

Anger momentarily forgotten and replaced by surprise, Clauneck catches his pet when he dives for him. However, his anger returns when the other demon comes to a stop in front of him.  

“Pytho what are you doing here? And why are you chasing my new pet around, destroying half my house in the process?”  

Tom peaks out from his hiding spot behind Clauneck. ‘So, Master knows this demon. They must be friends or something.’   

The other demon, Pytho, reels back slightly at his friend’s anger and puts his hands up.  

“Whoa, whoa, I came by to drop off that bone saw I borrowed and stumbled upon him while looking for you. I thought he was just some little idiot that had somehow gotten inside, so I was trying to be a good friend and get rid of him for you, how was I supposed to know you got a new pet. Come on friends are supposed to tell each other these things.”  

Sighing heavily, Clauneck folds his wings and re-sheaths his claws. “I just got him yesterday, I haven’t gotten a chance to tell anybody about him yet.”  

Clauneck suddenly reaches behind him and grabs Tom by his arm, dragging him out in front of him.  

“And you should have known he belongs to me. This collar isn’t just for show.”  

Pytho leans down until his face is level with Tom’s. Whimpering at the closeness of those fangs, Tom tried to back away but Clauneck holds him in place. Luckily the snake demon straightens after it is done inspecting his collar.  

“Well, would you look at that. Sorry about that Clauneck I didn’t notice his collar when I first spotted him in the hallway, and I was too busy trying to catch him to notice it later.”  

Clauneck’s grip on Tom’s arms tightens, causing him to wince.  

‘I’m going to have bruises later, why is he suddenly mad again? What set him off?’   

“You found him out in the hallway?” Clauneck asks through clenched teeth. 

At Pytho’s nod, he let out a growl.  

“That’s funny because I had left him chained to the wall in my room. The only way he could have gotten out of my room, something I strictly told him not to do, is if he took the chain off himself.”  

Blood turning to ice in his veins, Tom feels a claw-tipped finger lifts his chin up until he is looking into the endless black void of his master’s eyes. “Anything to say for yourself my pet?” 

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Recap

“Well, would you look at that. Sorry about that Clauneck I didn’t notice his collar when I first spotted him in the hallway, and I was too busy trying to catch him to notice it later.”    

Clauneck’s grip on Tom’s arms tightens, causing him to wince.

‘I’m going to have bruises later, why is he suddenly mad again? What set him off?’

“You found him out in the hallway?” Clauneck asks through clenched teeth.

At Pytho’s nod, he let out a growl.

“That’s funny because I had left him chained to the wall in my room. The only way he could have gotten out of my room, something I strictly told him not to do, is if he took the chain off himself.”

Blood turning to ice in his veins, Tom feels a claw-tipped finger lifts his chin up until he is looking into the endless black void of his master’s eyes. “Anything to say for yourself my pet?”

Tom starts trembling in his master’s arms. ‘I am so screwed; he’s going to think I tried to run away. But I was planning on going back, will he believe me? He did say he would give me a chance to explain myself when I get in trouble. It’s worth a shot at least.’   

Unfortunately, before Tom has a chance to open his mouth to describe what happened he is gripped by the back of his collar and dragged towards the stairs. Clauneck pauses only briefly to grind out through clenched teeth at his companion.  

“Clean up the mess you made while I deal with my disobedient pet.”  

Pytho, seeming to know when to pick his fights, just nods his head and gets to work. Tom is forced to jog to prevent himself from choking as he is half dragged half led back up the stairs and then thrown to the floor of the room he had woken up in. Holding a hand to his throat and coughing heavily Tom eventually regains his breath. Turning his head to assess his master’s mood he is terrified to find Clauneck with a look of irritation and disappointment adorning his face.  

“This will your only chance to explain why you disregarded a direct order, I will not ask again. And don’t you dare try and bullshit your way out of punishment by lying to me.” Scrambling to sit up, Tom quickly launches into his explanation.  

“I’m sorry master; I didn’t mean to disobey you, I just had to use the restroom and I couldn’t reach it with the chain on. I was planning to come back I promise, but then I ran into that other demon..... and he said he was going to eat me.... and I got scared so I ran.”  

At this point, Tom is crying for what seems like the millionth time in the past two days. Tom sits back on his heels with legs under him as he bents down until his forehead is pressed into the carpet, hands out in front of him. His entire body is shaking with the force of his sobs as he begs the demon before him for mercy. “Please, Master I beg of you forgive me.”  

The carpet absorbing his tears as they fell from his eyes Tom waits for his master’s decision on what to do with him. A heavy sigh is heard then a large hand is placed on top of his head, rubbing softly.  

“It is partly my fault for leaving you here without a way to relieve yourself, and I believe you when you say you were going to return if it wasn’t for Pytho. But…” Clauneck uses one of his claws to tilt Tom’s head up again until he sees twin emerald orbs shimmering with tears. “Were you planning on telling me about your little misadventure when I returned or were you not going to inform me at all?”  

Tom opens his mouth about to let a lie slip past his lips when he stops.  

‘Demons can tell when you are lying.’   

Looking down as much as he can with the claw still holding his head up, he mumbles his answer. 

“No, I was hoping to get back to the room before you returned and never tell you about how I left.”  

Feeling a rush of shame over his willingness to deceive his master Tom waits to hear his punishment. Letting out another sigh Clauneck releases Tom’s chin as he rubs the back of his head, staring down at his crying pet he decides what to do with him.  

“Well, since it is only your first day and you told me the truth, in the end, your punishment will be light, no dinner tonight.” Tom lets out the breath he had unconsciously been holding.  

‘At least I escaped a beating, but I hope he feeds me soon. The last thing I ate was an apple for lunch yesterday.’   

As if to prove a point to itself Tom’s stomach gives a loud gurgle of protest at the thought of missing dinner. Luckily Clauneck had wandered over to the wall to retrieve Tom’s leash and hadn’t heard the noise. When he had unclipped the chain from the hook on the wall Clauneck comes back over to where Tom is still kneeling on the ground. Feeling the leash attach to the loop on his collar then receiving a gentle tug Tom stands up.  

“We are going to head back downstairs, and you are going to help me put the groceries away. Pytho can clean up his own mess.”  

With that said they both walk back down together, Tom following a few steps behind Clauneck. When they reach the first floor and spot Pytho in the living room flipping a couch upright Tom steps a little closer to Clauneck, the later letting out a soft chuckle at his pet’s antics.  

‘As long as he wears the collar I gave him no demon beside me will ever lay a hand on him, but it is kind of cute that he already looks to me for protection.’   

Leading Tom over to the pile of bags that he had left by the front door Clauneck drops the leash from his hand and picks up the first couple of bags. Looking over at his pet he points at half the pile.  

“I’ll put the food away in the kitchen, you can take the clothes and bed up into our room. You can just leave them on the floor, for now, I will show you where to put them later after you are done with that come back now and help me put the rest of the food away.”  

Tom bows his head and responds with a simple, “Yes, Master” before gathering four bags in his arms and scurrying up the stairs. After he reaches the bedroom Tom wraps the chain around himself.  

‘This way it doesn’t drag on the floor and trip me up.’  

He then goes back down and grabs more bags, repeating this process two more times, all Tom had left is the mattress. Stepping closer to examine it Tom realized something.  

‘It’s a dog bed, a giant, fuzzy, human-sized dog bed.’ A sigh escapes his lips. ‘I’m not even surprised at this point. At least he’s not making me sleep on the floor.’   

Tom walks around it so he is standing behind it with his back to the front door. Bending down he shoves his arms under the mattress to get a good grip, heaving it up Tom leans back against the door. This proves to be a mistake when the door swings open behind him, causing him to fall out onto the porch with the dog bed on top of him, completely covering him from view.  

‘Wow, this thing is a lot softer than I thought it would be.’   

Tom takes a second to enjoy the feeling of his new bedding, even if he is under it instead of on top of it.  

Meanwhile, Pytho stops what he is doing to come to inspect the crash that he heard when Tom fell. Seeing the open door and no Tom in sight he jumps to conclusions.  

“Shit!” 

 Slithering quickly to the open door he stands in the doorway, unintentionally pining Tom under the bed by standing on it.  

“Hey Clauneck, come quick I think your pet is making a break for it.”  

A loud crash is heard then a thundering shout.  

“WHAT!?”  

Clauneck comes stomping into the room with a look of fury upon his face.  

“Yeah, I heard a weird noise and when I came to see what it was, I found the door open with no human in sight. He must have thought he could get away.”  

A deep aggressive growl erupts from Clauneck’s chest. “I told him that running away is pointless when I get my claws on that little human, I’m going to snap both of his legs so he can never try to run away again. Come on, he couldn’t have gotten very far, you search the ground, I’ll search the air.”  

Stepping out around his friend Clauneck spreads his black wings out and takes to the skies. Pytho watches his friend fly off to hunt down his wayward pet. Worry edged into his features.  

“I just hope we can find the poor little human before something else does, no matter how fast he is, he won’t last long on his own.”  

With that said, Pytho darts off to join the hunt. Now that the large snake demon is finally off the mattress Tom is able to wiggle his way out from underneath it. He had heard every word that had been spoken, and he did not like the sound of it, especially the part about shattering his legs. 

‘I’ve got to get out of here!’   

Tom starts moving to leave the house when Pytho’s last words return to him.  

'I just hope we can find the poor little human before something else does.’   

Standing in the doorway Tom finally takes in the world outside the house. The sky is a dark orange color and there are two balls of fire in the sky that serve as suns, the ground is a murky purple and the trees in the forest about a mile away seem to be moving more than any plant had any right too. The air smells heavily of sulfur and smoke. Suddenly a loud screech nearly shatters Tom’s eardrums, covering his ears Tom looks up into the sky only to see what looks like a pterodactyl, except this one seems to be the size of a tank.  

‘WHERE IN THE HELL AM I? Wait, hell... I'M IN HELL! I AM NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO ESCAPE I HAVE NO WAY TO GET BACK HOME I’M STUCK HERE FOREVER!’   

Collapsing to the ground Tom lets the hopeless of this situation wash over him, he lays on the ground crying for about an hour before pulling himself together.  

‘My only chance of survival is to stay with Clauneck, hopefully, he doesn’t kill me in a fit of rage by accident.’   

Decision made, Tom moves back inside the house ‘But I can’t just do nothing, Clauneck is going to break my legs for trying to run away. But I didn’t try and run away! How can I prove this to him, or at least get him to calm down long enough for me to explain?’  

Looking back at the house Tom sees the dog bed that was the source of all this.  

‘Maybe if I clean up the house Master will be pleased enough to give me a chance to reveal what really happened.’   

Nodding to himself Tom sets to work fixing up the house. First, he drags the moss-colored dog bed up to the bedroom. He struggles to haul it up the stairs and has to restart twice when he loses his grip and it falls back down. When he finally pushes it into the bedroom Tom is out of breath and sweating. After regaining his breath, he returns to the first floor, wandering around until he finds the kitchen. Once he does, he starts putting away the food that is on the counter. This takes a long time because Tom has to figure out which cupboard holds which food by opening all of them then slowly putting the right food where it belongs. This task is made extremely difficult thanks to his stomach growling the entire time.  

‘Master said no dinner tonight and I can’t risk stealing any with him already so mad at me for thinking I ran away.’   

So, Tom ignores his stomach’s protest and finishes putting the groceries away. He puts any meat he finds in the walk-in fridge.  

‘Why does he even need a walk-in fridge? …... Oh, that’s why.’   

When Tom enters the fridge, he finds whole cows hanging on hooks. They are dripping blood onto the floor, some of them even have chunks missing, almost like something with large claws ripped pieces off. Leaving the fridge and shutting the door as fast as he can Tom tries not to barf at what he had just seen. Forcing himself to focus on the task before him Tom tries to put the images of the mutilated cows out of his mind. Finding two dog bowls with his name on them causes Tom to pause, then he lets out a resigned sigh.  

‘Again, with the dog theme. He’s going to make me eat out of a bowl on the ground like some mutt ...... Well, at least he plans on feeding me at all.’   

Tom clutches his stomach as it gives off a particularly painful growl.    

‘Hopefully, that time will come soon, I don’t know how much longer I can last without passing out from lack of food.’   

Setting the bowls down on the ground he pushes them up against a wall in the corner, Tom then moves on to the next task. Cleaning the up mess he and Pytho made during their marathon through the house. Wandering around the house again to look for any of the things he and Pytho broke during their chase. Ending up in the living room he is greatly surprised when he can’t find any.  

‘I know we caused a lot of damage while running through the house, how could Pytho have cleaned so much of it in such a short period of time. He must have used weird voodoo demon trick to fix everything, that is the only explanation that makes any sense.’   

The loud slamming of a door brings Tom back to reality. He feels the ground vibrate with each step as something stomps its way through the house and to the kitchen.  

‘Master must be home, and he does not sound happy. But it is probably best to let him know that I am here instead of him finding out himself.’   

Tom fixes the chain around his neck so now the excess drags on the floor, then he quietly makes his way toward the kitchen. When he peaks around the corner, he catches a glimpse of Clauneck as he wrenches the fridge door open before entering. Wet tearing sounds followed by loud snaps are heard from inside. Steeling himself Tom forces his voice to work.  

“Master?” 

The snapping and tearing sounds stop abruptly. Tom fidgets as he waits for his Master to come out but what emerges from the fridge will haunt his nightmares. Clauneck is standing in the fridge doorway with a torn off cow leg clutched in his claws, his lips are pulled back in a snarl displaying blood-stained teeth, wings extended in an arch behind him. Heart-stopping then restarting only to trying to and escape out through his throat Tom takes a step back in terror. Unfortunately, this action seems to be what snaps his Master out of a trance. With one powerful beat of his wings Clauneck slams into Tom, bowling him over onto the ground. Using his clawed hands to grind Tom’s wrist into the floor Clauneck pins him to the floor by sitting on his stomach, one knee on either side of his hips. Tom turns his head away and closes his eyes as the demon snarls down at him.  

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU FOR HOURS!”  

Spit mixed with cow blood splatters his face as Clauneck yells at him. Giving him no time to even attempt to stammer out a response Clauneck hauls him up by his shirt, tearing it further in the process and grazing him with his claws. Tom is then thrown through the air, crying out as he collides with a wall. Crumpling to the floor Tom peers up at the furious demon as it advances on him.  

“I TOLD YOU NEVER TO RUN AWAY OR THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES! YOU THINK I AM THE WORST THING OUT THERE! YOU WOULDN’T LAST A DAY OUT THERE ALONE! BUT SINCE YOU THINK I AM SO BAD YOU NEED TO RUN AWAY I’LL SHOW YOU JUST HOW BAD I CAN BE!”  

Clauneck snatches the end of the chain that is lying on the ground in front of Tom. He begins to drag Tom through the house. Being unable to stand Tom pulls desperately at the collar, trying to gulp in lung fills of oxygen as the collar cuts off his airway. Arriving at a heavy black door Clauneck kicks it open and drags Tom the rest of the way in. The room has thick iron chains attached to the walls and ceiling, a wooden post sits in the middle of the room, dried blood stains decorate the ground. Tom lies on the ground coughing hard as Clauneck closes the door with a bang. He then grabs Tom by his hair and moves over to the post, Tom crawls along as he is forced to follow. His hands are then grabbed and tied behind the post. The tattered remains of his shirt are forcefully ripped from his body. The leash is taken off his collar and he is left to sit there. Turning his head Tom watches as Clauneck walks over to a table in the corner. Unable to see what is on it from his position on the ground Tom can only hope for his master to calm down enough for him to explain. All thoughts of waiting flee his mind when Tom sees what Clauneck picks up from the table. A whip.  

‘HE’S GOING TO WHIP ME! BUT I HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING!’   

Pulling at his bonds but making no progress Tom starts to beg.  

“Master wait, please listen, it’s not what you think. I...”  

“SILENCE!”  

Tom’s mouth gives an audible click as it closes.  

“You will receive ten lashes and you will count each one, failure to do so and I will start over, any further begging will only increase your punishment, understand?”  

Remaining silent Tom starts to shake horribly.  

“I said, UNDERSTAND!”  

Jumping so hard the bonds became the only reason he stays in place.  

“Yes, Master.”  

Resigned to his fate Tom braces himself for what is to come.  

“Good.”  

Taking aim Clauneck swings the whip back then brings it forth.  

*WHOO CRACK* “AHHH.......one.” *WHOO CRACK* “AHHH......two” *WHOO CRACK* “AHHH......three” *WHOO CRACK* “AHHHH......f-four”  

The whip leaves long red marks on Tom’s back with each strike. 

*WHOO CRACK* “AHHHH......f-five” *WHOO CRACK* “AHHH....s-six” *WHOO CRACK* “AHHH......s-s-seven"  

The whip breaks the skin and blood is now flowing down Tom’s back.  

*WHOO CRACK* “Ahhh....e-eight” *WHOO CRACK* “Ahhhh....n-nine” *WHOO CRACK* “Ahhh..........t-ten”  

A pool of blood is slowly forming below Tom as he slumps against the pole, the bindings restraining him the only things holding him up. Tom doesn’t react at all when his master begins to speak again.  

“I will leave you in here for a few hours so you can reflect on why you needed to be punished. I will be back to collect you later.”  

With that said he puts the whip back on the table and leaves the room, closing the door but leaving it ajar. Tom just lays there not moving, salty tears that had long ago started to fall mixing with the growing pool under him. After an hour the pain has subsided enough for Tom to think somewhat clearly again.  

‘He promised. He PROMISED he would listen to me before punishing me. Why did I ever believe him! How could I be so stupid? He doesn’t care about me; he just wants something to entertain him, the second he grows bored with me he’s going to get rid of me. I’m going to die here.’  

Working himself into a panic Tom starts to hyperventilate. ‘I need to calm down or I am going to have a panic attack.’   

So, Tom did the one thing that has never failed at making him forget his fears. He sang a song his mom used to sing to him after he has a nightmare. 

I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'd never let you go  

When all those shadows almost killed your light  

I remember you said, don’t leave me here alone  

But all that’s dead and gone and passed tonight...  

Just close your eyes  

The sun is going down  

You'll be alright  

No one can hurt you now  

Come morning light   

You and I’ll be safe and sound...  

Don’t you dare look out your window darling; everything’s on fire  

The war outside our door keeps raging on  

Hold on to this lullaby  

Even when the music’s gone, gone  

Just close your eyes  

The sun is going down  

You'll be alright  

No one can hurt you now  

Come morning light  

You and I’ll be safe and sound  

Ooooooo, oooooo  

Oooooo, oooooo  

Lala... Lala...  

Lala... Lala...  

Ooooo, oooooo  

Ooooo, oooooo  

Lala... Lala...  

Lala... Lala...  

Just close your eyes  

You’ll be alright  

Come morning light,  

You and I'll be safe and sound...  

Oooooo, ooooooo  

Oooooo, ooooooo  

Oooooo, ooooooo  

Oooooo, ooooooo  

Oooooo, ooooooo  

Oooooo, ooooooo  

Meanwhile, a few minutes earlier Clauneck sits in the kitchen at the counter finishing eating his dinner, which is the cow leg he had been eating before Tom announced his presence. As he is wiping the last drops of blood from his face, he thinks of his new pet. 

‘Was I too harsh on him? It is after all only his first day as a pet and humans are rumored to be extremely rebellious. No, he needs to learn early on that I will not tolerate escape attempts of any sort. At least he came back before something else found him. Tomorrow I will tell him about the rest of the rules and explain to him why running away from me is so dangerous.’   

Looking at a clock on the wall he sees that an hour has almost passed.  

‘He has been in there long enough; it is about time for bed.’   

Standing up he throws the bones in the trash and walks back to his torture room. Right as he is about to open the door, Tom’s voice filters through the crack. Stopping with his hand still raised to push the door open Clauneck listens, mesmerized as Tom sings. Each note is filled with such raw emotion it brings a lone tear to his eyes. The tear travels down his face as Tom warbles out the last note. Clauneck is broken out of his stupor with the end of the song, pushing open the door he spots Tom in the same place he left him. Seeing him flinch so violently when the door opens made him feel guilty. Now that he is no longer as angry as before he notices the scent of iron in the air, glancing down at the now dry pool of blood makes him feel even more guilty. But he steels himself and grabs the leash from the ground where he had discarded it. Walking over to the post he stops when he hears the gentle rattling of chains.  

‘He is so scared he is shaking.’   

Attempting to ease his pet’s fears, Clauneck starts talking in the most soothing voice he can muster.  

“It’s ok Tom, your punishment is over, I'm just going to reattach your leash and then undo your bindings."  

He clips the leash on with no problem but when he unties Tom’s hands, he is un-prepared for him to collapse to the floor in a boneless heap, letting out a broken whimper in the process. Clauneck stands up and gently gives the leash a few tugs.  

“Come on, let's get to bed. We’ve both had a long day.”  

He waits for Tom to get his feet under him before he starts walking toward the stairs. They barely make it to the living room before Tom collapses to his hands and knees, breathing heavily. With better lighting in the living room, Clauneck is able to get a better look at his handy work. Tom’s back is a mangled mess of blood and flesh. Subconsciously reaching a clawed hand to his back Clauneck is surprised when Tom recoils violently enough to propel him on to his back. Tom lets out a cry of anguish when he lands on his wounds but still scrambling back when Clauneck moves closer to help him. Letting the leash slip through his fingers as the human shuffles to get away from him, Clauneck watches as the human backs himself into a corner then proceeds to curl into a ball. His enhanced hearing picking up on Tom’s words as he mumbles to himself.  

“You promised, you promised, you promised.” Confused by his pet’s words Clauneck steps closer but stops when Tom shrinks in on himself.  

“What did I promise little one? What has you so upset?” Clauneck tries again to soften his voice.  

Tom looks up at him with eyes that now hold brokenness to them. 

“You promised to listen. I never left the house. I was trying to move the mattress but when I leaned on the door to try and lift it the door swung open and the mattress fell on top of me. Then before I could get out from under it Pytho stood on top of it to look out the door, I was stuck. I could only move again after he got off. I waited at the house and put the bed upstairs as you asked and I even put away the groceries but when I tried to tell you earlier you wouldn’t listen. I never tried to run away, but you didn’t care. You punished me anyway. You broke your promise.”  

Clauneck stood stunned at the revelation he is given. A knot forming in his stomach as he realizes what he has just done.  

‘He never tried to run. I just whipped him for something he never did. I let my emotions take over and he got hurt because of it.’   

He looks over to where Tom is still huddled in the corner, quivering with fright.  

‘I just destroyed what little trust he had in me, now he is never going to trust me again.’ As if to prove him right Tom suddenly starts babbling out apologies, as if he is the one in the wrong.  

“I’m sorry master, I shouldn’t be complaining, I am in no position to tell you what to do. Please forgive me. You have every right to treat me however you want to, you can make as many empty promises to me as you want. I am sorry, please, please forgive me.”  

Tom hunches down in a deep bow again, the unspoken plea of -please don’t punish me again- hangs in the air between them.  

‘It wasn’t an empty promise.’   

With Tom bent over in a bow Clauneck is again able to examine the wounds on his back.  

‘He reopened his wounds again with all his movement. I should clean and treat them, so they don’t get infected. Plus, this might help me regain his trust a little bit.’   

Stepping closer, ignoring Tom’s flinch at the movement, Clauneck picks up the leash again.  

“Come on let’s go upstairs.”  

Walking extremely slowly to allow Tom to go at his own pace Clauneck leads Tom out of the living room, going up the stairs he stops every few steps to allow Tom to catch his breath. As they walk down the upstairs hallway Clauneck stops at the bathroom door and goes in. Leading Tom to the bathtub, he turns on the faucet. Putting his hand under the water, messing with the temperature until he is satisfied. Turning back to Tom he finds him with his eyes glued to the floor, standing at the maximum distance from him the leash will allow. 

‘He is scared of me.’   

Gently Clauneck slowly pulls on the chain until Tom stands in front of him. He then removes the collar from his neck.  

“Strip down and then get into the bath. I will be back in a few minutes; I just need to get something from another room.” 

 Eyes still downcast Tom starts removing his pants as he mumbles out a weak “Yes Master.”  

Clauneck then leaves the room as he goes to a closet across the hall that holds extra towels and a first aid kit. Opening the kit to check that it has everything he will need inside it.  

‘Bandages, scissors, tape, disinfectant, I will also need a few extra washcloths to get all the dried blood off his back.’   

After gathering everything in his arms Clauneck returns to the bathroom. Tom is sitting in the tub waiting for him. Setting the first aid kit on the sink counter he moves closer to the bath until he stands at the edge of it. Tom tries to discretely edge away from him but Clauneck sends him a light glare that freezes him in place. Dunking one of the washcloths he grabbed underwater he motions for Tom to turn around, once he does Clauneck dabs at his back. Painstakingly cleaning the blood away without hurting Tom further. 

 ‘Should I try and talk to him to break the silence? What would I even say? Oh, I know!’  

 “You have a lovely singing voice. What is the name of the song you were singing earlier? It was beautiful.”  

Unfortunately, this seems to be the wrong thing to say. Tom cowers away slightly, shaking with fright again before he forces himself to answer.  

“I-it was a s-song my m-mother use to sing t-to me when I was scared.”  

‘Well that plan backfired, he is even more scared now than before, I'll just finish up so we can go to bed. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.’   

The dried blood now was gone, Clauneck picks up a bottle of shampoo that sits near the faucet. Squirting a generous amount into his hands then rubbing them together to lather them up. 

 “Dunk.” He commands.  

When Tom resurfaces Clauneck rubs his soapy hands through his hair until he is satisfied. After motioning for Tom to dunk again to rinse his hair, Clauneck moves back over to the sink and retrieves the first aid kit. Looking back at the tub he sees Tom peaking over the top, eyeing the kit with interest.  

“Come on out little one, I'm going to treat your wounds then we are going to bed.”  

Climbing out of the water Tom moves cautiously closer. With Tom now sitting with his back to him the demon opens the kit, grabbing the bottle of disinfectant first.  

“This is going to sting a bit.”  

Getting only the faintest of nods, Clauneck opens the bottle and applies the ointment to the wounds. Once done he picks up the role of bandages, wrapping them around his pet then tying it off. Picking up the discarded collar and securing it back around Tom’s neck. Clauneck then scoops up the human into his arms, Tom, too tired from blood loss and fear passes out, lying limp in his arms.  

‘At least he is no longer flinching every time I move. Although I don’t think humans are supposed to be this pale. Whatever, I’ll find out what’s wrong with him in the morning.’   

With that thought in mind, Clauneck carries Tom down the hall to their room. Placing Tom on his own bed the demon removes all of the pillows Tom had slept on earlier out of the way, replacing them with the moss green dog bed he had bought. Gathering the human in his arms again he lays his new pet down on the fluffy cushion. Clauneck then walks over to the bags of clothes that sit by the door, digging through then he eventually finds a pair of shorts in Tom’s size. Moving back over to Tom, Clauneck lifts Tom’s legs and slips the shorts on. Taking a moment to think Clauneck debated whether to reconnect the chain to the wall.  

‘I doubt he will try and go anywhere. Even if he did, he won’t make it very far. Plus, I don’t want it to get tangled and hurt him in his sleep, he has suffered enough pain for one day.’ Decision made the demon unclips the leash from Tom’s collar, coiling it around his hand Clauneck places it on the dresser next to his bed, he then climbs into his own bed and surrenders to sleep as well.  

‘Tomorrow will be different, tomorrow I will make it up to Tom for hurting him. Hopefully, I can regain his trust.’  

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”

Recap

‘At least he is no longer flinching every time I move. Although I don’t think humans are supposed to be this pale. Whatever, I’ll find out what’s wrong with him in the morning.’

With that thought in mind, Clauneck carries Tom down the hall to their room. Placing Tom on his own bed the demon removes all of the pillows Tom had slept on earlier out of the way, replacing them with the moss green dog bed he had bought. Gathering the human in his arms again he lays his new pet down on the fluffy cushion. Clauneck then walks over to the bags of clothes that sit by the door, digging through them he eventually finds a pair of shorts in Tom’s size. Moving back over to Tom, Clauneck lifts Tom’s legs and slips the shorts on. Taking a moment to think Clauneck debated whether to reconnect the chain to the wall.

‘I doubt he will try and go anywhere. Even if he did, he won’t make it very far. Plus, I don’t want it to get tangled and hurt him in his sleep, he has suffered enough pain for one day.’ Decision made the demon unclips the leash from Tom’s collar, coiling it around his hand Clauneck places it on the dresser next to his bed, he then climbs into his own bed and surrenders to sleep as well.

‘Tomorrow will be different, tomorrow I will make it up to Tom for hurting him. Hopefully, I can regain his trust.’

Tom fights his way out of the fog that blanketed his mind, crawling his way back into the conscious world. The second he breaches the living world he regrets it. His back feels like someone has poured lava on it. Eyes shut tight, he lets out a whimper of pain, Tom then focuses on getting his breathing back under control.

‘In and out, in and out, in and out. Why did I even wake up in the first place?’

Sudden pain in his stomach is his answer. ‘Oh yeah, that’s why I need to eat something before my stomach eats itself.’

After getting this breathing back under control Tom cracks open his eyes. Sadly, he is facing the wall so that did little to help him figure out what to do. Another pain-filled whimper escapes him as he gathers his arms under him, pushing himself up until he is in a sitting position. Looking around the room Tom spots Clauneck sitting at his desk in the corner, deeply engrossed in some paperwork.

‘Should I signal to him that I am awake or wait for him to notice me?’

Luckily Tom doesn’t have to worry because his master chooses that moment to look up. Practically jumping up from his chair Clauneck leaves his desk and makes his way over to Tom. In too much pain to even flinch, Tom watches as the demon advances until he sits down in front of him.

“You’re up! Good, I was starting to get worried, you slept through the morning, it is about 12:36 now, I didn’t want to wake you after what happened yesterday, you earned the chance to sleep in.” The demon is smiling down at him from where it sits, even with both of them on the ground the demon is still taller than him.

‘12:36? No wonder I’m so hungry, I missed breakfast.’ Tom thinks as his stomach gives another painful growl.

“How are you feeling? Where does it hurt the most?”

Tom, taken aback by the demon’s concern, blinks a few times before he can process the questions fired at him. Shaking off his confusion Tom bows his head, staring down at the green bedding under him, and answers his master, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I am ok master; my back still hurts but it’s not too bad.” ‘Thank G-d I have a high pain tolerance.’

Tom peeks out from under his eyelashes at the demon, seeing the smile drop from his face, filling Tom with worry.

“Oh, well, that’s good, I guess.”

The excitement that Tom hadn’t even noticed before drains from Clauneck’s voice.

‘Did I do something wrong? All I did was answer honestly.’

“Well,”

Tom abandons his thoughts to focus back in when his master begins speaking again.

“Let me know if you need anything, I will just be over there at my desk.” He stands up as he points to his desk, still looking down at Tom, but this time he has a strange look on his face, like he is unsure what to do, then he starts to trudge back to the corner.

‘Now’s my chance, I can finally get something to eat, he seems to be in a good mood so hopefully, he will grant my request.’

Taking a deep breath Tom calls out to the demon’s retreating back. “Master?”

Clauneck whips around so fast he would have gotten whiplash had he been human.

“Yes?” That note of excitement has returned to his voice.

Taking another deep breath Tom continues. “I-if it’s not too much trouble c-can I have something to eat now?” Tom curses himself as his voice cracks. ‘I must have lost my voice yesterday; it makes sense I was screaming a lot.’

Lost in thought Tom doesn’t notice when Clauneck re-approaches him.

“Eep!”

Tom let out a very manly (not) squeak as he is suddenly picked up off his bed, instinct leads him to wrap his arms around Clauneck’s neck and his legs around his waist, blinking away his surprise Tom find himself being held like a child by their parent. Cheeks taking on a dusty rose color Tom buries his face in the crook of the demon’s neck in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. Regrettably, his shyness does not go unnoticed. Tom’s blush spreads when he feels the chest he is pressed against begin to rumble with silent laughter as his master carries him towards the kitchen.

‘Glad my misery is a source of entertainment for you.’ Tom’s voice is dripping with sarcasm within the confines of his mind. Keeping his face hidden, Tom feels Clauneck’s chest rattle with each word as he speaks.

“No need to be shy Bright Eyes, even if you make an adorable sight when you blush like that, I will let you walk on your own when your back is healed, but until then I will carry you around the house.”

Craning his neck to look at the demon, Tom shoots him a questioning look. “Bright Eyes?”

“Yes, Bright Eyes, I am very fond of nicknames, and your eyes shine so brightly, just like emeralds, hence the name Bright Eyes.” The demon says this with such certainty 

‘Oh sure change my name however you want it’s not like you asked me whether I like the nickname or not. My name is Tom damn it.’ Tom scrunches up his fist but then lets them go. ‘What’s the point, it’s not like I can do anything to make him call me by my real name, besides, Bright Eyes is not the worst nickname he can give me.’

Once they reach the kitchen Tom is placed on the ground next to the two dog-bowls he had put in the corner the day before. Tom looks up at Clauneck when he is asked a question.

“What would you like to eat? You were the one who put all the groceries away yesterday so I’m going to let you pick what you want.”

Tom takes a minute to think. ‘What would be a good idea to ask for? Probably something light since I haven’t eaten anything for at least two days, something sugary as well to help me with the blood loss.’ Mind made up Tom turns to address the demon standing over him.

“If it’s not too much trouble Master, can I have some soup and some sugar water.” Clauneck raises an eyebrow at the second request but then simply shrugs his shoulders. Tom watches as his master shuffle around the room and pulls a pot from a drawer and a can of soup from the cabinet. After using a claw to open the can of soup he pores the content into the pot and places it on the stove, setting it to a low simmer. Clauneck then turns back to Tom. Coming over to him Tom ducks his head as the demon comes close but Clauneck simply pats his head as he picks up both of Tom’s food and water bowls, placing one on the counter by the cooking soup, he then moves over to the sink with the other.

“You must have a sweet tooth if you like sugar in your water. But don’t expect this all the time, this will be a special little treat.” Clauneck says off handily as he fills the bowl with water. He is about to add the sugar but stops when he hears Tom speak.

“Thank you, Master, I won’t ask for sugar water often I just thought it was a good idea since…” Tom trails off as he realizes Clauneck wasn’t expecting an answer. He glances over to where the demon is standing with his back turned, holding the sugar container over the water bowl. Tom holds still as he waits to see if the demon is annoyed at him for speaking out of turn. But Clauneck simply continues to pour some sugar into the bowl then picks up a spoon and starts stirring it in.

“Since….what?” Clauneck asked as he turns his head, shooting Tom a questioning look over his shoulder.

Looking down at his lap, Tom fidgets with his hands before looking back at the demon who is still waiting for an answer.

“My dad used to tell me that after losing a lot of blood,” Tom motions to his back. “That it is a good idea to eat something sugary to help your body make more. I thought the soup was a good idea as well because I…” Tom trails off again, mentally scolding himself for letting his mouth run away with him again. He watches as Clauneck picks up the bowl he was stirring and walks over to him, placing the bowl down in front of Tom.

“Thank you, Master,” Tom says quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Standing up the demon moves silently over to the stove, turning up the heat he starts stirring the soup. Tom watches him for a moment before turning his attention to his drink. ‘I wish I had a straw, but it could be worse, at least I am getting the sugar I need to help my blood loss.’ Bending down, Tom put his lips to the water and began gulping it down greedily.

“Because you what?”

Tom blanches when Clauneck suddenly speaks, causing some water to slosh over the rim of the bowl. With water dripping down his chin Tom sits up and looks over to where Clauneck is still stirring the soup. He is staring at Tom with an unreadable expression on his face.

“I don’t understand master, what do you mean because I what?” Tom tilts his head in confusion, unknowingly making himself look like a puppy to the demon.

Smiling softly at his adorable pet, Clauneck re-asked his question. “Earlier, when you said why you wanted the sugar water, you started to say something about the soup as well, what were you going to say?”

“Oh, right.” Tom looks down at his lap again, shifting from one knee to the other. “My dad served in the army and he used to tell me this story about a comrade he rescued from enemy hands. After my dad got them both to safety, his friend wasn’t allowed to eat anything but soup for a couple of days. My dad said that since he hadn’t eaten any proper meals in over a week, anything solid he would just throw up.”

“...When was the last time you ate something?” Clauneck asks, his voice devoid of emotions, he finishes heating the soup and is currently pouring half of it into Tom’s food bowl which is still on the counter next to him.

“Uh… I think the last thing I ate was…an apple for lunch the same day you kidnapped me.”

Clauneck brings the food bowl over to Tom and sets it down in front of him. He then starts petting Tom’s hair with an uneasy expression, Tom, to hungry to feel disgruntled at being treated like an animal, simply digs into his meal.

“Judging by that story and how you seem to be attacking your food, humans aren’t supposed to go 2 days without food.”

Tom elects not to answer his master and instead decides to focus on devouring his meal.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Clauneck chuckles as he stands up. “Let me know if you want seconds.”

The demon then makes his way over towards the fridge and proceeds to make himself a sandwich. Tom is able to slow down enough for him to watch Clauneck sit down at the island and take the first bite.

‘Huh, I guess he can eat regular things too, at least he is not about to eat another cow in front of me.’ 

Tom feels a full-body shudder go through him as the image of dead mutilated cow flashes before his eyes. ‘Nope, no no no, not going to think about that while I’m eating.’

Turning back to his meal, Tom slurps up the last of the broth then uses his fingers to scoop up the chunks of meat and shovels them into his mouth. Once the bowl is all but licked clean, he turns to his master.

“Master?”

Clauneck looks over at Tom from where he sits, unable to speak around the large bite of sandwich in his mouth, so he hums as a form of acknowledgment.

“May I please have seconds?” Tom asks, his head bowed slightly but keeping his eyes on the demon through his eyelashes. He continues to stare at Clauneck as a smirk breaks across his face revealing dagger-like fangs but, the terrifying sight is rendered ineffective by the large piece of cheese dangling from his lip. The demon swallows his food as he gets up from his chair and gathers Tom’s food bowl then refills it with the remainder of the soup, setting the bowl back down in front of Tom.

“Thank you, Master.”

Clauneck gently rubs the top of Tom’s head, a face splitting grin spreads across his lips as Tom unconsciously leans into his hand. Moving back towards the island, Clauneck sits back down in his chair to finish eating his lunch. All the while keeping one eye on Tom just in case he needs anything else.

After they are both done eating Clauneck gathers both of their dishes and washes them in the sink, setting his plate on the drying rack and Tom’s bowl to the ground after wiping it down with a cloth. Clauneck then picks up the water bowl and refills it, adding in some more sugar as well, setting it down next to the empty food bowl he then addresses Tom.

“I will leave this here for you in case you want some more later. Come on, let’s head into the living room where I can fix your bandages.”

Clauneck lifts Tom up in his arms again to carry him into the other room, careful not to touch his back. Once in the living room, he sets Tom down on the carpet by his sofa. Tom sits with his left shoulder a few inches away from touching the couch, the whole room visible from his position on the ground.

“You stay here I am going to go get some fresh bandages from upstairs. After that we can discuss the rules of the house, you were falling asleep last time I tried to tell them to you so I will go over all of them again, you can also ask any questions you might have. Then if we have time, I can give you a tour of your new home.”

Clauneck quickly leaves the room not noticing the small glare Tom sends his retreating back.

‘Ha, home, this place is more like my prison than my home, but there is no way for me to escape so I might as well make the best of it. If I stay on Clauneck’s good side I might be able to at least survive here. It could be worse, I could be a slave instead of a pet, pets are at least treated with some degree of kindness, right?’

Tom lets out a sigh, deciding not to dwell on those dark thoughts, instead he studies the room he was left in. Running his fingers through the thick white carpet under him, Tom leans his shoulder against the reddish-brown leather couch he is sitting next to. He spots a large painting on the wall to the right of him. The painting is of a room filled with gold coins and other jewels, in the background, Tom can just make out the outline of a wing.

‘Oh, I get it, it’s a dragon protecting its hoard.’

Tom continues to scan the rest of the room. Seeing the coffee table in the middle of the room he spots what looks like a TV remote on it. Tom swivels his head around in every direction but is unable to find a TV on any of the walls.

‘That’s strange, why would Clauneck have a TV remote but no TV. Maybe it’s for something else.’

Before Tom can resume his inspection of the room, he hears Clauneck coming down the stairs. Turning his head, Tom watches as he re-enters the room carrying the first aid kit in his arms. Tom straightens up as Clauneck sits down on the floor behind him, setting the kit down next to him.

“Okay, let's get this see how your injuries are doing. Lift up your arms for me so I can take the old bandages off.”

Obeying silently Tom lifts his arms up to allow the demon to remove the gauze around his chest. He is pleasantly surprised when it is less painful than he thought it would be.

‘He is actually being really careful to remove them slowly so that they don’t reopen my wounds. That is unexpectedly kind of him considering he is the one who did this to me in the first places.’

Once the bandages are fully off Clauneck inspects Tom’s back.

“This is not so bad; the cuts aren’t that deep, so they won’t need stitches, and they don’t seem to be infected. They will leave scars though, luckily, they will be faint and won’t be that noticeable. I am going to apply some more solvent to help with the recovery process so you can be back to your full strength sooner.”

Tom stays silent as he hears Clauneck open the bottle of solvent, he tenses when the demon applies the cold gel to his back, he stays like that with his muscles coiled tight as Clauneck wraps new bandages around his torso. Once he finishes tying off the last bandage Clauneck puts the medical supplies back into the first aid kit and sets it on the coffee table a few feet away. He then gets up off the ground and sits back on the couch, his legs coming to a rest in front of the human who is situated on the ground to the right of him.

Tom doesn’t move a muscle as he stays on the ground, too tired to do much more than wait to see what the demon will to next. He is therefore surprised when Clauneck suddenly claps his hands together loudly. Causing Tom to startle and snap his head up to look at the demon as he starts to speak.

“Ok, now that you are all bandaged up, we can go over some rules. The first rule is to call me Master, Sir, or Master Clauneck, you already seem to have this one down.” Clauneck smiles down at Tom but it fades when Tom just gives him a blank look. The demon sits up a little straighter as he clears his throat to continue. “Rule number two, only speak when spoken to, at home I don’t really care about this rule but out in public or when I have guest over, I will expect you to follow it. If you need to tell me something when we are out in public then you first need to gain my permission before you speak, understand?” Tom nods his head, storing that knowledge away for later. “Rule number three, you will follow every command I give you without hesitation. This rule involves any punishments I give you, and you already know how begging will only make your punishments worse.” Tom lets out a whimper as his back suddenly flares up with pain at the reminder of his whipping.

‘Oh yes, I know just how cruel you can be when things don’t go your way.’

Tom tunes back in as Clauneck continues to talk. “Rule number four, you are not allowed on my furniture, you are a pet and pets stay on the ground unless I say otherwise. This means that you will eat your meals on the ground, sleep in the corner of my room, or if I am feeling generous at the foot of my bed.”

‘Gee thanks, I feel so honored to be your glorified mutt.’ Tom thinks sarcastically.

“Rule number five, you are not to leave the house without my permission, you are not on earth anymore, you are in the Netherworld, there are a lot of creatures outside that would love nothing more than to have a tasty little human as a snack. Even if you could avoid all the things that want to eat you, you will die of starvation or poisoning, none of the food that grows in the Netherworld is edible for human consumption. The only way out of the Netherworld is to shadow travel, which is a skill only high-ranking demons such as myself can do.” Clauneck says smugly as he leans back against the sofa.

“Now, on to last and most important rule.” Clauneck abruptly shoots forwards, his clawed hand gripping Tom’s chin in a tight gasp, forcing him to stare into soulless black eyes.

“This collar around your neck.” Tom feels a single dagger-like claw scrap down his throat from his chin to his Adam’s apple where it pressed in until a trickle of blood starts traveling down his throat.

“This collar marks you as my property, only I am allowed to remove it. Not my friends or my family and especially not you. If you EVER take it off without my permission you will wish I had whipped you.”

Tom nearly passes out with fear when Clauneck’s eyes start to change, deep within his iris, a fire begins to burn, a raging inferno that blazes with a promise to disintegrate everything it touches. But just as quickly as it materializes it disappears, Clauneck lets go of Tom’s face, jumping up from the couch with a grin as he exclaims excitedly.

“That reminds me, I have a gift for you!” He reaches into the pocket of his pants and pulls out a little black box. The demon opens the box and shows the context to Tom. What sits inside causes Tom to go numb. For inside the box is a green dog tag with Tom’s name engraved into it.

“Now if you were ever to get lost and another demon finds you, they will know what to call you.”

Clauneck gets down on one knee in front of Tom and starts fiddling with the collar to attach the name tag. When he finishes, he looks at Tom expecting to see excitement but the expression on the human’s face is anything but. Tom is staring straight ahead with empty, bloodshot eyes, his face drained of color and clammy, silent tears cascading down his cheeks. Clauneck lets out a deep sigh as he uses a clawed thumb to wipe away a tear.

“There, there, little one, it is not all bad, this collar is also a form of protection. If another demon tries to harm you then they will have to deal with me first.”

Tom blinks slowly as he absorbs that information. ‘At least there is one good thing that comes with being a demon’s pet, immunity from other demons.’

Tom blinks a few more times to pull himself out of the despair he has fallen into. He looks up at his master. Once Clauneck comes back into focus Tom lets a small smile grace his lips to show the demon that he is back. When Clauneck sees his pet offers a tiny smile to show he is listening again, he offers one of his own closed mouth smile, which, with the abstain of sharp teeth, does its job of reassuring Tom.

The demon then stands up and reclaims its seat on the couch with a content sigh. After a moment of silence, Clauneck looks down at Tom who is staring right back.

“Now that all the rules are out of the way, we can move on to the fun part of this discussion, the questions. I know you must have a lot of questions for me, and I have a few questions for you, so now is the time to ask as many as you want. I can’t guarantee that I will answer all of them, but I will answer the ones I can. So, I will let you start what do you want to know about me?”

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Recap

Tom blinks a few more times to pull himself out of the despair he had fallen into. He looks up at his master. Once Clauneck comes back into focus Tom lets a small smile grace his lips to show the demon that he is back. When Clauneck sees his pet offers a tiny smile to show he is listening again, he offers one of his own closed mouth smile, which, with the abstain of sharp teeth, does its job of reassuring Tom.

The demon then stands up and reclaims its seat on the couch with a content sigh. After a moment of silence, Clauneck looks down at Tom who is staring right back.

“Now that all the rules are out of the way, we can move on to the fun part of this discussion, the questions. I know you must have a lot of questions for me, and I have a few questions for you, so now is the time to ask as many as you want. I can’t guarantee that I will answer all of them, but I will answer the ones I can. So, I will let you start what do you want to know about me?”

Tom is silent for a few moments as he stares up at the demon before he starts word vomiting questions.

“Why were you in my house? How did you get there? Why were you so out of it? Were you on drugs? Is it because you had oral surgery? Why did you start petting me? Why did you decide to kidnap me? Why do you even want a human for a pet? Why did you leave me in those tunnels? Why was there a huge room with so much treasure in it? How did we get out of those tunnels so quickly? Where are we now? Are we in Hell?”

Tom finally runs out of air resulting in him having to stop to catch his breath. After regaining his breath Tom opens his mouth again, ready to continue with his bombardment of questions but he is prevented from doing so by a red hand that covers his lips.

“Slow down, I can’t answer your questions if you don’t give me time to say anything before you ask the next question, ok?”

Feeling Tom nod his head Clauneck removes his hand. He leans back into the couch, staring at his pet as he kneels in front of him, then he starts answering the questions thrown at him. “Ok, let's see, your first couple of questions I'll answer by telling you what I remember happening that day. You see a few weeks ago my brother-in-law and I were sparing, he got carried away, like he always does, and hit me extremely hard in the jaw, cracking one of my teeth.”

Clauneck’s eyes grow unfocused as he lets out a small huff of laughter, a tiny smile gracing his lips as he remembers the events that happened that day.

“He looked so terrified when my sister started yelling at him for hurting her baby brother. I took pity on him because I know what it is like to be on the wrong side of her anger so, I distracted her by getting her to fuss over my injury, the look of relief and gratitude he sent me was worth getting babied. After all the saying ‘Hell has no fury like a woman’s scorn’ holds truth to it.”

Tom giggles at the joke. Clauneck gives his pet a large grin, proud that he has gotten Tom to laugh before he continues speaking.

“After leaving their home I set up an appointment with a dentist a few days later and they told me that the tooth needed to be removed so they gave me some Nitrous oxide to ease the pain. After that everything is kind of fuzzy, I remember trying to shadow travel home.”

Seeing Tom’s confused expression, Clauneck pauses to explain. “Shadow traveling is something I mentioned before, only high ranking demons can perform it, it is where a demon commands the shadows to gather around them, then the demon can travel from one shadow to another, it is also the only way to travel between the mortal world and the Netherworld. I must have been so out of it that I accidentally traveled to the human world into your home. Everything after that is too foggy to remember. I woke up hours later lying in one of my tunnels, I was about to shadow travel back to my house when I noticed one of my armbands was missing, I was searching for it when I felt something in one of the caves so I went to investigate. The network of caves and tunnels are all located under my house and the only way to gain access to them is by shadow travel or to dig down through the ground to find a tunnel. Imagine my surprise when instead of finding a thief as I expected, I find a little human wearing my missing armband, claiming to be my new pet. I have been thinking about getting a pet lately and you just seemed to have fallen into my lap, so I fitted you with a better collar and shadow traveled us up to my home. The rest you already know. So, now that you know what happened do you have any other questions?”

This time Tom organizes his thoughts before he starts asking questions, absorbing all the information he was given, then asking about the things he is still confused about. “How did you know I was in that room full of treasures? Also, you mentioned something called the Netherworld is that where we are Master?”

Clauneck releases a heavy sigh as he contemplates how to answer Tom’s questions. He leans forwards, bracing himself on his thighs.

“Alright to answer your second question, yes we are in the Netherworld, or as you humans like to call it Hell, but for you to fully understand I am going to explain the hierarchy down here.”

Tom sits up a little straighter at Clauneck’s serious tone, his full attention on the demon in front of him.

“The Netherworld is made up of seven rings, the outermost ring is mostly wild, that is where dangerous monsters gather and hunt. The second, third, and fourth rings are where the average demon inhabits. The weaker, poorer ones in the second ring and the richer more powerful demons in the fourth ring. The fifth ring is only occupied by the most elite demons, demons that have proven themselves powerful warriors in battle or master strategist. The only way to gain access to the fifth ring is by being promoted there by a demon lord or the demon king. That brings us onto the sixth ring, in this ring resides the seven-demon lords and the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The four are Pestilence, War, Famine, and then Death. They are the four strongest demons in the Netherworld besides King Lucifer who live in the innermost ring in his castle. The seven demon lords govern the lower level demons depending on what sin they devote themselves to. The seven sins they can choose from are Pride, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Lust, and Greed. If a demon proves themselves their lord can grant them powers based on that sin. For example, a greed demon can gain the ability to summon objects that belong to them right to hands or the ability to sense if anyone is touching something that belongs to them.”

“That is how you knew I was in that room with all that gold, you’re a greed demon.” Tom slaps a hand over his mouth, ducking his head in embarrassment at his outburst.

Clauneck chuckle at Tom’s embarrassment, unbothered by the interruption. He leans back on the couch as a terrifying grin slowly creeps across his face. The burning inferno returning to his eyes.

“No, my little pet, I am no ordinary greed demon, I am the demon Lord of Greed.”

Tom gulps as he lowers his eyes to the floor, shrinking in on himself, trying to make himself seem smaller than he is. He only looks up again when he feels someone ruffle the top of his head. Seeing that the light has once again disappeared from Clauneck’s eyes Tom relaxes. He even leans into the touch a tiny bit; closing his eyes as he enjoys being pet like an animal. After a few moments of bliss, Tom reopens his eyes to look at his master to ask another question.

“Why do your eyes do that Master?”

Clauneck stops petting Tom’s head at the comment, much to Tom’s disappointment, he let his displeasure be known by releasing a soft whine from within his chest. Unfortunately, Clauneck ignores Tom’s request for more petting in favor of questioning his pet.

“What do you mean Bright Eyes?”

“Your eyes, sometimes your eyes glow, I was just wondering what causes it, Master.”

Clauneck completely removes his hand from Tom’s head and leans back into the couch again, leaving Tom to silently pout. They both sit in silence as Clauneck closes his eyes, tilting his head back until he is facing the ceiling, he looks troubled, like he is struggling with something.

‘How do I explain this to him without scaring him more than I already have, I can’t lie to him, that will only destroy the minuscule amount of trust I gained back after I whipped him for no reason, Satan I hate my temper sometimes. I guess the only way to tell him without Tom freaking out is to break it to him slowly.’

Mind made up Clauneck sits back up and looks down at his waiting pet. “Well my little pet, that is because of my primary form. Every demon in the Netherworld has a primary form they can transform into, a demon’s initial form is the embodiment of that demon’s personality, and since no two demons are exactly alike no two primary forms are exactly alike either, sure they can be similar but there will always be some differences. A demon’s dominant form is also where most of the demon’s power lay, which is why attributes of our main form bleed into our secondary form. Like my horns or my wings.” Clauneck leans forwards and extends his wings out behind him, flapping them slightly to show them off.

“Or like Pytho, his primary form is a giant serpent, so in his secondary form he has the bottom half of a snake.”

Clauneck reclines back into his seat, satisfied that he has answered Tom’s question without freaking him out, that is until he hears Tom speak again, shattering his success at avoiding the main part of the question.

“If you don’t mind me asking Master, what is your primary form?” Tom asks timidly, his voice barely above a whisper.

Clauneck internally winces. ‘Damn, I was hoping he wouldn’t ask that, well there is no way to evade the truth now, might as well just come out and say it.’ So, with a heavy sigh, Clauneck blurts out the answer.

“My primary form is a colossus dragon, that is why my eyes glow, it is a reflection of the raging inferno that dwells within me coming to the surface.” Clauneck looks away from Tom, not wanting to see the look of utter terror he is sure is edged into his pet’s face, if he had looked, he would have seen not terror but awe instead.

‘A dragon, a real dragon, that is so cool, dragons have always been a passion of mine, I wonder if he will let me see his dragon form, that would be amazing, well there is only one way to find out.’

Tom swallows his nerves and scoots a little bit closer to the demon, taking a deep breath and gathering his courage he asks his master another question. “Master, can I see your primary form, please?”

Not expecting the question Clauneck snaps his head around to stare at his pet in astonishment, his eyes meet with big emerald orbs that stare up at him pleadingly, but even with Tom begging him so cutely, which makes his heart melt on the inside, Clauneck is still apprehensive about showing Tom his dragon form.

‘I don’t want to scare him, but he looks so cute, what do I do?... Oh, I know.’

Clauneck smiles down at the human sitting before him on the ground, thinking he has a way to avoid showing his true form and getting something else he wants. “How about a wager? You sing a song for me and if you manage to impress me, then I will show you my primary form. How does that sound?”

Tom ponders Clauneck’s proposal for a moment before countering. “Am I allowed to use a guitar?” At his master’s nod, Tom smiles brightly. “Then I accept your deal Master.”

Clauneck uses his powers to summon a beautiful silver guitar and a green pick from his hoard down below his house and hands both to Tom. He watches in amusement as Tom admires the stunning instrument before trying to get conformable on the ground, after about twenty seconds of Tom fidgeting on the floor trying to find a good position that allows him to play correctly Clauneck grows annoyed. So, with a roll of his eyes, he picks Tom up by his armpits and uses his foot to drag the end table closer to them. He then sets Tom down so that he is sitting on the table in front of him. He then sits back and without saying a word waves his hand to tell Tom to continue.

Tom blushes furiously but quickly gets over it as he set his hands in place on the guitar, he then clears his throat and begins to sing.

“Oh misty eye of the mountain below

Keep careful watch of my brothers’ souls

And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke

Keep watching over Durin’s sons

Tom starts to strum his guitar

If this is to end in fire

Then we should all burn together

Watch the flames climb high

Into the night

Calling our father oh, Stand by we will

Watch the flames burn auburn

On the mountain side

And if we should die tonight

Then we should all die together

Raise a glass of wine, For the last time

Calling our father oh, Prepare as we will

Watch the flames burn auburn

On the mountain side

Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire, Inside the mountain

I see fire, Burning the trees

And I see fire, Hollowing soul

I see fire, Blood in the breeze

And I hope that you remember me

Oh, should my people fall then

Surely I'll do the same

Confined in mountain halls

We got to close to the flame

Calling out father oh, Hold fast and we will

Watch the flames burn auburn

On the mountain side

Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire, Inside the mountain

I see fire, Burning the trees

And I see fire, Hollowing souls

I see fire, Blood in the breeze

And I hope you remember me

And if the night is burning

I will cover my eyes

For if the dark returns then

My brothers will die

And as the sky’s falling down

It crashed into this lonely town

And with that shadow upon the ground

I hear my people screaming out

Now I see fire, Inside the mountain

I see fire, Burning the trees

I see fire, Hollowing souls

I see fire, Blood in the breeze

I see fire, Oh you know I saw a city burning out

I see fire, Feel the heat upon my skin

I see fire, Ooooooooo

And I see fire burn auburn

On the mountain side

When Tom finishes singing, he looks over at Clauneck with a brilliant smile plastered upon his face, his smile only grows when he sees the awestruck expression his master is wearing, he knows that he has won their bet.

Immediately upon seeing Tom smile at him like that Clauneck tries to school his features into a neutral expression but he knows it is too late. Reluctantly he admits defeat.

“Alright little one, you win that song was beautiful, I will allow you to see my dragon form. Wait here I need to get something.”

Clauneck stands up from the couch and makes his way towards the stairs, he goes as slowly as he can without making it obvious to try and prevent the inevitable. Meanwhile back in the living room, Tom sets the guitar down on the table next to him, slipping the pick between the strings on the neck of the guitar to hold it in place. Tom then turns to where Clauneck had disappeared up the stairs, he starts unconsciously bouncing in place.

‘I wonder how big he is going to be. Will he still be able to understand me in dragon form? Can he breathe fire? I hope he demonstrates that if he can. Will he let me ever ride on his back!? Oh, that would be a dream come true.’

Just then Tom hears Clauneck come back down the stairs. He gives him another bright smile when the demon is close enough. Clauneck gives his own smile but it is strained, luckily Tom doesn’t notice.

“Ok I am going to carry you outside so I can shift out there, it is too small in here for my dragon form. Once we are outside, I am going to tether you to the yard, so you get scared and try to run you won’t make it very far.” Clauneck holds up the leash and a metal pike that he has retrieved from upstairs.

Instead of being upset at the aspect of being tied to the ground, Tom nods his head so hard it is in danger of falling off, he then lifts his arms up towards his master to signal to him that he is ready, his smile never dimming.

Seeing his pet so excited and so willing to let him touch him sends a small thrill of happiness through Clauneck, but it quickly dissolves when he remembers what he is about to do. Stooping lower, Clauneck gathers up his pet up in his arms and heads to the front door. Shifting Tom to one side, Clauneck opens the door and swiftly walks through onto his porch, using a foot to kick the door closed behind him. Taking a deep breath, he hastily makes his way out onto the grass, deciding to just get this over with. Sliding Tom off him onto the ground, Clauneck goes down on one knee to grab the end of the leash and position the pike over the last link in the chain. Using the palm of his hand, Clauneck effortlessly digs the pike deep into the ground. Turning towards Tom the demon clips the other end of the leash on the D ring of his collar. Giving both ends of the chain small tugs to make sure they will hold Clauneck turns back to face Tom with a serious look on this face.

“Now before I shift into my primary form, I just want to clear a few things up. First is that although I look different, I still retain the same mind so I will be able to recognize you. The second is that in my dragon form I will not be able to speak, or at least speak any language you will be able to understand. The final thing I want you to know is that if you get scared and want me to change back just let me know and I will, ok?”

“Ok,” Tom says, his eyes seem to be sparkling with barely contained joy.

Clauneck gives Tom another strained smile as he ruffles Tom’s hair before standing up and proceeding to walk a good ten feet away before turning back around to face Tom.

“Ready?” Clauneck shouts over at Tom, a look of unease plastered on this face like he is hoping for Tom to say no. But that hope is dashed when Tom shouts back.

“Ready!” His face filled with anticipation.

So, without further ado, Clauneck releases the grip he has on his powers and lets his draconic side take over.

Tom is sitting on his knees where Clauneck has left him, staring across the yard at the demon that is about to transform into a dragon right before his eyes. After calling back to his master Tom leans forwards on his palms, heart pounding in his ears, his eyes laser-focused, ready to take in every detail of the demon’s transformation. What Tom does not expect to happen is for Clauneck to spontaneously combust in a massive explosion. Tom is pushed back slightly as he closes his eyes and uses his arms to cover his face. Once the heat has died down Tom gradually removes his now somewhat red arms away from his face, his ears ringing lightly from the blast. Blinking the stars out of his eyes, Tom stares straight ahead. When his eyes finally refocus, he is met with two large front claws, each talon longer than his arm. With deliberate slowness, Tom lets his gaze travel upward, following the scaly and muscular forearms up to a well-armored chest. Continuing higher Tom follows the elegant curve of the beast’s neck, he pauses momentarily on the creature’s jaw, stopping to examine pure white fangs protruding from its maw, they seem to glow each time the beast exhaled, little wisps of luminescent flames slipping past only to die out soon after they escape. Traveling still further up Tom’s eyes finally come to rest when they meet the dragon’s eyes. The eyes that glow with a brightness unlike anything Tom has ever seen before, the eyes that seem to hold the power to turn entire cities to ashes with a single look, the eyes that are now focused solely on Tom. But even with such an intense gaze focused on him, Tom doesn’t feel afraid, looking deep within those two-burning orbs Tom sees the destruction they can cause, but he also sees the protective urge that is nestled deep within them as well, an urge to defend what it considers its own with a fierceness unlike any other.

‘As long as I belong to this creature, he will always protect me from harm, he will always make sure I am well cared for.’

With no reason to fear the dragon before him, Tom lets a single word slip past his lips.

“Wow”

The dragon seems to hear him even if Tom’s voice is barely a whisper, as it lets out a short rumble from within its chest that shakes the earth. Gently it lowers its hulking body down to the ground with the grace a creature this large shouldn’t possess. Once settled on the ground it folds one of its forearms over the other, then it proceeds to snake its head closer toward Tom until it stops only three feet away, its massive head hovering slightly off the ground.

Unable or unwilling to contain himself Tom starts shuffling closer on his hands and knees, careful not to agitate his injury until he closes half the distance remaining between them. The only reason he does not attempt to touch the magnificent being before him is that he does not want to get burnt by the flickering flames that are still protruding from the dragon’s mouth, even now with a good foot and a half still between them Tom is beginning to sweat from the intense heat. Undeterred by his inability to inspect the head he begins shuffling around the skull to investigate the rest of the body, he makes it to the dragon’s left cheek when he is pulled short by a tug on his neck. Turning back around Tom spots the leash that is pulled taut. Rotating big sorrowful eyes to the burning orb that have never left him Tom brings his hand up to the D ring of his collar, fiddling with the clip to the leash, asking a silent question.

With a sigh that shoots red hot flames out of its nostrils, scorching the ground below it the dragon raises its head back up, looking down at Tom it giving him a curt nod.

Tom waste no time in unclipping the chain and resuming his quest to feel the dragon’s scales with his own two hands. Scurrying over Tom first reaches the dragon’s front limbs. Sitting back on his butt with his legs out to the side of him Tom reaches a shaky hand out in front of him, running a palm up and down the area he can reach Tom marvels at the heat coming off the scales, it is hot, almost burning to the touch. The texture of the scales is smooth when Tom goes with the scales but when he tries to go the other way, he receives a cut for his troubles. Pulling his hand back quickly with a small yelp he examines the wound.

‘It’s not too bad, it is about the same size as a paper cut.’

Tom is about to go back to examining the front claw when he hears a low rumble behind him. Turning around and up Tom is faced with the dragon’s head that is looking down at him with a worried look upon its features.

‘Huh, I didn’t even know dragons can make that face, I guess he is worried about me.’

Sending a large smile at the dragon Tom is quick to reassure him.

“It’s ok, I just cut myself on your scales I wasn’t expecting them to be so sharp, but it’s ok, it is only a small cut, I have had much worse.” Tom lifts his palm up and shows it to the dragon that is watching him so intensely. After a moment or two, the dragon is satisfied that Tom is truly ok, it gives a tiny nod of its head to signal that it is done with its inspection. Tom sends the dragon another large smile before he returns his attention back to the limb in front of him, this time his attention is drawn to the ebony black talon attached to the limb. Placing both hands on it he is surprised that, unlike the scales, the talons are cool to the touch, moving his hands from the sharp tip to the connecting point his hands glide across it like polished marble. Once he is done examining the claw Tom turns his attention to the one appendage he has been most excited for. The wings.

Letting out a small squeal of excitement that he will deny later, Tom scurries as fast as he can down the dragon’s flank until he reaches the wings. Sitting in front of them Tom tries to reach up to touch them, but they are just out of reach. He is about to attempt to stand up when the wings start to move, shuffling back a couple of steps Tom watches as the one wing unfolds till the tip is resting on the ground a few feet away. Tom sends a grateful smile over his shoulder at the dragon before he is once again crawling on his hands and knees as fast as he can to reach his destination quicker. Pausing only briefly when he arrives at the wingtip, Tom shoots both hands out into the feathery appendage before him. Unable to help himself Tom climbs on top of the wing and starts making his way up towards the rest of the body. He makes it halfway before he must stop, the injury on his back flaring up from all the movement. Tom lies down face first in the beautiful red feathers that surround him, burying his face in the soft appendage that gives off a comfortable warmth. The dull throb of his back worth getting the opportunity to interact with a dragon.

Tom is starting to doze off when he feels the wing under him start to move. Lifting his head up Tom lazily watches as the dragon carefully maneuvers its body until the tip of its wing touches down in roughly the same spot Tom started out at. When Tom, who is still in somewhat of a daze from his interrupted nap, refuses to move from where he lays the wing starts to shake a bit in order to dislodge him. Tom begins to slide down the wing, laughing all the way down due to being ticklish, till he is lying flat on this stomach back on the ground, drowsiness now completely gone thanks to the impromptu slide. Already missing the feeling of the cloud-like wings Tom begins to sit up when his hand brushes against something cold and hard, turning his head Tom realizes it is the chain leash that he had been wearing before. Picking it up gently Tom examines it, debating what he should do. Stealing a glimpse at the dragon before him he sees that the dragon is not paying him any attention, instead, it seems to be focusing on taking small footsteps as to not shake the ground as it backs away. Tom looks back down at the leash.

‘He did just let me crawl all over him without complaint, the least I can do is be a good pet...... I can’t believe I just called myself his pet. But if being his pet means I get to touch a real dragon, then maybe being a pet won’t be so bad.’

Mind made up Tom clips the end of the leash to the D ring on his collar. Looking up at the dragon again which has now successfully made it a good ten feet away without causing any major earthquake. It looks over at him briefly before it too is consumed by a massive explosion. This time Tom is expecting it and turns away while his hands over his ears. Once the heat dies down again Tom removes his hand and looks back toward the clearing. Blinking his eyes a couple of times Tom tries to focus on the red blur that is approaching him, once his eyes eventually adjust to the lighting Tom recognizes the form of his master standing before him. Clauneck is studying the chain attached to Tom’s collar like it holds the secrets of the universe in it. His eyes flicker up to Tom’s as he raises an eyebrow. Tom flushes a light pink and looks away; when Tom dares to look back at the demon, Clauneck is smirking down at him, a knowing glint in his eyes. Luckily, he doesn’t say anything, instead, he kneels to pull the metal spike out of the ground with one hard tug. Clauneck then proceeds to scoop Tom up off the ground and head back towards the house.

“So, Bright Eyes, how did you like my dragon form?”

Tom lights up at the question, his previous embarrassment forgotten. “It is incredible, you were bigger than the whole house, and your wings, oh your wings are magnificent. They are so soft and warm that I started to fall asleep on them.”

“Ha, ha, ha.” Clauneck’s booming laughter cuts Tom off before he can continue. “I am glad you enjoyed my other form so much, I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. I thought my dragon form would frighten you, which was why I chained you to the ground, I didn’t want you to get scared and hurt yourself.” Clauneck slows his pace as he turns his head to Tom. “Instead you do the exact opposite of what I expect and decide to get a closer look at a creature that could kill you so easily, why is that?”

Tom’s blush returns as he half buries his face in Clauneck’s shoulder. “I could see it in your eyes. I could see that as long as I am your pet, you won’t let any harm come to me....... Plus, I have always been a huge geek when it comes to dragons so I couldn’t pass up the chance to examine a real one.”

Clauneck slows to a stop at hearing the reasoning, deeply touch at Tom’s confession. Squeezing Tom gently tighter to his chest he is about to speak when the moment is shattered by the growling of a stomach. Mood broken, Clauneck chuckles softly as Tom buries his now even redder face deeper into his neck.

Resuming his walk to the house, now a little quicker than before, Clauneck tries to reassure Tom. “It is getting close to dinner time, why don’t I make us something to eat? Then after dinner, we can finish our discussion, and this time it is my turn.”

“Your turn?” Tom asks as he turns his head slightly so he can look at Clauneck with a questioning stare.

Still looking straight ahead Clauneck responds. “Yes, my turn, don’t you remember? You get to ask your question first, but then I get to ask my questions about you.” They reach the front door and Clauneck again shifts Tom over to one side so he can open the door. Once they are inside and Clauneck has closed the door behind them, he moves toward the kitchen, still carrying Tom.

“But that part of our discussion can wait till after we have eaten.”

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”

Recap

Resuming his walk to the house, now a little quicker than before, Clauneck tries to reassure Tom. “It is getting close to dinner time, why don’t I make us something to eat? Then after dinner, we can finish our discussion, and this time it is my turn.”

“Your turn?” Tom asks as he turns his head slightly so he can look at Clauneck with a questioning stare.

Still looking straight ahead Clauneck responds. “Yes, my turn, don’t you remember? You get to ask your question first, but then I get to ask questions about you.” They reach the front door and Clauneck again shifts Tom over to one side so he can open the door. Once they are inside and Clauneck has closed the door behind them, he moves toward the kitchen, still carrying Tom.

“But that part of our discussion can wait till after we have eaten.”

Tom is sitting on the floor of the living room again waiting for his master to finish applying fresh ointment and bandages to his back. They both have just finished eating dinner together, which even with another hot bowl of soup and sugary water now resting comfortably in his stomach, was not pleasant for Tom.

‘Don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about the entire cow leg I just watched him eat, don't think about how he ripped apart the meat like it was made of paper, don’t think about the way the blood splattered all over the floor and dripped down his chin. Don’t think about how easily Clauneck can rip me to sheds even easier than he did that cow he just consumed.’

Tom’s dinner attempts to make a return trip but he is, luckily, able to prevent the reappearance of his meal through sheer will power. Clauneck, who is sitting on the couch while he ties off the last of the bandages, notices Tom’s queasiness and shifts him around to face him when he sees how pale Tom’s face is, he grows concerned.

“Is everything alright Bright Eyes? You aren’t looking so good.” Clauneck lifts a hand up to feel Tom’s forehead. Finding no fever, he looks to Tom for an explanation.

Tom just looks at him with a vacant expression. Fortunately, immediately upon seeing Clauneck’s concern Tom’s fears begin to dwindle. Still, Tom knows that he cannot continue to watch his master eat like that and not get sick in the future.

“I am fine Master; I am just not used to watching such a gory sight as the one I just witnessed in the kitchen. Is it possible for me to go to another room when you decide to eat like that?”

Clauneck looks taken aback by the request but he then sits up straighter on the couch as he considers the idea.

‘Having Tom leave the room while I eat might be a good idea, he looks like he is about to throw up and I do not want to have to clean up any barf. But still, he is going to have to get used to that kind of violence if he is going to be staying here with me. Oh well, I will let it be for now.’

Smiling down at his pet Clauneck reaches out to ruffle his hair. “Alright, little one, when I am eating something that requires me to rip into it, I will allow you to eat somewhere else, but that is only when we are at home. If I ever decide to take you out of the house, I cannot guarantee that you will not witness some level of violence, that is just how the Netherworld functions, understand?”

Tom nods his head, accepting of the conditions his master has given him.

Clauneck claps his hands together loudly with a large grin on his face. “Excellent, now that that’s out of the way, it is time for me to ask my questions. Now where to start?” The demon taps a single clawed finger against his chin.

“Mmmmm, oh I know,” Clauneck looks down at Tom in excitement. “Tell me how you are so good at singing, I have never heard a human sing in such an enchanting voice before.”

Tom’s face flushes scarlet at the praise, even the tips of his ears are dusted a deep red. “Thank you, Master, my mother taught me from an early age how to sing, she is...” Here Tom stops, he looks down at the ground with a heart-broken expression, his blush leaving his face as fast as it came. “Or she was... a music teacher before she died.”

Tom looks up at Clauneck with a bitter-sweet smile. “She taught me how to play the guitar and the piano, I used to play for her all the time, and it would always put a smile on her face. She used to always be smiling but then my fourteenth birthday came… My dad was supposed to come home for my birthday, but instead, a letter came.”

Tom looks back down at the ground, his hands clench tightly into a fist at his sides. “My father was a soldier in the military so he would be deployed overseas a lot, but he used to always come back. Until one day he didn't, one day a man came to our house and gave us a letter.” Tom now has tears gathering at the corners of his eyes, but he refuses to let them fall.

“That letter broke my mother into pieces, that letter told us that my father had been killed in action while protecting a small Afghanistan village from terrorists. They held a funeral for him, and he was awarded a medal for bravery, but that was all it was, a hunk of metal they thought could replace my father.” Tom’s shoulders shake with the force of his silent sobs, still, he refuses to let any tears fall.

Tom looks back up at Clauneck again, his eyes turning red from the withheld tears. “My mother was never the same after that, she never smiled, she never laughed, she never even left the house again, she wouldn't even look at me anymore, she would just look right through me like I wasn't even there. She would just sit there in the living room by a window, staring out of it with a hollow look in her eyes.” Tom’s shoulders stop shaking as the tension abruptly leaves his body, he sags forwards slightly as his voice diminutions in volume.

“I learned how to take care of myself after that, I cleaned the house, I cooked all of our meals, sometimes I had to force-feed my mother just to make sure she ate. The only thing that seemed to bring her out of her daze was when I play for her, so that is what I did.” That bitter-sweet smile returns to Tom’s face, but this time it is more of a grimace than a smile.

“So, I played, I played every song I could think of, I learned hundreds of other songs too just to get her to respond. I stopped going to school so I could spend more time with her, my grades dropped significantly but I didn’t care, my friends kept calling me to ask why I wasn’t at school but I ignored them, all I cared about was not losing my other parent, but it was pointless.” The tears are getting harder for Tom to hold in but still, he refuses to let them escape.

“After two months of silence my mother spoke to me, her voice was raspy from disuse, but I understood her perfectly. She asked me to play their song.” Tom lets out a hollow laugh full of sorrow.

“Many years ago, when I was still a baby my father had written my mother a song that he would play for her whenever she was mad at him for being gone for so long in the army. As I got older the song started to lose its effect so he taught me how to play it so he could slow dance with her while I played, it worked like a charm every time.” Tom lets out another humorless hollow chuckle.

“When she asked me to play that song for her, I thought I was finally getting through to her, so I did the only thing I could do, I played, I played her their song, pouring my heart and soul into every note, every key, when I finally finished I looked over towards my mom to see her smiling at me, actually at me instead of through me. I was so happy at the time, I thought I was getting my mother back, I ran up to her and enveloped her in a hug, I then kissed her cheek and when to bed.” Letting out a shuddering breath Tom’s eyes dim as they unfocus, his whole body beginning to shake with tremors.

“That mistake still haunts me to this day, I should never have left her alone…”

“The next morning, I came downstairs and found her in the kitchen lying in a pool of her own blood. She had slit her own writs while I was sleeping, but the worst part was...” Tom’s voice cracks and he has to pause as he screws his eyes shut, still refusing to let any tears escape. “...The best part was that she was still smiling… and written on the wall in her blood were two words, two words that I still see in my nightmares.” Tom snaps his glassy emerald orbs open and stares right into Clauneck's own pitch-black eyes, the tears finally escaping their confines to cascade down his face.

“Thank You… she wrote thank you on the wall, she thanked me for singing her that song one last time before she killed herself, leaving me all alone.” Tom brakes down crying, allow huge sobs to rack his body.

Clauneck, anguished by his pet’s story, stoops down and scoops Tom up into his arms, placing him on his lap before wrapping his wings around them both. Tom immediately wraps his arms around the demon’s neck, burrowing into the demon’s chest as he weeps. Clauneck begins whispering sweet nothings into Tom’s ears in an effort to calm him down, rocking them back and forth in the process.

After a good five minutes, Tom’s cries begin to dwindle. Finally, Tom takes in a shuddering breath and continues his story, his face still buried in the crook of Clauneck’s neck.

“After I found my mother’s body, I broke down crying, it wasn’t until late in the afternoon that one of my neighbors heard my sobs that they came to investigate, they called the police and tried to comfort me. When the police arrived, they started asking questions, I answered all of them the best I could, but I was numb. Since both of my parents were only child I had no relatives I could go to, so I was sent into foster care. The family I ended up with wasn’t so bad, but they were also fostering a lot of other kids as well, so I was looked over a lot, they tried to help but I too broken to do much of anything. My grades at school got even worse and my friends stopped hanging out with me altogether. It wasn’t until the beginning of senior year that anything changed, one of my foster siblings wanted to learn how to play the guitar, but we didn’t have the money to pay for lessons, so I started to teach them. I was rusty from not playing for so long, but I kept practicing because whenever I played, I felt like they were still with me.”

Clauneck looks down at this pet to see a small genuine smile grace his lips.

“I practiced every day and soon I was even better than I was before, I started socializing with my friends again and started paying more attention in school, I was beginning to heal.” The smile Tom has slips away, replaced by a frown.

“But by then it was too late, after three years of awful grades, I couldn't get into any of the colleges I wanted. I ended up having to take a dull office job that paid minimum wage. The only reason I was able to afford the house I was living in was because of my parent’s life insurance money. I was trying to become a musician, I would play at bars and clubs or at fancy restaurants, but it was slow goings, I was coming home from a day at the office when I found you in my living room with Milo.” Tom peeks up at Clauneck from where his head is still resting on the demon’s shoulder, his eyes are bloodshot and puffy from crying.

“The rest of my story is simple; you kidnap me and force me to become your pet.” Tom is surprised to feel no resentment as he speaks these words, just indifference.

Clauneck nods his head sagely, he then constricts his arms around Tom a bit more, pulling him tighter to his warm chest. “Thank you, Tom, for sharing this with me, that was very brave of you, not many humans have the strength to continue after they go through an experience like that. Now you no longer need to be so strong for I am here and I will protect you from anything that wishes to harm you, I will always be here for you no matter what, I promise.”

Eyes widening at his master’s words, newfound tears begin to fall from his eyes, but these are not tears of anguish, they are tears of hope. Instead of answering Tom clings tighter to the demon.

Clauneck simply grins at his pet’s adorable antics. He unwraps his wings from around them and stands up, clutching Tom close to his chest. “Come on Bright Eyes, we both have had an eventful day, let’s both get some rest.” Tom elects to nods his head against his master’s neck, seeming to be nuzzling into it than give a verbal response.

The demon chuckles softly as he walks toward the stairs, causing gentle vibrations to course through his chest, sending Tom into a relaxing state. They are only half-way up the stairs when Tom goes limp in Clauneck's arms, fast asleep.

Entering their room Clauneck places his sleeping pet on his cushion in the corner, he swats down to rest on the balls of his feet as he rakes a clawed hand through Tom’s hair.

‘Today went a lot better than I expected it would. Not only have I started regaining his trust, but he also didn’t freak out when he saw my dragon form, in fact, he seemed to even enjoy it, especially my wings.’

Clauneck’s wings give an involuntary twitch at the phantom feeling of Tom exploring them.

‘We both got extremely lucky that it was his house I shadow traveled into that day, he has had a hard life but now that he belongs to me, he never has to worry about anything ever again.’

Clauneck steps away from his pet and moves to his own bed, collapsing on top of the sheets, falling asleep instantly.

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Recap

The demon chuckles softly as he walks toward the stairs, causing gentle vibrations to course through his chest, sending Tom into a relaxing state. They are only half-way up the stairs when Tom goes limp in Clauneck's arms, fast asleep.

Entering their room Clauneck places his sleeping pet on his cushion in the corner, he stoops down to rest on the balls of his feet as he rakes a clawed hand through Tom’s hair.

‘Today went a lot better than I thought it would. Not only have I started regaining his trust, but he also didn’t freak out when he saw my dragon form, in fact, he seemed to even enjoy it, especially my wings.’

Clauneck’s wings give an involuntary twitch at the phantom feeling of Tom exploring them.

‘We both got extremely lucky that it was his house I shadow traveled into that day, he has had a hard life but now that he belongs to me, he never has to worry about anything ever again.’

Clauneck steps away from his pet and moves to his bed, collapsing on top of the sheets, falling asleep instantly.

Three months later

Tom opens his eyes lazily as he slowly wakes up, leisurely he sits up on his mattress while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Looking around the room he sees that his master’s bed is empty and already made.

‘Huh, I guess Master let me sleep in.’ Tom thinks as he stretches his arms above his head, arching his back, he groans happily as it gives off a few satisfying pops. Standing up Tom walks over to a dresser that stands a short distance away. Opening the bottom drawer Tom pulls out a work-out shirt and some baggy shorts. Closing the bottom draw Tom sets the clothes on top of the dresser before he removes the extra-large shirt he was sleeping in, tossing it in a basket next to the dresser. Grabbing the clothes from the dresser and slipping them on Tom stumbles his way out of the bedroom door towards the kitchen, halfway down the stairs, a delicious aroma reaches his nostrils.

‘Mmmmm, breakfast, smells like Master made pancakes today, yes, my favorite.’

Tom picks up his pace and enters the kitchen where he sees Clauneck at the stove, flipping pancakes, with his back to Tom.

“Good morning Master.” Tom greets as he slides to the floor next to his already filled water bowl, waiting patiently for his breakfast to be served. Clauneck twists his head around so he can look at Tom, an easy smile on this face.

“Good morning Bright Eyes, how did you sleep? Your back is not acting up is it?”

Tom rolls his eyes, now well used to the nickname and the question about his injury.

‘My back stopped aching two weeks ago and hasn’t caused me a problem for a while now. I may have some scars that will never go away, but they are all faint and barely noticeable unless you are looking for them. You don’t have to keep bringing my injury up all the time.’

“My back feels fine Master, I am in no pain what so ever, you don’t have to worry about me so much.”

Stacking a plate high with the golden-brown fluffy goodness Clauneck shifts around to face Tom. “It is my job to worry, I am your owner, which means I am responsible for you.”

Tom rolls his eyes again but says nothing.

Clauneck walks over to Tom and places three pancakes in his food bowl. He then tousles Tom’s hair. “If that makes me an overbearing owner then so be it.”

Tom lets out a disgruntled squawk as he tries to batter Clauneck’s hand way. The demon just chuckles before he relents his attack on Tom’s hair to sit at the counter and eat his own pancakes. Tom shoots an annoyed look at his master’s back but then focuses his attention on his breakfast, that is when he notices something.

‘Hang on, where is the syrup? Master gave me syrup last time when we ate French Toast so maybe he just forgot.’

Tom turns towards his master and opens his mouth to ask for syrup when he is interrupted. 

Not even looking up from his own patch of pancakes Claunck points an accusing fork at him. “Don’t think I didn’t see you roll your eyes or the dirty look you shot at me, too much attitude gets privileges taken away so no syrup for you.”

Stunned Tom stares at his master with open-mouthed shock, but when Clauneck flashes Tom a smug smirk, he snaps his mouth shut with a click, turning back to his meal with a pout. Picking up one of the pancakes and taking a large bite out of it.

‘It tastes dry without any syrup.’

Tom can feel the amusement coming off in waves from his master, but he ignores it, instead, they spend the rest of breakfast in silence, one pouting and the other trying to hold in his laughter at his pet’s childishness.

After they are both done with their meals Clauneck gathers their dishes and begins washing them in the sink. Meanwhile, Tom, who has forgotten all about his annoyance at Clauneck, gets up from the floor and swiftly walks out of the room in the direction of the front door. Clauneck shakes his head in laughter at his pet’s excitement. Finishing the dishes, the demon follows Tom out of the kitchen to find him bouncing in place next to the front door. The silver chain leash, which usually hangs on a hook on the wall, is already attached to Tom’s collar.

‘He must have put it on himself while waiting, well at least he is waiting for me inside instead of opening the door himself. That is something I can’t allow him to do without repercussions, but I will let the leash thing slide, after all, he looks just like an excited puppy ready for a walk.’

Clauneck smiles down at Tom who gives his own beaming smile back, taking the end of the led the demon opens the door and they both exit the house with Clauneck closing and locking the door behind them, then they both take off at a light jog into the woods that surround the house.

This activity started about a month after Tom arrived. Clauneck insisted that Tom needs exercise and fresh air, so he clipped the leash onto the D ring of Tom’s collar and dragged him outside. The first couple of times they went out Clauneck had Tom walk around the house a few times so not to put a lot of strain on his injuries, but as time went on Clauneck began taking Tom on walks through the woods. At first, Tom hated the walks, he kept complaining that he felt like a dog on a walk with his owner, it didn’t help that Clauneck kept saying that it was exactly it, an owner walking their pet. Eventually, halfway through his second month here Tom accepted his fate and began enjoying their walks together. It was only three weeks ago when Tom’s bandages finally came off that Tom started to look forward to their daily outings. Once the bandages came off Clauneck gave the all-clear for them to start jogging through the woods instead of walking.

Jogging through the woods on a trail he has long since memorized from their previous outings, Tom can feel Clauneck’s presence right behind him, letting him set the pace because they both know that if he wants to the demon can easily outrun the human. The slight pull on his collar from the bouncing of the chain is nothing more than an inconvenience that Tom learned to ignore long ago. Continuing to jog at a steady pace for about 2 hours Tom eventually slows down to a walk, putting his hands on top of his sweet slicked hair. Breathing heavy, Tom angles his body around to face his master who doesn’t have a speck of sweet on him. Not saying a word Tom turns back around to resume walking back to the house, enjoying the sensory as they go.

Arriving back at the house they enter through the front door where Clauneck removes the leash and hangs it back on its hook. He then leans over and gives Tom a sniff before reeling back dramatically.

“Whoo, you stink Bright Eyes, you need a shower. Come on upstairs we go.”

Tom ducks his head in embarrassment as he follows his master upstairs into the bathroom. Entering the bathroom Clauneck makes a beeline for the shower, turning it on and placing a hand under the water to adjust the temperature. Behind him Tom stands in the middle of the room as he painstakingly removes his clothes, he has learned his lesson from the last time he refused to undress in front of Clauneck if Tom doesn’t do it, then the demon will remove his clothes for him. So instead of trying to fight a battle he knows is a lost cause, Tom surrenders his clothes so he can keep at least a shred of dignity.

‘I hate shower time; it is so humiliating to be washed like a dog. It wouldn’t be that bad if he didn't insist on...’

“It’s ready.”

Tom looks up with a scarlet blush covering his face at the very naked demon.

‘... Showering with me.’

(Brief mentions of nudity skip ahead if you don't want to read)

Ripping his eyes away from the demon’s well-hung package, Tom scurries into the shower, his blush beginning to creep down his chest. Clauneck stops him right before he enters, he reaches down and removes Tom’s collar before releasing him. After tossing the collar on the floor by the human’s discarded clothes he follows in after his pet, closing the glass door behind him. Tom keeps his eyes glued to the floor as he stands off to the side as Clauneck washes his body first. Once the demon is done, he grabs Tom’s arm and gently guides him under the spray of water. Hearing the pop of what he can now identify as the opening of a soap bottle; Tom allows this body to be moved about as Clauneck rubs a soapy washcloth over his skin as the demon washes him. The lower the rag travels the darker Tom’s blush becomes until he reaches the part of the shower Tom hates the most.

“Eeek” Tom squawks loudly as Clauneck begins to clean his private area, he tries to move away but Clauneck, who is expecting this, wraps one arm around Tom’s chest to hold him in place.

‘Don’t think about the hot naked demon behind me, unintentionally giving me a handjob, think about something else. Dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies, dead puppies.’

Tom tries not to get excited, but it is no use, mini Tom slowly starts to show interest in the attendance it is getting.

‘DEAD PUPPIES, DEAD PUPPIES, DEAD PUPPIES... NAKED GRANDMAS!’

The last imagery thankfully is enough for Tom’s ecstatic to deflate, just in time because Clauneck finishes washing all the sweet from him. Turning off the water, Clauneck opens the shower door and moves over to the towel rack. Grabbing one from the rack he rubs it over his hair and horns before wiping down the rest of his body.

(Scene over)

“Alright, time to dry off.”

Clauneck beckons Tom over to him while picking up another towel while hanging the already used one back on the rack. Tom cautiously slinks over to the demon until he is standing within arms reach, all the while using his hands to cover his privates. Clauneck drapes the towel over Tom’s head before he gives Tom a quick rub down, thankfully avoiding Tom’s family jewels this time. When Clauneck is satisfied that Tom is dry enough he scoops up the leather collar to refasten it around Tom’s neck. Looking down at his pet’s face Clauneck sees Tom sending him a pleading look to which the demon rolls his eyes at.

“Fine, you may head back to our room.”

Tom races out the door before Clauneck can even finish his sentence, his bundle of clothes clutched tightly to his chest. The demon sighs, shaking his head at the human’s sense of modesty. He begins walking back toward their shared chambers. When he arrives, he sees Tom already dressed in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Tom is sitting on his green bed while facing the corner, his arms crossed over his chest, the tips of his ears are still red from embarrassment. Clauneck ignores his pouting pet and makes his way over to his walk-in closet. Picking out an outfit he leaves his closet and walks back over to the bedroom door, calling over his shoulder at his human.

“Come on Tom, quit pouting, I’ll make us some lunch then it is time for obedience training.”

Tom twitches at the command, his attempts to sulk in the corner dispersing in the wake of his hunger, so he gets up with his arms still crossed and follows his master down the stairs. Entering the kitchen he finds Clauneck standing at the island making two sandwiches, Tom silently makes his way to his bowls and plops down on the ground with a “humph.” Clauneck rolls his eyes at his pet’s theatrics but otherwise ignores him in favor of finishing the sandwiches. Once done he places one in Tom’s bowl. Taking a bite of his own sandwich he watches, amused, as his pet viciously devours his meal.

Unable to resist Clauneck swallows his mouthful of food and starts to tease Tom. “What did that sandwich ever do to you?” The resulting dirty look he is given for his troubles causes the demon to roll his eyes again. “Oh come, it was just a shower, I don’t understand why you always get so fussy whenever you need to be washed.”

“It’s a human thing, Master, you wouldn’t understand.” Tom takes a large bite out of his sandwich.

“Uh-hu, a human thing, you sure it’s not just a you thing?” 

Surprised, Tom swallows his food funny and starts coughing, diving for his water bowl, Tom practically dunks his face in and gulps down mouthfuls of water. Pulling his face back up, now somewhat out of breath he turns to glare at his master, his blush, which had almost completely disappeared, returns full force. Meanwhile, Clauneck struggles to contain his laughter at the sight Tom makes, red-faced with his wet bangs clinging to his forehead, water dripping down to his chin, and his glare making him look like an angry kitten than anything menacing. Getting a hold of himself Clauneck holds his hands up in surrender, a smirk plastered on his face. “Alright, alright, whatever you say, it’s a human thing, definitely not a you thing at all.” Tom narrows his eyes at the demon’s use of sarcasm, but in the end, he just goes back to eating his meal.

‘It’s not like there is any point in arguing, he always wins because he has the ultimate point, he owns me, so even if he is wrong, what he says goes, so if he says I am wrong then that is that. Still, does he have to be so smug about it.’

The rest of their lunch passes in silence, Tom’s embarrassment about the shower and Clauneck’s teasing gradually dies away. When they are both done, Clauneck again gathers their dishes and washes them before he faces Tom with a serious expression, all notes of his previous light-hearted attitude gone. “Come along Tom, it is time for your training.”

Clauneck doesn’t even have to turn around to know that his pet is following him out of the kitchen. He leads Tom down a hallway through a previously locked door. Clauneck holds the door open for Tom to walk through before he closes it. The room itself is mostly empty except for a table that sits right next to the door. On the table are just two items, a collar, and a leash, but unlike Tom’s regular collar and leash, these ones were made to impress. Whereas the collar Tom is wearing now is made of black leather with large emerald engraved into it, the other collar is a giant emerald that for some reason, instead of being hard, is flexible and works just like a regular collar. The leash has the same characteristics but instead of being made of emeralds, each link of the leash is made from diamonds.

Clauneck leads Tom over to the table where Tom slips down to his knees, his head bowed and hands resting on his thighs. Clauneck reaches down, taking off the leather collar and replacing it with the emerald one. A shiver runs down Tom’s spine as the icy cold collar snaps closed around his throat. As it does Tom slips into a different mindset, he is no longer a playful little pet, he is his master’s obedient dog. Unconsciously he straightens his spine while keeping his head down.

Clauneck reaches down and grabs a fist full of Tom’s hair, pulling lightly till he can clearly see Tom’s face, but Tom is pointing his eyes down so he does not meet his master’s eyes. “Do you remember the rules you must obey when you wear this collar?” Clauneck’s voice is cold and stern as he speaks. 

“Yes, Master.”

“Repeat them.”

“Never look you or any other demon in the eyes unless told to do so. Always remain kneeling unless you want me to crawl by your side. If we are outside, then I can ask to walk so as not to hurt my hands. Never tug on my led for any reason. When I am off the leash I am to remain by your side unless instructed otherwise. Above all obey every order you give me without hesitation. Failure to follow any of these rules will result in immediate punishment, Master.”

“Good,” Clauneck releases Tom’s hair allowing him to tilt his head back to the ground. Clauneck then clicks the end of the diamond leash onto the D ring of the collar before pulling the leash tout so it pulls a bit on the emerald neckband, nothing so strong that it chokes Tom, but just enough that he can feel it.

“Heel,” Clauneck commands as he begins walking around the room with Tom crawling beside him. Tom keeps his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him as he stays close to his master's side. Rounding the room a few times Clauneck eventually slows to a stop, Tom remains on his hands and knees waiting. “Good boy,” the demon holds out a small piece of chocolate in front of Tom’s face. Tom, using his teeth, gingerly takes the candy from his master’s outstretched hand, chewing it slowly he waits for his next order, he doesn't have to wait long.

“Sit,” 

Tom obediently shifts back so he is again sitting on his knees with his hands on his thighs, back straight and head down. “Alright, now stay.” Clauneck removes the diamond leash and moves to the other side of the room. Tom remains where he is, not daring to move even a single muscle. When Clauneck reaches the opposite wall, he turns back to Tom and waits, studying his posture to make sure it is correct. Satisfied the demon snaps his fingers and points to the ground below him, giving another command, “Tom come.” Immediately upon hearing the order Tom is up and crawling over to the demon. Reaching the spot his master indicated Tom is rewarded with another piece of chocolate and another “Good boy” from Clauneck. While Tom is eating his prize Clauneck is about to reattach the diamond leash to his collar when he pauses, wrapping the diamond leash around his hand he decides to test Tom.

‘Let's see how far along he is in his training.’ Clauneck thinks as a sadistic grin creeps over his face.

“Tom heel,” he begins walking away from Tom with the leash coiled around this hand, keeping a sharp eye on Tom to see if he follows his training. Tom, of course, is momentarily stunned at the command to follow without the leash, but he is luckily quick enough to pick up on Clauneck's challenge, so without so much as a moment of hesitation he follows at his master’s side around the room. Tom does have some trouble not bumping into Clauneck’s legs without the subtle shifts on his collar that indicate where the demon wants him to be, but he manages with only a few minor stumbles.

Two hours pass of much the same thing, Clauneck will give Tom a command and Tom will follow it, occasionally getting a piece of chocolate for his troubles. Eventually, Clauneck leads Tom back to the table where the original leather collar sits. Placing the diamond leash on the table he looks down at Tom.

“Sit,” Tom sits in the same position he was taught when the demon first started making him act like a dog.

‘Back straight, eyes down, palms face down on my knees, wait for him to remove the collar, I’m almost done.’

Clauneck reaches down and grabs Tom’s hair again, pulling back roughly so he can see Tom’s face again. “Look at me,” Tom snaps his eyes up to meet Clauneck’s. His black eyes that hold the smallest bit of fire that burns in the center, a ruthless smirk decorates his lips. “Good, you are a fast learner, I thought you would make a mistake when I told you to heel without the leash, but you caught on and was able to avoid punishment. If you keep improving at this rate, I will be able to take you with me when I leave the house or even take you to high-class parties where I can show you off to my siblings.” Clauneck relinquishes his hold on Tom’s hair, allowing the still damp strains to slip between his claws. “But that day is a long way away, I have to make sure you are ready first before I take you out, I don’t want you to embarrass me by accident.” Clauneck removes the emerald collar and replaces it with the leather one, the atmosphere in the room seems to lessen with the change. Tom stands up as they leave the training room with Clauneck locking the door behind them.

Tom now significantly more relaxed with his leather collar back around his neck, walks in front of this master before craning his neck around to look over at his master without fear. “Master, now that my training is over for today, we have the rest of the afternoon to do what we want right?” A small hopeful smile sits upon his lips as Tom releases the full wrath of his puppy dog eyes on the demon.

Charmed by the human’s cuteness Clauneck caves to his pet’s desires. “Yes, we have the rest of the afternoon free and before you ask yes you may go.”

“Yes,” Tom fist bumps the air before he takes off down the hall calling over his shoulder as he goes, “thank you, Master,” his momentary distraction causing him to collide with a wall. Clauneck winces as he watches Tom go down like a pile of bricks, he is about to rush over to help when Tom pops up like a daisy. “I’m okay,” he shouts at Clauneck, a blazing smile still glued to his face before he once again runs down the hallway.

Clauneck is left standing there trying to process what he has just witnessed. When it finally clicks, the demon bends in half, clutching his stomach as his booming laughter fills the house. Leaning on a wall to support himself, Clauneck wipes a tear from his eye as he calms down.

‘What am I going to do with him?’ Clauneck thinks fondly. ‘Well, I better follow him to make sure he doesn't hurt himself more, plus I want to hear him perform.’ Following Tom’s pathway, Clauneck walks to his pet’s favorite room in the house. The music room, a room that had previously been empty but when Clauneck found out Tom had been using the room to store the silver guitar he had gifted him, Clauneck had remembered that Tom said he could also play the piano so the demon summoned a pile of gold coins from one of his caves and then commanded the gold to reshape in the form of a beautiful grand piano. Tom had been overjoyed when he saw it and almost passed out from excitement, a fact that Clauneck still brings up when he wants to mess with Tom.

Tom looks up from where he is sitting on a stool, tuning his guitar when he hears his master enters the room. Beaming up at the tall demon he finishes tuning his guitar. “Any request Master?”

“Mmmm, I will let the musician decide,” Clauneck replies before lying down on a couch he had dragged into the room on the day he made the piano, closing his eyes he waits for Tom to start playing.

“Are you just saying that because you don’t know the names of any songs, Master?” Tom asks sassily while raising an eyebrow. Clauneck opens one eye and stares at Tom unimpressed. Tom chuckles, “Ok, ok, let me think, what songs do I know that you would like? Oh, I know!” Clearing his throat Tom begins strumming the guitar as Clauneck re-closes his eye.

“Hey there little red riding hood

You sure are looking good

You're everything a big bad wolf could want

Little red riding hood

I don't think little big girls should

Go walking in these spooky old woods alone

What big eyes you have

The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad

Just to see that you don't get chased

I think I oughta walk with you for a ways

What full lips you have

They're sure to lure someone bad

So until you get to grandma’s place

I think you oughta walk with me and be safe

Gonna keep my sheep suit on

‘til I'm sure that you’ve been shown

That I can be trusted walking with you alone

Little red riding hood

I'd like to hold you if I could

But you might think I'm a big bad wolf so I won’t

What a big heart I have

The better to love you with

Little red riding hood

Even bad wolves can be good

I try and keep satisfied

Just to walk close by your side

Maybe you’ll see things my way

‘Fore we get to grandma’s place

Little red riding hood

You sure are looking good

You're everything a big bad wolf could want

Little red riding hood

I don't think little big girls should

Go walking in these spooky old woods alone

What big eyes you have

The kind of eyes that drive wolves mad

Just to see that you don’t get chased

I think I oughta walk with you for a ways

What full lips you have

They're sure to lure someone bad

So until you get to grandma’s place

I think you oughta walk with me and be safe.”

Tom finishes playing, looking over at the demon for his reaction. “Well, what did you think? Did you like it?”

Clauneck doesn't even open his eyes, “hmmm, yes it was beautiful, play another for me.”

“Yes sir, mister boss man, sir,” Tom gives a sloppy salute to the demon on the couch. At which Clauneck gives a half-hearted growl at Tom’s mocking but he ignores the imp’s taunts in favor of listening to another song. That is how they spend the rest of the afternoon, with Tom singing song after song, switching between the silver guitar and the golden piano while Clauneck rests on the couch listening to each note his pet plays.

When they eventually grow hungry Clauneck forces Tom to stop so they can eat, he makes Tom a bowl of Mac and cheese, allowing him to eat it in the living room while he has another cow leg for dinner. Clauneck is licking excess blood from his fingers when he hears a knock on the kitchen wall. Turning around he sees Tom standing in the archway with his empty dog bowls, he is fidgeting lightly and is refusing to look at any part of the kitchen that has even a single drop of blood, which includes Clauneck.

“All finished Bright Eyes?” Clauneck asks his pet, Tom just nods his head, still avoiding looking at the demon directly. “Alright you can set your bowls down in the sink then you can head up to our room to get ready for bed.” Tom nods his head again and practically throws his bowl down in the sink before speed walking his way out of the kitchen without a backward glance. Clauneck just shakes his head at his pet’s antics. He then cleans up all the blood that has spilled onto the floor, surrounding area, and himself, next he cleans Tom’s bowls and places them on the ground. Sweeping his eyes over the kitchen to make sure everything is as it should be the demon leaves to go to bed himself.

Tom is already changed into his PJ and is starting to doze off on his mattress in the dark bedroom when the door opens, the hallway lights shining right in his face, causing him to groan and open his eyes to see what is happening. ‘Oh, it is just Master,’ Tom thinks as he sees Clauneck enter the room and close the door behind him, shrouding the room in darkness once again. Letting his eyes adjust to the dark, Tom watches as the demon gets ready for bed himself. Going into his walk-in closet and coming out without his jewelry and a pair of sleep pants on. He then pulls back the covers on this bed and climbs in. Snuggling back down in his own bed Tom closes his eyes again before he drifts off to sleep Tom mumbles out a quiet, “Goodnight Master.”

Clauneck sits bolt upright in bed, staring in astonishment. ‘Did he just wish me goodnight? He has never done that before, I know that he is getting more comfortable with me, but I had no idea he was this far along, maybe he is ready to meet other demons. But I will have to start off small, so not to overwhelm him. Who do I know will be an easy first meeting... Oh, I know I will invite my brother in law over for lunch tomorrow. He is perfect, not too formal to expect much, but still important enough to test Tom.’ Clauneck smiles down at his sleeping pet. Already making plans for tomorrow. “Goodnight my little treasure.”

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Recap

Snuggling back down in his own bed Tom closes his eyes again before he drifts off to sleep Tom mumbles out a quiet, “Goodnight Master.”

Clauneck sits bolt upright in bed, staring in astonishment. ‘Did he just wish me goodnight? He has never done that before, I know that he is getting more comfortable with me, but I had no idea he was this far along, maybe he is ready to meet other demons. But I will have to start off small, so not to overwhelm him. Who do I know will be an easy first meeting... Oh, I know I will invite my brother in law over for lunch tomorrow. He is perfect, not too formal to expect much, but still important enough to test Tom.’ Clauneck smiles down at his sleeping pet. Already making plans for tomorrow. “Goodnight my little treasure.”

The Next Day

Wiping the sweat from his brow Tom reenters the house after they finish their latest run in the woods, Clauneck closes the door behind them and removes the led from his collar. 

“Come on Tom, time to shower.” Clauneck places a hand on Tom’s back, giving him a gentle push towards the stairs, Tom raises an eyebrow at his master’s serious tone.

‘That’s strange, he usually teases me about how much I stink, is something bothering him?’

Tom follows his master up the stairs into the bathroom where Clauneck is already messing with the water temperature. Tom begins to strip off his clothes, once naked he holds his hands in front of his family jewels while he waits for Clauneck to strip as well. Tom is therefore pleasantly surprised when Clauneck declares the shower ready but he is still fully clothed. The surprise must be evident on his face because his master huffs out a small laugh before his smile slips away, replaced with a more serious look.

“Alright Tom, I have somethings that I need to do so you are going to have to shower by yourself, do you think you can handle that?”

Momentarily shocked Tom can only stare for a second, snapping out of it he immediately shouts. “YES!” Raining in his excitement Tom lowers his voice, “I mean, yes Master, I can handle showering on my own.” 

Clauneck looks at him unsure for a moment but then he sighs heavily, “Alright, come over here, I’ll show you which soups to use.” Tom takes three large steps forwards till he is standing at the entrance to the shower. 

Once the human is standing next to him Clauneck points to a green bottle on the floor, “First you use the green bottle and squirt a small amount in your hand then scrub it into your hair until it gets white and foamy. Once you have rubbed it in for a short period of time rinse your head under the water until all of it washes way, be careful not to get any in your eyes or it will sting.”

Clauneck pauses to look at Tom who just gives him a jerky nod. Clauneck then points to a purple bottle and washcloth that are sitting next to the green one. “Next you grab this purple bottle and washcloth, first get the washcloth wet then squirt a generous amount of soup onto it before rubbing it in till it is all sudsy, I then want you to scrub every inch of your body, arms, legs, feet, ass, balls, even your face, when you are done rinse off the soap and the washcloth, then turn off the water by turning this knob all the way down.” Clauneck points to a knob on the shower wall. “I then want you to dry off with a towel before meeting me in our room when you are done. Do you think you can handle all of that without my help?”

“Yes Master, I won’t let you down, I promise.” Shooting his master a bright smile Tom steps under the spray of water to wet his hair.

“Ok, I will leave you to it,” Clauneck begins to close the shower door but stops. “Oh and if you miss a spot while cleaning yourself I will be forced to come back in here and bath you myself, and I won’t be gentle about it.” 

The dark glare the demon sends his way is enough for Tom to know how serious he is. A twinge of fear grips his heart as Tom wraps his arms around himself, his eyes darting to the floor. “Yes Master, I understand.”

“Good, showering by yourself is a big responsibility that only trustworthy pets can earn, don’t make me regret this.” Clauneck closes the shower door and leaves the bathroom before Tom can even blink. 

‘What was that all about? Is this some kind of test? Well if it is then I am going to make sure I pass if I do then maybe I can shower on my own from now on instead of him bathing me like some mutt.’

Mind made up Tom snatches the green bottle of shampoo from the floor and squirts some into his hand, capping the bottle he sets it on the ground then he starts viciously rubbing it into his hair, after rinsing it under the water Tom moves on to his next task. Plucking the purple bottle and washcloth from the jewel-encrusted floor Tom soaks the cloth under the water while he pops open the bottle, pouring more than enough of the liquid on the washcloth before practically throwing the bottle down. Getting the cloth all sudsy, Tom starts furiously scrubbing his limbs, plopping down on his ass Tom scrubs his feet, even getting in between his toes, before making his way up each leg. Jumping to his feet he rubs the cloth over his stomach and shoulders, down his arms and under his armpits. He takes extra care to get his back, pushing his flexibility to the max to get every inch, moving on to his face and neck Tom closes his eyes, using his fingers to get every nook and cranny, even behind his ears. Finally, Tom slows down his assault to wash his private area, taking care to get every speck of dirt and grime off.

Done with his cleaning Tom steps back under the spray of water, letting the gentle stream cascade down his body, washing away the white suds to gather at the drain. 

‘Ahhh, this feels incredible, I never noticed how amazing this shower is until now. Hopefully, from now on I can shower by myself and enjoy it without him making me feel so self-conscious.’

Tom spends a few more minutes relishing in the feeling of hot water running over his skin before he shuts down the water flow and exits the shower. Walking over to the towel rack he passes by the mirror, pausing when he catches a glimpse of himself. His entire body is light pink from his aggressive scrubbing.

‘Wow, I guess I went a little overboard, well on the bright side at least he can’t say I missed a spot if I rubbed myself raw.’

Shrugging his pink shoulders Tom gets a towel from the rack, drying his hair off first then moving the towel all over his body till he is completely dry. He is about to wrap the towel around his waist when he stops.

‘Am I allowed to bring the towel into our room? He has never let me do that before, and I have never even seen him take a towel out of this room, should I risk it?… Better safe than sorry.’ Tom hangs his used towel back on the rack. Confident that he did everything right, Tom leaves the bathroom and walks towards the bedroom where Clauneck is waiting for him.

Arriving at their room Tom sees the lights for the walk-in closet is on and no demon in sight. ‘He must be changing,’ Tom moves to cross the room to his dresser to do the same but he stops when his master pokes his head out of the closet.

“Ah, you are all done, just in time.” Clauneck stalks over to where Tom is halted in the middle of the room. “Let's see how you did on your own.”

Circling Tom like a predator Clauneck inspects every inch of his pet’s body, a hard look cemented on his face, his hands begin ghosting over every part of Tom that is visible to him, which since Tom is still naked is everything. Coming to a stop when he is once again facing Tom, Clauneck gives one final sweep of Tom’s body. A pleased smile takes over his face.

“Well done Tom, you did a great job washing yourself for the first time, I am very proud of you.” Clauneck ruffles Tom’s wet hair, looking down at his pet’s bright red body his smile somewhat dims, using his thumb and forefinger Clauneck tilts Tom’s chin up which had been facing down the whole time, “But next time, know that you don’t have to scrub so hard that you turn red, I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Tom looks into his master’s concerned eyes with discomfort written all over his face, ‘I didn’t scrub that hard, sure I was pink at first but that should be barely noticeable by now, the reason I am so red is because you are forcing me to stand butt ass naked as you inspect my body like a piece of meat.’ Tom, of course, doesn’t actually voice his complaints, he simply pulls his chin out of Clauneck’s grip to look back at his feet. “Can I get dressed now Master?”

“Yes, come I have picked out the clothes I want you to wear.” Clauneck takes Tom’s hand and half drags him half leads him over to his bed where he has laid out some of Tom’s clothes. Lying out on the purple sheets are a pair of black dress pants and a white button-up dress shirt.

Tom stares at the clothes in confusion. ‘Why does he want me to wear such fancy clothes today? He normally lets me wear jeans and a t-shirt, what is today some sort of special occasion?’ Craning his neck to look at his master Tom opens his mouth to ask that very question but he is unable to when Clauneck speaks first.

“I am going to go downstairs to make lunch, you get dressed then meet me down there.” Not waiting for a response Clauneck strides out of the room leaving Tom standing by the demon’s bed with his mouth still hanging open. Snapping his jaw closed with a click Tom scratches his head in confusion. ‘What is going on? Master is acting really strange like he is expecting something to happen.’ Looking back at the outfit Clauneck has picked out for him he shrugs his shoulders, ‘well whatever is going on it’s not worth missing lunch for.’

Arriving in the kitchen dressed in the fancy clothes Tom makes a beeline for his usual spot on the floor when he sees a green pillow on the ground by his water dish. “Master, why is there a pillow here?”

“Mmm? Oh, that is for you to sit on, I don’t want you to get your pants dirty on the floor so you will be sitting on that pillow, which reminds me, no obedience training today, I can’t have you crawling on the ground and ruining your outfit.”

Doing a silent fist pump Tom rejoices at not having to endure his daily humiliation, he makes himself comfortable on the pillow as he watches Clauneck stand at the stove cooking. A delectable aroma drifts from the stove and reaches Tom’s nose, sniffing the air Tom’s mouth starts to water as his stomach growls in anticipation, ‘mmmm, chicken, and it smells fantastic.’ 

Tom stares as Clauneck removes the chicken from the stove and places them on a large plate, which he then puts in the middle of the island, Tom’s eyes widen when he counts nine pieces of chicken, ‘whoa, is he really going to eat all that chicken? That seems like a lot even for a demon.’ That is when Tom finally notices the second place setting on the table. A wave of foreboding washes over Tom, shifting to face his master Tom speaks up, his voice quivering with unease. “M-master, why are there two place settings?”

The demon angles his head to look over at Tom, “My brother-in-law is coming over for lunch, I wanted to show him that there are no hard feelings over my tooth.” Clauneck flashes Tom a dagger filled smirk before returning to the task of setting the table, unaware of the turmoil he has caused his pet.

Tom stares at his master’s back in horror, understanding dawning on him, ‘why didn’t I see it before, the order to clean every inch of myself in the shower, the fancy clothes, the absent of training today, it is all because he wants to show me off like some prize show pony.’

Meanwhile, as Tom is having a near panic attack Clauneck finishes setting the table for his brother-in-law, twisting around he subsequently notices Tom’s distress, feeling bad for springing this on Tom so suddenly he sympathetically approaches his pet, kneeling down he gently runs his fingers through Tom’s dark brown hair in a way that he knows Tom likes, in an effort to comfort him.

“Hey, it’s ok, I wouldn’t have invited him over if I didn’t think you are ready to meet him, my brother-in-law is pretty chill most of the time, he may look a little scary and he might have a temper but he would never try and harm you for no reason. Besides even if he did try and hurt you I will be here to protect you, so there is no need to be afraid, ok?”

Tom looks into Clauneck’s gentle eyes as he tenderly runs his fingers in his hair. The comforting black orbs reassuring him that he is safe, tension slowly leaving his body Tom leans into Clauneck’s touch. “Ok Master.”

“That’s my brave little boy, but since we are on the topic of my brother there are a few rules I want you to follow while he is here. Since he is family we don’t have to put on any pretenses for him so no emerald collar, but he is still a powerful and elite demon so call him Sir if you need to address him. Also while he is here try to keep the sarcasm down, I may enjoy your scrappy attitude but my brother-in-law might not,” Clauneck boops Tom’s nose as he says this. “Finally just treat him with respect and everything will be fine.”

As luck would have it when Clauneck finishes calming his pet down is the precise moment that they both hear the thundering roar of a motorcycle pulling up to the house.

“That would be him, wait right here I will go greet him and then bring him in here for lunch.” Clauneck moves away from Tom and leaves the room to greet his brother-in-law. Tom strains his ears to listen in when he hears the door open. First, he hears his master’s voice.

“Zepar, I am so glad you decided to come over, it’s great to see you again.” 

‘Zepar? Oh, that must be Master’s bother’s name,’ Tom continues to listen as a deep baritone voice echos through the house.

“Clauneck, it’s great to see you too, but I must admit I am a little suspicious, you called me late last night and practically begged me to come over for lunch today, knowing you, you want something, besides just having lunch with me.”

Hearing their footsteps getting louder signaling their approach Tom takes a deep breath in as he steels himself for meeting another demon.

“Ha, ha, alright you got me, I want to introduce you to someone,” Clauneck stands in the kitchen doorway now, he holds out his arm as he presents Tom to his brother, “Zepar, I would like you to meet Tom, my new pet.”

Zepar steps into the kitchen and Tom gets his first look at him, what he sees causes him to gulp in fear as he shrinks in on himself. Standing before him is the largest man he has ever seen, he stands just a few inches short of Clauneck’s eight feet tall status, but where he lacks in height he makes up for in mass, seriously, the demon is built like a tank, every inch of him made of rippling muscles, clad in a black leather jacket with metal chains hanging off of it, the demon sports a buzz cut and a pair of dark sunglasses adorn his face, but the most intimidating thing about the other demon is the large collection of scars that are visible on every inch of exposed skin. ‘He looks almost human, all-be a very large and terrifying one, but still human, no tail no horns, no weird skin color, what kind of demon is he?’ 

Tom watches as Zepar confidently stalks up to him, stopping in front of him. Zepar tilts forward so he is looming over Tom, who is leaning back as far as he can so he can look up at the demon, Zepar flips his sunglasses up revealing inhuman eyes that are literal balls of fire in his eye sockets. Flinching back at the sight Tom falls on his back, ‘never mind definitely a demon,’ Tom thinks as he scrabbles away from the demon towering over him.

Flipping his glasses down Zepar chuckles lightly, “he’s a skittish little thing isn’t he?”

Clauneck walks passed Zepar to stand next to Tom, “He’s not the best at meeting new demons, the last demon that he has met beside me was Pytho who, of course, tried to eat him.” Crouching down Clauneck starts massaging the back of Tom’s head again, “You good Bright Eyes?” Tom simply nods his head, not taking his eyes off of Zepar as he scoots a little closer to his master.

“Ahh, that makes sense, no wonder he is so jumpy, that creep would freak anyone out, I still don’t know why you appointed him a position in the fifth ring,” Zepar says as he straightens, he makes his way over to the table and sits down, picking up a fork he places one of the chickens on this plate and starts eating.

Sighing as he stands up Clauneck moves over to the table as well, “He may be a creep but you can’t deny his results.” Clauneck grabs his fork, using it to pick up a piece of chicken then turning around and placing it in Tom’s bowl, all the while still talking to Zepar. “Pytho earned his spot in the fifth ring by being the most ruthless son of a bitch I have ever met.” His pet now fed Clauneck sits down in his own seat and serves himself.

‘What are they talking about?’ Tom thinks as he picks up his chicken with his hand and starts to eat. That is when Tom remembers what Clauneck told him about the fifth ring of the Netherworld. ‘Only a demon lord can appoint lower level demon a position in the fifth ring, so that must mean Pytho is a greed demon and Master promoted him to the fifth ring.’ 

“So, where did you get him?” Zepar asks as he points his fork at the human. Tom’s ears perk up when he hears the demon referring to him. “I mean I know you have been talking about getting a pet but I thought you would go with a Cerberus, what made you want to get a human?”

Swallowing a bite of chicken Clauneck smiles, “It is actually because of you that I got him.” Zepar raises an eyebrow at Clauneck. “Remember all those months ago when we were sparing and you cracked my tooth?” Zepar nods. “Well, when I went to the dentist she had to remove it so she used some gas to ease the pain, when she was done I was still really high from the gas so when I tried to shadow travel home I accidentally traveled into Tom’s house in the human world.”

“You didn’t,” Zepar exclaims, clearly amused. 

“I did, I was pretty out of it so I don’t remember much, but when I came to the next day I was down in my tunnels missing one of my armbands, I was looking for it when I stumbled upon Tom in one of my treasure rooms with my missing armband around his neck.” 

Laughing so hard his sides hurt Zepar wipes a lava tear from his eye, “what happened next?”

“Well since I didn’t remember what happened I was ready to kill him but when he caused an avalanche of gold, getting himself half-buried in the process I laughed at him, but the real clincher was when he asked for my help to get out.”

Falling off his chair Zepar rolls on the ground laughing. Meanwhile, Tom shoves the last bite of chicken in his mouth, chewing angrily as he pouts, ‘it’s not that funny… And I knew Master was planning on killing me when he first found me in the treasure room, let me go my ass.’

After waiting for Zepar to stop laughing and regain his seat Clauneck continues his story. “After I pulled him out from under the gold I started questioning him, Tom told me what happened, how he found me in his living room, how I put the armband around his neck claiming him to be my new pet, and I thought ‘hey I have been wanting a pet so why not.’” 

Shaking his head as he snickers Zepar claps Clauneck on the shoulder. “Only you could manage to find a pet while your high and then be crazy enough to keep it.”

“I will take that as a compliment,” Clauneck says as he gets up from the table to put their dish in the sink, stooping down to grab Tom’s bowl along the way. “Come on, we can talk more in the living room.”

Zepar, being the closest to the door leads the way with Tom taking up the rear. “Sooo…” Zepar looks over his shoulder, piercing Tom with a stare, an orange glow is visible behind his glasses, “has he been difficult to train?”

“Eep!” Tom squeaks as he hides behind his master, taking cover in the demon’s soft feathery wings, ‘why is he so terrifying? It feels like I am standing in front of a soldier who just stepped off the battlefield drenched in blood.’ Peeking out from behind his master Tom sees Zepar raises an eyebrow at his reaction as he sits on the couch.

Clauneck grins as he reaches behind him to untangle Tom from his wings, he then proceeds to sit down on the couch next to Zepar, Tom sinks to his knees on the carpet next to his master, using the demon’s legs to hide now that the wings are no longer available, never taking his eyes off of Zepar.

“Actually no, Tom here is incredibly easy to train, he still has a few things to learn but he follows every order I give him without complaint, well, of course, there was The Incident, but that is a story for another time. We did have a little miscommunication on the first day but other than that everything has been perfect.”

‘Yeah a miscommunication, more like you whipped me for no reason, and you still haven’t apologized for that! Not like I expect an apology from a demon but it would be nice to get one. And I thought we agreed never to speak of The Incident ever again.’ Tom sends a heated glare at his master before his eyes dart back over to stare at Zepar again. 

“Really?” Zepar exclaims, looking at Tom in confusion, “that’s strange, you usually hear stories about how hard it is to train a human and how long it takes to get them to obey orders without them complaining about wanting to go home.”

‘Yeah the only reason I never asked to go home was because at first, I was too scared to ask him anything after he whipped me,’ Tom steals another look up at his master, ‘now it is too late, he has grown attached to me like a child who names a puppy they found on the streets, he will never let me go no matter how much I beg so it would be pointless to beg in the first place.’

Clauneck looks down and meets his pet’s emerald eyes, smiling brightly he rubs Tom’s hair. “Yeah, I guess I got lucky when I stumbled upon him,” smile widening Clauneck shifts his gaze back to Zepar. “And the best part is that he comes with tricks, come on I will show you.” 

Standing up from the couch Clauneck waves his hand for Zepar to follow. Leading his brother-in-law and his pet, who has glued himself to his side the second he stood up, through his house Clauneck enters the music, he motions for Zepar to sits with him on the couch. Tom detached himself from his master’s side and moves over to sit at the piano. 

Zepar sits down next to Clauneck with a dejected sigh, “Clauneck you know I am not much of a music lover, that’s my wife, not me.”

“I know, I know, but Tom is really good, just give him a chance.” Zepar lets out another long-suffering sigh, crossing his arms over his broad chest but he relinquishes and leans back into the couch. 

Takes this as his cue Tom starts playing, quickly getting lost in the music. He plays four different songs and is about to start a fifth when…

“DAMN, he is good,” 

Tom jumps at the sudden exclamation, whipping around he spots Zepar who is leaning forwards with his elbows on his knees. ‘Shit, I forgot he was here… Well, at least he likes my playing.’

Clauneck beams with pride, even if it is Tom who is being praised, “Thank you, I let him practice almost every day.”

“Huh, that makes sense, hey I got an idea,” Zepar turns to Clauneck, “Mine and Naamah’s anniversary is coming up soon, we are having a big party at our place, maybe you can bring your pet and he could sing a song for her, we both know how much Naamah likes all that romantic junk.”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Clauneck shouts, Tom opens his mouth, about to say what a terrible idea that sounds when Zepar turns his attention back to him.

“How about it human? Know any good love songs?” Snapping his mouth shut Tom nods his head, still too nervous to speak in front of the other demon. 

“Well, let’s hear it, I want to make sure it is good enough for my Naamah,” Zepar demands.

Tom scrabbles over to his guitar, needing it to play the song he has in mind. He clears his throat and begins to play.

“I love it when we are at a party

In a downtown crowd, oh

But I can’t hear you call me baby

With the music up loud

Red wine, good times

No I don’t mind being with everyone else

And then there’s nights like tonight that I,

I want you to myself

And tonight I wanna drive so far

We’ll only find static on the radio

And we can’t see those city lights

And I love the way you look in the firefly glow

Saying everything without making a sound

A cricket choir in the background

Underneath a harvest moon

Standing on your shoes in my bare feet

Dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat

Oh, and we’re dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat

I wanna feel it like a kick drum

Beating faster in your chest

I wanna feel you holding onto me

And make me hold my breath

You pull me closer, my head on your shoulder

Baby we won’t need a song

We’ll make a fallen star wish

One more slow kiss, what are we waiting on?

And tonight I wanna drive so far

We’ll only find static on the radio

And we can’t see those city lights

And I love the way you look in the firefly glow

Saying everything without making a sound

A cricket choir in the background

Underneath a harvest moon

Standing on your shoes in my bare feet

Dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat

Yeah we’re dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat

I wanna feel it like a kick drum

Beating faster in your chest

And tonight I wanna drive so far

We’ll only find static on the radio

And we can’t see those city lights

And I love the way you in the firefly glow

Saying everything without making a sound

With a river rolling in the background

Underneath a harvest moon

Standing on your shoes in my bare feet

Dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat

And we’re dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat.”

Finishing the song Tom looks up at Zepar, he tries to judge the demon’s reaction but is met with a blank expression, Tom starts to fidget in his seat. ‘Did he like it? Did he hate it? Does he want me to play a different love song? But I only know this one and the one my dad wrote for my mom and I am not playing that one even if I get whipped again.’

Fortunately for Tom, he does not have to worry about another whipping for Zepar breaks his stoney façade and grins widely. “Perfect, Naamah will love it, it’s full of all that mushy romantic crap she is always going on about.” Here Zepar faces Clauneck, “So it is a deal then? You will bring your pet to the party and he will play a few songs then play that one for Naamah?”

Clauneck hums, he has a hand on his chin and is looking towards a window, he looks like he is contemplating something important, but the image is ruined by the mischievous smirk playing across his lips. “That depends, dear brother, what are you willing to offer me in return for my services?”

Zepar’s grin fades, replaced by an annoyed frown. “You get a chance to show off your pet to everyone will be at the party, isn’t that enough?” Clauneck studies his nails with a bored expression. Zepar’s lip curls back as his frown turns into a snarl, “Come on man, can’t you do me this one favor without wanting something in return?” He snaps. Clauneck gives him a look as he raises an eyebrow. Shoulders slumping as his anger melts away, Zepar lifts his hand up to rub at his eyes with a tired sigh. “Right, Demon Lord of Greed, you always want something. Alright, what do you want?”

A sinister grin envelops Clauneck’s face. “For now nothing, I will hold on to this favor for the time being and see what strikes my fancy later.” Clauneck then stands up from the couch, reaching his arms above his head, his ruby-red wings extend behind him as they stretch as well, “in the meantime, you should head home soon, you have a long way to travel and I don’t want you to be late for dinner because of me.” 

Zepar stands up as well. “Yeah, that is probably a good idea, last time I was late Naamah was furious at me, I do not want a repeat performance. I still have the scars she gave me that night.” 

Both demons begin walking out of the music room, Tom had planned to stay where he is but when Clauneck looks back at him, the demon pats his thigh to signal for Tom to follow, so with a heavy heart Tom slides off his stool, he places his guitar in a case and jogs to catch up with the demons. Plastering himself to his master’s side again, Tom unconsciously buries himself in the soft wings that help calm him down. ‘Finally, he is leaving, I don’t know how much longer I could have survived being so close to this demon, my heart would have given out, something about him just sets me on edge.’ Tom thinks as he clings tighter to his master’s wings.

Reaching the front door all three of them step out onto the porch. “Well, thanks for having me over, even if it was just so you could show off your new pet,” Zepar says as he clasps Clauneck on the shoulder.

“Any time, I am glad you were able to make it,” Clauneck says, not even denying the real reason for the visit in the first place. Tom watches as Zepar walks away to a hot rode red motorcycle that is parked on the lawn. His eyes bug out of his head as his jaw drops when the bike comes alive and starts moving toward Zepar, it seems to purr when Zepar reaches it and runs a hand over the handles. 

‘Is that thing ALIVE?’ With morbid fascination Tom watches as Zepar plants himself on the seat before revving the engine, he guns the thrusters while turning sharply, digging up the lawn in the process, before peeling off towards the woods but as he approaches the forest the wheels of the bike suddenly catch fire and the bike starts to ascend to the sky, leaving a trail of fire in its wake, flying above the trees as it rides off into the distance.

“Him and his dramatic exits,” Clauneck says as he shakes his head, snapping Tom out of stupor. Clauneck reenters the house leaving Tom standing there on the porch as he swivels his head back and forth between his master’s retreating back and the remanence of smoke in the sky. He then chases after his master in the hopes of gaining an explanation, closing the door behind him.

“Master?” Tom calls as he finds Clauneck walking towards his office in their bedroom, his master half turn to face Tom who comes to a skidding stop.

“Yes Bright Eyes? Is there something you need?” Clauneck’s brow creases with worry as he stares down at his pet. 

“I was wondering Master if you could tell me more about your bother, what kind of demon is he and why did his bike seem like it is alive?”

Face smoothing out Clauneck smiles, he continues to walk to the stairs, Tom following at this side, as he answers Tom. “That is easy, for you see, Zepar is not a demon at all, he is the Horseman of War.”

Tom stumbles in his walk, ‘A HORSEMAN!? AS IN ONE OF THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE  APOCALYPSE!?’ Luckily before Tom can dive further into a panic Clauneck continues.

“His bike can move on its own because it is actually his steed, his horse has the ability to shapeshift into any form his master desires.”

“You're related to one of the horsemen?” Tom squeaks, he starts to tremble as his heart rate rockets through the roof. He slows down as the increase in blood flow pounds in his ears, making his vision a little blurry. 

“Oh no, Zepar is just my brother-in-law, my sister, Naamah, married him some 27,000 years ago, and now that their anniversary is coming up again in just a few short months you get to play at their party in front of every single one of the Demon Lords, who by the way are all my siblings, and the other Horsemen, and let us not forget all the other demons that will be attending the party. Mmmm, I may have to put another hour into your obedience training to makes sure you are ready but it is nothing you can’t handle, right Bright Eyes?” Clauneck looks down to his side expecting to see Tom but he is not there, stopping and turning around he sees Tom is standing in the middle of the hallway, pale as a ghost, swaying back and forth. “Tom? Are you ok? You don’t look so good.” 

*THUNK* Tom collapses to the ground in a boneless heap.

“TOM!” Clauneck rushes over to his fallen pet, crashing down to his knees he lifts Tom’s torso into his lap. “Tom, Tom, what happened? Come on wake up!” Clauneck scoops up Tom’s limp body into his arms bridal style and sprints into their room, ignoring the green mattress in the corner Clauneck scrambles over to his own bed, he lays Tom down on top of the purple covers. Frantically he checks Tom over, sighing with relief when he feels a steady pulse and sees that Tom is breathing easily. He checks the rest of Tom’s vitals but finds nothing amiss. Worry creeping into his heart Clauneck pulls up a chair next to the bed as he starts stroking Tom’s hair. ‘Please wake up soon Bright Eyes, I don’t want to go back to living in this empty house all alone. You have made my life worth something more than just fulfilling my duties as a Demon Lord, please don’t leave me.’

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Recap

*THUNK* “TOM!” Clauneck rushes over to his fallen pet, crashing down to his knees he lifts Tom’s torso into his lap. “Tom, Tom, what happened? Come on wake up!” Clauneck scoops up Tom’s limp body into his arms bridal style and sprints into their room, ignoring the green mattress in the corner Clauneck scrambles over to his own bed, he lays Tom down on top of the purple covers. Frantically he checks Tom over, sighing with relief when he feels a steady pulse and sees that Tom is breathing easily. He checks the rest of Tom’s vitals but finds nothing amiss. Worry creeping into his heart Clauneck pulls up a chair next to the bed as he starts stroking Tom’s hair. ‘Please wake up soon Bright Eyes, I don’t want to go back to living in this empty house all alone. You have made my life worth something more than just fulfilling my duties as the Demon Lord, please don’t leave me.’

Swaddled in a warm cocoon, Tom unconsciously snuggles down deeper into the amethyst covers that surround him, burrowing his head into the velvety silk pillows. Gradually Tom flutters his eyes open, wondering why he is waking up when he is so content sleeping the day away in this warm bed. ‘Wait a minute, warm bed? I haven’t slept in an actual bed in over three months.’ Now a little more awake, but still somewhat drowsy, Tom twists around onto his back then he uses his hands to push himself up into an upright position, sluggishly he observes his surroundings to find out what he is lying on. What he finds strips away any remnants of sleep that clouds his brain. ‘I AM IN MASTER’S BED! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?’ Swiveling his head around frantically Tom finds Clauneck asleep in a chair to the left of him. He must have heard Tom shuffling in the covers because he starts to wake up. 

A jaw shattering yawn escapes the demon, exposing dagger-like fangs before snapping shut with an audible click. As he opens his eyes he imminently fixates his attention on Tom. Practically jumping out of his chair the demon launches himself at the human. “Your wake! Oh thank Satan, I thought I had lost you when you suddenly passed out in the hallway.” Clauneck seizes Tom’s face between his hands and starts bombarding it with kisses. 

Tom just lets it all happen, too confused to do much of anything. When Clauneck finally slows down in his assault, Tom takes the opportunity to let his confusion be known. “Master, what happened? Why am I in your bed? What happened yesterday?”

Releasing Tom’s, now slightly damp, face Clauneck sits sideways on the bed with his legs dangling off the edge. “My brother-in-law came to visit yesterday, he stayed for lunch and then you performed a few songs for him, he requested that you play at his anniversary in a month, I agreed to bring you to the party in return for a favor and then he left, after that, I was heading to my office to get some work done with you following me, I was telling you about what to expect at the celebration but then you collapsed in the middle of the hallway. I rushed to you to my bed and checked you over but nothing seemed wrong, I didn’t know what to do so I stayed by your side all night in case anything changed but you just kept slumbering peacefully.” Clauneck finishes his tale by pulling Tom into his lap then taking Tom’s previous spot to lean against the headboard. “You gave me quite the scare, what happened?”

Tom wants to know the same thing, he starts thinking back on what he can remember of yesterday. ‘I remember Zepar leaving on his motorcycle and then asking Master more about him, and Master telling me that he is the Horseman War, which is terrifying, but that is when things get a little fuzzy. What happened after that? Come on think, we were heading to our room and Master was talking about the party, how all of his siblings are going to be there… siblings who are all Demon Lords… and the other three Horsemen will be there… and how I am supposed to… perform in front of… them… oh,’ Starting to tremble Tom scoots closer to his master, his heart rate picking up again.

“Tom? Tom? Are you alright? Is something wrong? What can I do to help? Please, Tom, say something!” Clauneck rambles, worried about a repeat of last night's performance.

“I-I am f-fine, Master, j-just a b-bit of st-tage f-fright. The th-thought of pref-forming in front of all those d-demons doesn’t is s-sound v-very pl-pleasant.”

“Is that why you collapsed last night? You fainted from fear?” Clauneck asks in a soft gentle whisper. Tom just jerkily nods his head. Meanwhile, Clauneck sighs in relief, his worry ebbing out of his tense muscles. ‘Thank Satan it is nothing serious, I was worried he was sick with some human disease, but he just got scared. Fears I can deal with, a sickness I cannot.’

Clauneck holds Tom for half an hour as they both calm down, Tom from his fears and Clauneck from his worries. When both of their plights subside Clauneck regrettably brakes the silence that has descended upon them. “We might as well get this talk out of the way now instead of letting it fester. I don’t want you to experience fear so intense that it causes you to faint, I thought something was seriously wrong with you, I thought you were going to die, and that scares me more than I would like to admit.”

Peeking up from where his face is resting on his master’s chest, Tom looks up into Clauneck’s dark orbs, ‘you were that worried about me? Do you actually care about what happens to me? That… that is really…’ Tom racks his brain for the right word but is unable to find it, ‘…sweet of you.’ Tuning back in Tom listens to what his master is saying.

“So to prevent this from happening again I want you to promise me that if you every feels so overwhelmingly scared of something that you are about to pass out, you will come to me and tell me so I can help you, promise?”

Clauneck looks at Tom with such desperation and concern that before Tom can even think he is already agreeing. “I promise Master.” Tom solidifies his promise by wrapping his arms around his master and snuggling into his stomach. Clauneck smiles tenderly as he moves his hand onto Tom’s back and traces soothing circles onto the smooth tan skin. Lulled into a state of serenity by the calloused fingertips Tom starts to doze off, but before he can fully fall asleep the fingers come to a stop, Tom lets his displeasure be known by a disgruntled groan, which makes his master chuckle, causing vibrations to run through the demon’s body, shaking Tom’s head where it is still resting on the demon’s stomach. 

“Come on Bright Eyes, we still have more to talk about.”

Tom shifts around on the bed until he is on his back with this body lying between the demon’s outstretched legs, his head still using Clauneck’s stomach as a pillow, Tom then reaches over to his left side and grabs one of his master’s hands, Clauneck, curious about what his pet is doing, allows Tom to maneuver his hand onto the human’s stomach, where he begins playing with the digits much as a toddler would. Completely comfortable Tom waits for Clauneck to start talking, he doesn’t have to wait long.

“I want to know why you are so scared to perform at my sister’s anniversary? You have played so many times before in front of crowds when you lived in the human world did you not, what makes this time so different?”

Pausing momentarily in his inspection of Clauneck’s ring finger Tom answers, “in the human world I would play at restaurants or small bars, nobody important would listen if I made a mistake the worst that could happen is I don’t get asked back to play again.” Tom begins playing with Clauneck’s fingers again. “But here, here I am expected to perform at such an important event in front of Demon Lords and Horsemen, what will happen if I make a mistake? That kind of pressure is a lot and I don’t know if I can handle it.” Bringing his master’s hand closer to him Tom squeezes it to his chest as he tilts his head back, aiming big sorrowful green eyes at his master.

Clauneck shushes him as he brings his other hand, the one not currently commandeered by Tom, to the human’s forehead, carding his fingers through his hair, “It’s ok Bright Eyes, there is nothing to be afraid of, I will be right by your side the entire time, and so what if you make a mistake, no one will notice even if you did, besides all you have to do is pretend you are at home performing for only me like you do every day. Just lose yourself in the music like you always do and you will be fine.”

Tom still looks apprehensive as he chews his bottom lip in worry. “You promise not to leave my side the whole time?”

Removing his hand from Tom’s head Clauneck uses one clawed finger to scrap an X over the right peck, “Cross my heart.” Tom giggles at the demon’s silly antics.

Clauneck lifts his left hand from Tom's chest and uses both hands to push at his pet’s shoulders, “Come on, enough of this dark heavy stuff we both missed dinner last night and I don’t know about you but I am famished. But first I think we both need to take our minds off of things so, how about a song before breakfast?” Tom, in wholehearted agreement, smiles brightly at his master as he leads the way to the music room. Walking straight to the piano Tom sits down on the bench as Clauneck takes his usual spot on the couch. Tom begins playing without even selecting a song, he just lets the music guide him.

“The world is up in arms

All the pieces falling apart

Gotta get out while you can

Gotta get out while you can

The drums inside my chest

Just can’t seem to catch my breath

Gotta get out while you can

Gotta get out while you can

Am I gonna swim, am I gonna sink?

Am I gonna bend, am I gonna break?

Will I make it out alive? Make it out alive?

Am I gonna fly, am I gonna fall?

Am I gonna live, gonna lose it all?

Will I make it out alive? Make it out alive?

The pressure is weighing down

Is closing in all around

Gotta get out while you can

Gotta get out while you can

Am I gonna swim, am I gonna sink?

Am I gonna bend, am I gonna break?

Will I make it out alive? Make it out alive?

Am I gonna fly, am I gonna fall?

Am I gonna live, gonna lose it all?

But will I make it out alive? Make it out alive?

Am I gonna swim, am I gonna sink?

Am I gonna bend, am I gonna break?

Will I make it out alive? Make it out alive?”

“Beautiful as always Bright Eyes, just play like that at the party and you will have nothing to worry about I promise, and if anyone does give you any grief they will have me to deal with.” Clauneck crakes his knuckles for emphasis causing Tom to giggle again.

“Thank you, Master,” suddenly his stomach growls, Tom places his hand on his belly and smiles when an answering growl comes from his master, who also places a hand on his own stomach. “Master, I think our bellies are trying to tell us something, and I think you mentioned something about breakfast?” At the word breakfast, both stomachs growl simultaneously.

“Right, food. TO THE KITCHEN!” Clauneck shouts, jumping up from the couch he points one finger to the sky dramatically before he takes off at a sprint out of the room, Tom lets out a surprised laugh at the demon’s antics before he too dashes out to the room as well, his previous fears completely forgotten in the face of his master’s playfulness, which unbeknownst to Tom is Clauneck’s plan.

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Recap

“Master, I think our bellies are trying to tell us something, and I think you mentioned something about breakfast?” At the word breakfast, both stomachs growl simultaneously.

“Right, food. TO THE KITCHEN!” Clauneck shouts, pointing one finger to the sky dramatically before he takes off at a sprint out of the room, Tom lets out a surprised laugh at the demon’s antics before he too dashes out to the room as well, his previous fears completely forgotten in the face of his master’s foolishness, which unbeknownst to Tom was Clauneck’s plan.

Two months later, the Day of Anniversary Party

Tom holds perfectly still as Clauneck stands a hairsbreadth away, fiddling with the emerald collar used for obedience training, they are both standing out in the front yard of the house, the twin suns have just finished setting, casting an eery twilight over the forest and surrounding area. 

Clauneck had picked out a special outfit for Tom to wear this evening. He has on a bright maroon long sleeve dress shirt with emerald cufflinks, a black button-up vest to go over it. His pants are a pitch black with specially designed knee pads hidden within them. Black socks adorn his feet but they are covered by a pair of polished dress shoes, finally, his hair has been styled to give him that rolled out of bed look. Overall he looks like a model about to walk the runway. 

“Ok, are you ready to go to the party, Tom?” Clauneck looks up where he stands, he has finished transferring Tom’s dog tags onto the emerald collar, which was why he was fiddling with it. The demon himself has also cleaned up. He has ditched his normal black shorts that he wore every day and is now wearing his own black dress pants that hug his hips in all the right ways, subtly showing off his well-sculpted legs and ass without being obvious about it. The rest of Clauneck’s clothes are the same as Tom’s except the colors are swapped, unlike Tom’s, Clauneck’s dress shirt is a jet black while his vest is a vivid maroon, his cufflinks are a raven black that match his eyes. The other noticeable difference between their outfits are the precious metals that Clauneck has covering every piece of exposed skin. He has a ring on every one of his fingers, each ring holding a different type of jewel. Four gold neckless hang around his neck, even his horns are decorated with golden chains that jingle as he walks.

‘No.’ “Yes, Master.” Tom says, his voice steady. For the past two months, Tom and Clauneck have been preparing for this night. Clauneck had tripled the intensity in Tom’s obedience training, it had not been easy, Tom barely made it through, but it was worth all the pain, for now, Tom can successfully hide all of his emotions behind a blank mask that he has perfected. The only one who can see through Tom’s mask is Clauneck, which is why his master can tell he is not ready at all.

“Tom it will be ok, we have discussed this, you won’t leave my side the whole night, and if you feel overwhelmed at any point, tell me and I will find us a quiet little corner for you to calm down in. Just remember your training and everything will be fine.” 

An inaudible sigh escapes Tom as his master secures the emerald collar around his neck, ‘Master is right, I have nothing to be worried about, Master will protect me if anything goes wrong and I just need to follow my training. Everything will be fine.’

Clauneck steps back once the collar is in place. He gives Tom a once over, nodding his head as he finds everything to his liking. “Alright, we are all set to go. Now since I can’t shadow travel to another Demon Lord’s home we are going to have to travel by air. This means I am going to have to carry you in my claws while I fly us over to Naamah’s house in dragon form.” 

Thanks to his training Tom is able to keep a straight face but on the inside, he can’t help but do a happy little jig. ‘I get to go flying with a DRAGON! This is the greatest day of my life! I don’t care that I will be in his claws instead of on his back like I want to be, I get to go flying!’  Eyes sparkling, Tom watches as Clauneck explodes, the fire chasing away the darkness that the evening has brought. When the light retreats, the darkness creeps back in but is unable to fully return thanks to Clauneck, who’s chest glows with a trapped inferno within. 

Wasting no time the demon turned dragon swiftly reaches out a paw and carefully scoops up his pet. Then using his powerful back legs he launches them into the air, spreads his massive wings, with a few mighty flaps of the feathery appendages they are both soaring high above the ground.

Reaching an acceptable height Clauneck levels off so he can glide through the air, every now and then giving a lazy flap of his wings to keep them aloft. Meanwhile, Tom, who is still clutched tightly in Clauneck’s talons, squirms around until he is able to peek through a small gap in-between the claws, what he sees takes his breath away.

‘Wow… it is so beautiful up here, everything looks so small. Holy shit! Are the trees glowing? I have never seen them to that before, do they only do it at night? There are so many colors, blues, reds, greens, purples, they look incredible, almost like the Northern Lights but brighter.’

“MASTER, WHY ARE THE TREES GLOWING?” Tom shouts up at the dragon, forgetting all about his training in the face of his excitement, luckily for him, his voice is carried away by the wind. Receiving no response Tom goes back to viewing the world passing below them. Time passes like this, with Tom enjoying the wind in his face and the fantastic spectacle, and Clauneck, who has seen it all before, focuses on flying. 

Eventually, they grow close enough to the party that they can see the lit-up house in the distance. As they get closer Clauneck begins to slow down, gradually losing altitude. Finally, he swoops down to the front lawn before using a single tremendous wing beat to pull up at the last second to land on three legs, his wings spread out on either side of him before they fold into his sides. Moving the one claw that had previously been closer to his chest and had not been used for landing, Clauneck releases Tom from his hold, using a single talon the dragon nudges the human away. Getting the message Tom dutifully walks away from the dragon, once he is a safe distance away he turns to face his master before sinking to his knees. Clauneck once again is engulfed in a fiery explosion as he changes form. After he is done the demon strides over to where Tom is kneeling.

Reaching his pet Clauneck clips the diamond leash onto Tom’s emerald collar. “Alright, it is time. Now, since I don’t want you to ruin your pants you are allowed to walk upright, but once we enter the house I expect you back on your knees.”

“Yes, Master,” Tom says as he gets to his feet, his head still tilted to the ground.

“Good, now heel.” Clauneck leads the way to the house with Tom at his side. Right as they step up on the porch the door opens, the demon that stands in the doorway is bathed in the light from the house making it difficult to identify her, that is until she speaks.

“Clauneck, I thought I heard you arrive, only you can cause that much racket.”

Smiling Clauneck goes up to the other demon, throwing his arms around her he pulls her into a tight embrace. “Naamah, it has been so long how have you been doing?”

“I have been doing good, brother dearest. Zepar has been being an idiot again but this time he has crossed a line, but that is not something to be discussed at a party. Please come in.”

The demoness steps back and beckons them in. Stepping inside after his master Tom slips down to the floor like he was instructed to. They begin walking down a corridor to the main room where the other party guests are gathered. While walking Naamah starts to speak again.

“Tell me, brother, how have you been? Has anything exciting happened recently?” Here the demoness side-eyes Tom, not that the human can see this since he is too focused on crawling next to Clauneck without getting stepped on.

“I have been well my sister, and yes something interesting has happened.” Slowing to a stop Clauneck looks down. “Tom sit,” once the human is in position, Clauneck resumes talking to his sister. “Naamah, I would like you to meet my new pet, his name is Tom.” Clauneck watches as his sister takes a step closer to get a better look at the human.

“Look at me,” Naamah tries to command Tom, but the human ignores her and continues to stare at his hands, Naamah tries again, this time with more force behind her words. “I said look at me.” Still, Tom refuses to even twitch, she is about to try one final time before she forces him to at her but she is stopped when she hears a deep chuckle coming from her bother. “What is so funny?” She asks in annoyance.

“He has been trained to only listen to me and no one else, we could stand here all day and he will just sit there.” Seeing the irritated look upon his sister’s face, Clauneck’s laugher dies in his throat, so in an effort to appease her he turns to his pet. “Tom, you may look up at my sister.” 

Having gained permission Tom gradually lifts his eyes up to take in the sight of the demoness. First, he sees the terrifying three-inch heels she is wearing upon her feet. ‘How can she walk in those without breaking her neck?’ Moving on Tom’s eyes travel up the demoness’s hourglass figure which is covered in a tight, form-fitting dark blue gown, splashes of diamonds that varied in size are embedded into the stitching, giving the illusion of a dark moonless night. The dress is sleeveless and riding a little low so when Tom’s eyes reach her chest he gets an eye full. ‘Hot damn! Are those things real? She has to be a D at the very least, and her dress is so tight it hugs her every curve so well that she is practically naked!’ 

By this point Tom’s face has taken on a nice tomato red, he tries to squash down his embarrassment as he remembers his training, he also tries to subtly shift when his pants suddenly become to tight around his member, but when he sees the knowing smirk on Naamah’s face he knows he has failed. Speaking of her face, Tom goes back to his inspection of the demoness, and her features do not disappoint. Full cupid bow lips covered in bright red lipstick, high cheekbones that could cut diamonds, and her eyes are a brilliant sky blue that sparkles like stars, but the most eye-catching thing about her is her hair. Her hair is the color of a blazing forest fire, cascading down her back in the form of giant ringlets, even standing still the hair seems to have a life of its own, small filkers of movements like an open flame. ‘She looks completely human, besides the fact that she is every teenager’s wet dream, she looks human, what kind of demon is she?’

To Tom his inspection takes hours, but in reality, it only takes a few seconds, in those seconds Naamah finishes her inspection of Tom. “Awww, he is adorable. I can see why you like him, his eyes are breathtaking.”

They begin walking again, Clauneck giving Tom a short, “heel,” as they go. Naamah continues to talk as they go. 

“And he is so well behaved, you trained him very well. Does he know any tricks?”

Tom stays close to his master’s side, his eyes back on the ground, but he strains his ears so he can listen to his Clauneck’s reply. “Yes he does, and the best part was that I didn’t have to teach him any. My little Tom came with special talents all on his own.” 

Hearing the pride in Clauneck’s voice as he brags about him, Tom allows his training to slip momentarily as his lips twitch upward before sliding back into an emotionless mask. At that moment the three of them reach the main room where all the other guests are located. Tom, unfortunately, is unprepared for the volume, he is therefore assaulted by the loud clatter of many voices at once, luckily he is quick to tune them out and focuses back in on this master and their host.

“And…? Those talents would be…?” Naamah asks as she raises an eyebrow at Clauneck. Who smirks over at his sister with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Sorry sister, you are just going to have to wait and see, but I promise you will enjoy it. But in the meantime, I am going to say hello to our other siblings.” With that said Clauneck walks off to the bar to mingle, Tom following at his heels. After ordering a drink for himself Clauneck allows Tom to sit as they wait. 

Unable to contain himself Tom bucks up enough courage to ask Clauneck a question. Keeping his head down he licks his lips, then in a quiet clear voice calls up his demon.

“Master?” Falling silent he waits for Clauneck to acknowledge him.

“Yes Bright Eyes?”

“If you don’t mind me asking Master, what type of demon is your sister? She looked so human to me that I was taken by surprise.”

“Oh, that is because my sister is a succubus. She is the Demon Lord of Lust, so her secondary form looks human, but in her primary form, there is no mistaking her for anything other than a demon. Trust me, she is terrifying when she is mad, her hair catches fire, her nails grow six inches and become as hard as steel. Worst of all her voice gets so loud your ears will start bleeding.” Clauneck gives an involuntary full-body shiver. “Never cross her unless you want to die a horrible and painful death.” 

‘A succubus, isn’t that a type of sex demon? That must be why I got so hard so fast, she must have used some weird demon power on me.’ Tom thinks, as for the rest of what Master said I will take his advice and steer clear of her if I can, I do not want to die a horrible and painful death thank you very much.’

The rest of the night passes in a blur for Tom, Clauneck got his drink and they headed out onto the floor. Tom vaguely remembers meeting two more of Clauneck’s siblings. One looked like a younger less attractive version of Naamah, but unlike the hostess, this demoness’s skin was a deep forest green, when she spotted Tom she started complaining about how she wanted a human too, to which Clauneck rolled his eyes at. Another one was a male who was just as big as Zepar but seemed to carry even more scars than the Horseman, he also gave off a smell like freshly spilled blood that caused Tom to unconsciously shift closer to Clauneck. Aside from that Tom can’t remember what happened, it is only when the evening is half over that things change. 

Clauneck brakes away from the conversation he is having with what appears to be a banshee, to lead Tom off to a corner of the room that is slightly cut off from the rest of the party so it is somewhat quieter. There he tells Tom to sit before he gets down on one knee to speak with him.

“Tom, look at me,” once Tom meets his eyes he continues, “how are you holding up Bright Eyes?”

“I am fine Master, my knees are a little sore but it is nothing I can’t handle.” Tom answers in a dull tone, he has grown bored awhile ago and is now ready for something to change, fortunately, he is about to get his wish, unfortunately, he is not going to like how he got it.

“Good, because now it is time for you to perform as we discussed.”   

Suddenly much more alert Tom gulps, luckily, thanks to his training the only sign of his panic is a minuscule tensing of his muscles. On the inside, however, a storm rages in his head. ‘OH SHIT I FORGOT ABOUT THAT! WHAT AM I GONNA DO? WHAT IF I’M NOT GOOD ENOUGH? WHAT IF I EMBARRASS MASTER? WHAT IF - STOP! I need to calm down, I have been preparing for this night for two months, I am ready!’

Inner freak-out done, Tom focuses back in on his master, who is still kneeling in front of him. Straightening his back Tom stares Clauneck dead in the eyes, his iron resolve showing through. “I am ready Master, I will make you proud.” Tom doesn’t mean to say that last part but it just slips out, either way, he means it wholeheartedly. 

Clauneck is monetary surprised by Tom’s statement, but when what he said sinks in the demon’s chest floods with warmth. He reaches a hand up to gently cup Tom’s cheek, rubbing his thumb under one of his emerald eyes. “Oh Tom, I am already proud of you, don’t ever forget that.”

They stay like that for a moment, with Clauneck lovingly stroking Tom as the human leans into the touch. Regrettably, all good things must come to an end and so Clauneck sadly moves his hand away, causing Tom to whimper at the loss of contact. “I know Bright Eyes, but we have work to do, come on I will set up the piano.”

Clauneck stands up and leads them both up onto a stage at one side of the ballroom. Once there, Clauneck uses his Demon Lord power to summon the gold piano from their home. With the piano in place Clauneck turns back to his pet, he commands Tom to stand up, which Tom does immodestly, he then unclips the diamond leash from the collar. Right before he leaves Clauneck whispers something in Tom’s ear.

“Remember, I will be here the whole time, nothing will happen to you, just pretend it is just you and me at home and play from your heart.”

“Thank you, Master.”

With those parting words, Clauneck leaves the stage while Tom moves to sit at the piano. All the while the other demons at the party have slowly begin taking notice of Tom, they start to murmur among themselves, wondering what the human is doing. Tom tunes this all out, letting their voices disappear, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets his imagination take him back home. Suddenly he is no longer at some fancy party, no, he is back in his music room at Clauneck’s house, it is just another day in his new life, Clauneck is lying on the couch waiting for him to play. Snapping his eyes open Tom places his nimble fingers on the piano keys and presses down, letting the music play him instead of the other way around.

“I’m not going anywhere

Cause I’m here to stay, I’m here to play

Get used to it

Nothings gonna bring me down

Got a little taste of it

And now, I want more

And I can’t ignore the feel of it

Nothings gonna stop me now

Fire on the ground, got ‘em running for cover

Better watch out, I’m about to take over

I don’t got time to look over my shoulder

Leave ‘em all behind, I about to take over

You wanna get competitive

But I stay on top, yeah, I call the shots

Get used to it

Nothing’s gonna bring me down

Feel that adrenaline

The rush in my veins, fuel to the flame

I live for it

Nothing’s gonna stop me now

‘Cause I got news for you

I can’t lose, no, no

‘Cause I am golden

And I will never back down

‘Cause I got news for you

And I can’t lose, no, no

‘Cause I am golden

And I’m about to take over

Fire on the ground, got ‘em running for cover

Better watch out, I’m about to take over

I don’t got time to look over my shoulder

Leave ‘em all behind, I’m about to take over

I’m about to take over

I’m about to take over

I’m about to take over.”

Coming back to himself Tom is met with complete silence, gradually Tom cranes his neck so he can look over his shoulder at his audience, they are all staring at him, every single eye is focused solely on the human. Tom feels the panic beginning to set in from their lack of response when a noise brakes the silence. One single clap. The clap repeats itself before more join in, soon a roar of applause crashes into Tom who is still sitting at the piano, too stunned to do anything. Luckily, through his confusion, he meets his master’s eyes. Clauneck sends him an approving smile filled with pride, he then uses his hands to signals for Tom to play another song. Tom turns back to the piano, now much more relaxed, and plays another song for his audience. 

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing”

Recap

Coming back to himself Tom is met with complete silence, gradually Tom cranes his neck so he can look over his shoulder at his audience, they are all staring at him, every single eye is focused solely on the human. Tom feels the panic beginning to set in from their lack of response when a noise breaks the silence. One single clap. The clap repeats itself before more join in, soon a roar of applause crashes into Tom who is still sitting at the piano, too stunned to do anything. Luckily, through his confusion, he meets his master’s eyes. Clauneck sends him an approving smile filled with pride, he then uses his hands to signals for Tom to play another song. Tom turns back to the piano, now much more relaxed, and plays another song for his audience.

Tom strums the last cord on his silver guitar as he finishes another song, he has been switching between playing the golden piano and his silver guitar all night, in total, he has played six different songs so far and his voice is beginning to hurt from singing so much. Luckily, he can now take a break before he sings one final song, the song Zepar picked out for Tom to play for his wife.

Setting the guitar down in its case Tom makes sure that it will be ready for when he gets back on stage to perform again in about an hour. During that time Tom will get a chance to rest his vocal cords, so with the guitar now safely put away Tom positions himself back into his practiced sitting position on the floor as he waits for his master to come up on stage to collect him.

Tom hears more than sees Clauneck make his way up the steps onto the stage as the demon strides over to him with the diamond leash. Tom tilts his head to the side so Clauneck can have easier access to the D ring under his chin, once the led attaches to the collar Clauneck says a gentle, “heel,” to get Tom to follow. Rising to his hands and knees Tom begins to follow at his master’s side, but after only a few steps towards the stairs to exit the stage, they are stopped by the sound of disappointment from the crowd.

“Awww, let him stay,”

“Don’t take him away, make him play more,”

“Yeah, I want to hear another song,”

Tom, unable to help himself, goes against his training and angles his head ever so slightly so he can just see out of the corner of his eye the crowd of demons that wants him to keep performing, he is oddly touched by their instance that he keeps going.

‘Wow, I didn’t expect them to like my singing so much, I am not even that good, or at least not in the human world… Well, I have been practicing every day for the past four and a half months since I arrived in the Netherworld, maybe that’s it, maybe I have been improving and never really realized it. Either way, it feels nice being appreciated for doing something I love.’ Tom dares to tilt his head a little bit more, not enough to be noticeable, but enough that he can see more of the demons who are asking for more. ‘I can’t do an encore,’ He addresses the crowd in his head, ‘if I do then I might not be able to perform as well later on, and the whole reason I was brought to his party in the first place was to perform a love song. Besides even if I wanted to, the decision is not up to me, it is up to my Master.’

It is at that moment Clauneck speaks up to try and placate the party-goers. “Calm down everyone, Tom will be back to play one final song later, but he needs time to rest before that so he can give his best performance. He will be back in an hour after he has a chance to regain his strength.” With the crowd now somewhat calmer, although a few demons can still be heard complaining, Clauneck leads Tom the rest of the way off the stage and over to a table towards the side of the large room. Sitting down in a chair, then giving Tom permission to sit down on the floor next to his leg, Clauneck signals a servant to come over. The servant, who is just a low-level demon from the second ring, scurries over to where the Demon Lord is sitting.

“How may I be of assistance My Lord?” The demon asks as he deeply bows at the waist with his eyes down. The demon is young, only about 17,000 years old, making him 17 if he were human. He has light grey metallic skin and is wearing a black vest over a white button-up shirt that is tucked into his black dress pants, a black bowtie to complete the look. Behind him his grey tail with a copper tuff of hair at the end twitches back and forth, showcasing his nervousness, atop his head two numbs that might pass as the beginnings of horns poke out of his slicked-back copper locks. 

Clauneck doesn’t even spare him a glance as he tells the teen what he wants. “Go into the kitchen and get a bowl of food for my pet, some water, and see if you can find any honey.”

“Right away My Lord.” The young demon’s voice cracks, his cheeks dust a light yellow in embarrassment as he gives another bow, this one deeper than the last before he takes off to complete the task assigned to him.

‘Yikes,’ Tom thinks from his spot on the ground, ‘poor kid, having his voice crack in front of a Demon Lord, that’s going to haunt him for a long time, I feel bad for him. One of my foster brothers had the same problem during a job interview, his voice cracked so badly that the person interviewing him thought he sneezed, he was even offered a tissue.’

The servant now gone, Clauneck turns his attention to Tom. Reaching down he strokes his pet’s hair. “You were amazing up there, Bright Eyes, everyone loved you.”

“Thank you, Master,” Tom preens under the complement, “it was a lot of fun performing in front of a big audience again.”

“I am glad you enjoyed yourself, I will have to bring you to more parties so you can perform again, but in the meantime, no more talking for the rest of the night, you need to save your voice for your finale.” Tom nods his head in a show of acknowledgment. Just then, the servant returns with Tom’s food.

Clauneck removes his hand from Tom’s hair as he watches the other party-goers mingle, or at least that is what it looks like, in actuality, he is watching the servant place three bowls down in front of his pet, one with food, one with water, finally he sets down a glass filled with honey. It is because Clauneck is watching all of this that he catches the young demon screw up. 

A few seconds before

Tom mourns the loss of his master’s talented fingers in his hair as the other demon returns with his food. His stomach growls softly as the food is placed in front of him. Tom leans forward ready to chow down when he stops. The demon, the one who brought the food out, he hasn’t moved, he is just sitting there, Tom can feel his eyes burning a hole in his head. 

‘What is he doing? Why is he staring at me that this? Doesn’t he have to serve the other guests? I know I didn’t do anything wrong so why is he just sitting there staring at me?’

“Grrrr!” A deep growl from above causes both Tom and the young demon to jump, both distinguish the terrifying sound as one coming from an angry monster, and that monster happens to be an annoyed Demon Lord of Greed.

“Boy,” the snarled word is ground out through bared fangs, “what do you think you are doing?”

Unable to resist, Tom lifts his head up enough to see the young demon sitting not even a foot away from him. The poor kid is trembling like a leaf during a hurricane, his head hanging over the floor, a few loose strands of hair escape and are currently tickling his forehead. Tom can just make out a pair of soft golden eyes as they fill with tears before they escape their confines to splatter onto the floor. Tom watches as the demon tries to speak through trembling grey lips.

“I-I am so-orry M-my L-lord, I mea-ant n-no dis-resp-pect, I-I ha-ave n-never s-seen a hum-man thi-s cl-close befor-re. Pl-please h-ave m-mercy.” The demon sinks all the way to the ground as he presses his forehead to the floor, begging for his life to be spared.

Clauneck shifts his weight forward and raises an arm, his claws poised to rip the head off of the pathetic excuse for a demon that is cowering at his feet. He pauses however when he hears an almost inaudible whimper. Keeping his one hand in position Clauneck uses his other hand to tilt Tom’s chin up. Once he can see his pet’s face Clauneck raises an eyebrow, silently asking what is wrong. Tom starts mouthing words at him, ‘Please spare him, Master.’ Clauneck feels his other eyebrow join the first at his pet’s odd request, but after a moment he relinquishes this hold on Tom’s chin, allowing the human to return his eyes to the ground.

Lowering his raised arm Clauneck turns back to the sniveling demon at his feet, who is still waiting for the Demon Lord to pass judgment, sneering down at the boy Clauneck uses his foot to kick the servant, knocking him onto his side.

“You are lucky boy, I am in a good mood tonight so I will let you live.” The boy begins to babble thank you’s before he is silenced by another growl. “However…” the demon on the floor stiffens from where is lying on his side, unconsciously holding his breath as he waits for the Demon Lord to deliver his punishment, for he knows he is going to get punished, no one gets away with disrespecting a Demon Lord unscathed, he already escaped death, so he knows he most likely about to lose a limb. 

“… it has been a long night and I would like to put my feet up, and it looks like you just offered to be my newest footstool.”

The young demon goes perfectly still, ‘that’s it? I get to keep my limbs!?’ Not one to look at a miracle too closely, the young demon scrabbles up onto all four and positions himself under his Lord’s feet, it is only after ten minutes have passed with nothing else happening than his lord shifting his feet on his back that he young demon finally relaxes. Which is why he finally notices how close he is to the human that got him into this mess. 

Tom is halfway through his dinner when he feels it again, the other demon is staring at him again. Slowing down in his chewing he looks up through his eyelashes at the demon being used as a footstool. He is staring at Tom with such open curiosity that it causes Tom to shift his weight in discomfort. But in the end, Tom ignores the demon in favor of eating, ‘it’s not like he can do anything while serving as a piece of furniture. Even if he did try something, which I doubt he will, Clauneck would stop him.’

Just then a familiar voice sounds from above them. “There you are Clauneck, I have been looking all over for you.” 

Clauneck turns towards the voice that is calling to him to see his brother-in-law Zepar walking towards their table. 

“Zepar, I have been sitting here ever since I took Tom off the stage not too long ago. I have to give him a break so when the time comes he will be able to impress my sister with the song we picked out, speaking of my sister, how did she like Tom’s performance so far?”

Sitting down heavily in the chair next to Clauneck, Zepar grins. “She loves him, especially the first song he played, but I am a little worried.”

Tom watches as the young demon under the table just barely manages not to collapse when Clauneck shifts his weight forward, putting more pressure on the poor kid’s back. When he is steady again they both go back to eavesdropping on the conversation going on above them. 

“Oh? And why would you be worried? I thought you said she loves Tom’s music?”

“She does, but she is still royally pissed off at me, so when I let it split that I was the one who convinced you to let your pet preform, she put on a mask of indifference. I don’t know if the song will be enough to get her to forgive me.”

A heavy sigh escapes Clauneck as he uses two fingers to rub at his eyes, “what did you do this time?”

“Nothing,” Zepar exclaims. Both Tom and the grey demon can feel the judgment coming off of Clauneck in waves. “Well…” They hear Zepar continue in a less certain voice. “…I have been away for a long time, but that is because I am doing my job as the Horseman of War. Not my fault humans are always at each other’s throats.”

“Uh-hu,” the amount of sarcasm dripping from that one word is almost tangible.

“Ok maybe it is, but that is my job, I am supposed to get the humans to kill each other in the most violent way I can think of - but that is not the point, the point is that I have been gone for a while and now Naamah won’t give me the time of day, I don’t know what to do.”

Underneath the table, Tom cracks a small sorrowful smile. ‘He should be worried, he sounds just like dad did when mom would get mad at him for being gone for so long, of course, he always had their song to get her to forgive him, but Zepar doesn’t, Heartbeat is a great song but no way will it be enough. I almost feel bad for him.’ Tom snaps out of his melancholy by the sound of Clauneck slapping a comforting hand on Zepar’s shoulder.

“No need to worry my friend, the song we picked out will sweep my sister off her feet. Tom will give his best performance yet, I even ordered some honey for him to drink.”

“Honey?” Zepar ducks down so he can peer under the table at Tom, sure enough, he sees a glass of honey sitting by Tom’s food, he also sees the young demon acting as Clauneck’s footstool, but he has more pressing matters than that right now. “What does honey have to do with anything?”

Clauneck opens his mouth to answer when he realizes he is not sure himself. “I am not entirely sure myself, while we were practicing these past two months Tom always insisted he be allowed some honey before his big finale.” Clauneck also leans down to look under the table with Zepar, again almost causing the servant to collapse under the added weight. “Why do you need honey Bright Eyes?”

Tom, who has finished his meal, picks up the honey itself before answering. “Honey helps with a sore throat. Professional singers also use it when they need to do multiple shows in one night, it soothes the vocal cords so their voices don’t come out scratchy, Master.”

“Huh,” Clauneck and Zepar return to their upright positions, “Well there you have it, that is what the honey is for, to make him a better singer, now you will have nothing to worry about.” 

Down below Tom brings the glass to his lips and throws his head back to drink the honey all in one go, when he finishes the last drop he sets the glass down but then his eyes land on the young boy that is holding up his master’s feet. He stares at the boy’s trembling form with pity. As if sensing his gaze the boy looks up and meets his eyes, unafraid of getting reprimanded because the kid clearly doesn’t count as a demon at the moment, Tom stares right into the kid’s golden eyes. ‘I wish there is more I could do for you kid but my hands are tied.’ Tom tries to say with his eyes, but judging by the blank look he receives, the message goes undelivered. Suddenly the conversation going on above them catches both their attention.

“By the way, what is up with the brat under the table?” Zepar asks in a bored tone.

“Oh, that?” Clauneck shifts one foot over the other, bring it down more sharply than necessary, the poor boy bites his lip hard enough to draw blood in an effort to keep himself from crying out, the yellow liquid drips down his chin onto the floor.

“That is just some little mongrel that got too close to what is mine.”

“Really?” The disbelief is evident in Zepar’s voice. “This is so unlike you Clauneck, you usually slaughter anything that gets too close to your belongings without mercy, what is so different about this one?”

“Oh don’t get me wrong I was planning to, but my little pet doesn’t like violence, so he asked me to spare the wretch. Besides killing him would have been messy and I don’t want Tom to be covered in blood for his final performance, which is why the mutt still has his limbs as well. Besides, now I have someplace to rest my feet while Tom recovers, it is a win-win situation.”

“Ha, your probably right, man the punk got lucky though. I think this is the only time you have ever let anyone get away with something like this with such a light punishment.”

“What can I say I am in a good mood.” 

All the while under the table Tom is watching the boy’s reactions as they listen to the demons’ conversation. The moment Clauneck mentions his original intentions for him the boy loses all color as his shaking intensifies to unhealthy levels. He looks about ready to pass out from fear and he most likely would have. Luckily the Demon Lord’s next sentence cuts through his terror, allowing him to go perfectly still as the information about how Tom saved him sinks in. The young demon again locks eyes with Tom, his golden orbs shining with gratitude, he mouths a silent ‘Thank you’ at Tom who simple dips his head in acknowledgment. An unspoken bond forms between them as two beings so low on the food chain.

After that the next fifteen minutes seem to fly by, Zepar leaves to try to talk to his wife and Clauneck goes back to petting Tom’s hair. As Tom sits next to his master he gets lost in his own thoughts.

‘What should we do? I know Heartbeat won’t be enough to get Naamah to forgive Zepar, but it is the only love song I know besides the one my dad wrote. Should I play them the song? Or should I just go on like we planned and play Heartbeat? Ahhhh, this is all so confusing, why am I even considering playing my father’s song to a bunch of demons?’ Tom asks himself but he already knows the answer, it is because of the demon currently stroking his fingers through his hair. He wants to impress Clauneck by helping Zepar win back Naamah, and he knows if he doesn’t play his father’s song that will never happen. 

Sensing his pet’s anxiety Clauneck stops his hand that is tangled in Tom's hair, looking down he sees the worried frown that adorns Tom’s face. “Is something wrong Bright Eyes? You look upset.”

Hearing the concern in his master’s voice Tom is unable to hold in his thoughts, “Master, the song we picked for tonight isn’t going to work, your sister isn’t going to forgive her husband.”

“Oh, and why do you think that?”

“I have seen it before, my mom would be mad at my dad for the same reason as Lady Naamah is, she would ignore him and any attempt he made would just add fuel to the fire.”

“Hmm, well that is a dilemma, but there must be some way we can fix this, what did he do to get her to forgive him?”

“He could sing her the song my dad wrote for my mom.”

Silence, “…I see,” Clauneck’s voice is flat with no emotion to give away what he is thinking. Tom waits, and waits, and waits, but that is it. Clauneck says nothing more. After what feels like an eternity Tom cracks.

“Are you going to make me play it, Master,” Tom asks in a quiet whisper.

“No, I know what that song means to you, it is the song you played for your parents as they danced together, it is the song you played for your mother before she left you, I will not force you to play that song until you feel you are ready to face it.”

Tom is stunned, silent tears sting his eyes as he disregards his training and looks right up at his master who is staring right back at him with the kindest expression a demon can make. 

“I’ll do it,” Tom finds himself saying, “I’ll perform the song my father wrote.” 

“Are you sure Bright Eyes, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I want to do it, I don’t want it to dictate my life,” and he means it, he wants to play it, he wants to do this for his master.

Seeing the determination in the human’s eyes Clauneck’s heart swells with pride. “Alright, I will inform Zepar of the change in plans.” Clauneck stands up and gathers Tom’s leash in his hand, he ties it to the chair leg and walks away to find the Horseman.

Once he disappears into the crowd Tom hears the groaning of the other demon that is under the table with him, ‘oh yeah, I completely forgot about him, oops,’ Tom watches as the young demon arches his back, electing loud cracks from his spine. The boy then starts to crawl his way out from under the table. As he is passing him Tom speaks up, “Don’t,” the boy startles, whipping his head around to face Tom who is looking at him from under his eyelashes.

“Don’t? Don’t what?” The boy asks confused.

“I know my Master; if you leave without his permission, he will hunt you down later and I won’t be there to stop him from killing you.”

The boy’s eyes widen with fear, he quickly scurries back to his spot before, once he is back in the position he turns his attention to Tom. “Thanks for saving me,… again, my name is Melchom.”

“Tom, and don’t mention it… seriously don’t, Master will not be happy if he finds out we are talking to each other.” They both fall silent after that, Malchom moves back to where he was before and then they both wait for Clauneck to return, they don’t wait long.

Clauneck re-emerges from the hoard of demons, he squats down to untie Tom from the chair, while he is doing so he glances over at Melchom, who is up on all four with his head down, waiting to be used again. “Well, it seems you are not a total moron, you can at least follow basic instruction, shame, I was hoping you would try and leave it would have been fun hunting you down later.” Melchom gulps at the confirmation of Tom’s perdition. “But seeing that I have no further use for you, you may go.”

Melchom scrabbles out from under the table when he tries to stand his kneels almost collapse thanks to being on the ground for so long, but he perseveres and after another deep bow to the Demon Lord he is off.

Clauneck scoffs at the boy's back but otherwise, ignores him. Standing up with Tom’s leash in hand he gives the now worn-out command to “heel” before making his way to the stage with Tom in tow. 

Once up on stage again Clauneck unclips the leach from Tom’s collar, allowing him to make his way over to the piano. Meanwhile, Clauneck stands center stage to addresses the audience, he clears his throat, speaking in a loud but not overwhelming voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, for my pet’s final performance a special song has been requested, this song is dedicated to the host of the party, my brother-in-law, and my beloved older sister.” The crowd applauds and clear the dance floor for the couple. Naamah has no choice but to accept her husband’s hand to dance in order to not make a scene. Clauneck gives a nod over his shoulder at Tom to signal for him to start playing as he leaves the stage.

Tom begins playing the introduction to the song, letting the slow careful melody take him away to a happier time. When it is time he opens his mouth and lets his voice ring out through the silent hall, his voice deep with emotions that he has been carrying for the past thirteen years.

“Sound the bugle now

Play it just for me

As the seasons change 

Remember how I used to be

Now I can’t go on

I can’t even start

I got nothing left

Just an empty heart

I’m a soldier wounded

So I must give up the fight

There’s nothing more for me

Lead me away… 

Or leave me lying here.

Tom brakes off into a piano solo, playing each note with a passion he thought had left him alongside his mother.

Sound the bugle now

Tell them I don’t care

There’s not a road I know

That leads to anywhere

Without a light, I fear that I will

Stumble in the dark

Lay right down, decide not to go on

Then from on high

Somewhere in the distance

There’s a voice that calls

Remember who you are

If you lose yourself

Your courage soon will follow

So be strong tonight

Remember who you are.

Tom smiles as he goes into another solo, but this time, his smile is not one of sadness or regret, it is one of joy, joy at remembering all the amazing things he did with his parents, all the memories that had been tainted with grief come back to him in a new light.

Yeah, you’re a soldier now

Fighting in a battle

To be free once more

Yeah, that’s worth fighting for”

As the last cord leaves his lips Tom is finally able to let go, go of all the heartache that he has unconsciously been carrying is finally gone, tears of happiness stream down his cheeks. Tom is brought back to reality when he hears the thunderous applause behind him, remembering where he is and how he should act Tom slides off the piano bench to wait for this master, but he is unable to stop his tears from flowing or the permanent smile that adorns his lips. 

Clauneck hops up on stage, making his way over to Tom he is at first concerned when he sees the tears but upon noticing the soft smile that is also present Clauneck relaxes. Once next to his pet the Demon Lord clips on the diamond leash then he faces the still applauding crowd. Scanning the room full of demons he sees his sister in tears leaning on her husband clapping with everyone, Zepar sends him a triumphant grin as if to say the plan worked. Moving on Clauneck spots some more of his siblings applauding for his pet, but that is when he sees him. In the back of the room, there is one demon who is not clapping. Locking eyes with this demon Clauneck feels stone-cold terror grip his heart and squeeze it in a vice. Standing at the opposite end of the room is King Lucifer, and he does not look pleased.

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”

Recap

Clauneck hops up on stage, making his way over to Tom, he is at first concerned when he sees the tears but upon noticing the soft smile that is also present Clauneck relaxes. Once next to his pet the Demon Lord clips on the diamond leash then he faces the still applauding crowd. Scanning room full of demons he sees his sister in tears leaning on her husband clapping with everyone, Zepar sends him a triumphant grin as if to say the plan worked. Moving on Clauneck spots some more of his siblings applauding for his pet, but that is when he sees him. In the back of the room, there is one demon who is not clapping. Locking eyes with this demon Clauneck feels stone-cold terror grip his heart and squeeze it in a vice. Standing at the opposite end of the room is King Lucifer, and he does not look pleased. 

Clauneck’s body locks into place, his grip on his pet’s leash tightening until his claws break the skin, cause a trickle of golden blood to travel down the diamond leash. Ripping his eyes away from the blood-red orbs that bore into his own Clauneck swiftly makes his way off the stage. Tom, who had been waiting for the customary heel that never can, is jerked forward from his spot on the floor. 

Scrabbling for a second Tom falls into step next to his master. He lets his body go on autopilot as his mind fills with confusion. ‘Why would Master choke me like that? Did I do something wrong?’ Before he has much time to dwell on those thoughts they descend the stage steps and plunge into the crowd of demons. Many of the party-goers call out to Clauneck to try and start up a conversation about Tom’s performance but he ignores all of them. Clauneck begins to pick up his pace every time another demon calls out his name, this causes Tom to scurry along the floor in an undignified way in order not to be choked. Clauneck pays no attention to his pet’s lack of grace, he just continues to make a beeline for the exit. 

Finally breaking from the crowd, with the exit in sight Clauneck lets a minuscule amount of tension leak from his body. But he does not slow down, instead, he speeds up even more. Down at his side, Tom completely abandons any attempts at following his training. Now he is more focused on not getting dragged across the floor. That is until he trips. 

“Ah-kkk!” Tom goes down hard, his surprised cry cut off by the collar being pulled tight. Luckily his cry is what finally snaps Clauneck out of his panic and brings his attention to his pet’s trouble keeping up with his long strides. Stopping so his pet can regain his footing Clauneck turns so he is facing the human who is sprawled on the ground. Not wasting a second Clauneck grabs the back of Tom’s shirt and uses it to lift Tom and throw him over his shoulder. Shoulder connecting with his stomach Tom lets out an airy “oof” before he feels them moving again. Each step causing Tom to bounce in the air slightly. That is until Clauneck comes to a screeching halt right before he reaches the door. The force of which they stop causes Tom to smash his nose into his master’s back. Bringing a hand up to his now bruised nose Tom wonders not for the first time what is happening. He is about to his master what in the hell is going on when his master speaks before he can. 

“King Lucifer.” Clauneck’s voice is tight with fear, but he does let it show on his face which he is struggling to keep blank. He unconsciously tightens his grip on Tom, who has gone perfectly still on his shoulder. “You are looking well this evening, I was not expecting for you to be attending my sister’s anniversary party. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you this evening?”

“Lord Clauneck, I attend all celebrations that involve my Horsemen, surely you must know this?”

“Must have slipped my mind, my King.” Inside Clauneck silently cursed up a storm. ‘#&@^U& #$&U#%T@!I&!#!$ #O#!&O!H!@#$^%&*@#! How could I have been so stupid!? I was so focused on getting Tom ready to perform that I forgot about Zepar’s static and who would be attending the party. I put Tom in danger all because I didn’t have the foresight to think ahead.’

“I must say,” King Lucifer continues, snapping Clauneck out of his thoughts. “That was quite the performance your human gave, I was not aware you took on a pet. I wanted to come over and met him but you left in such a hurry that I almost missed you.” Lucifer’s eyes narrow eyes at the demon before him. “You weren’t trying to avoid me, were you?”

“No, of course not my King!” Clauneck exclaims, even if that was exactly what he had been trying to do.

“Good, then you won’t mind if I say hello to your human,” Lucifer says in a falsely cheerful voice. 

Having Tom anywhere near the being in front of him is the absolute last thing Clauneck wants to do, but Clauneck can hear the underlining threat in those words. If he doesn’t comply then his King will take Tom by force. So with no other choice, Clauneck reluctantly slides his pet off his shoulder on to the ground.

Tom doesn’t fight it as his master lowers him to the floor, he had been following along the conversation from where he hung on Clauneck’s shoulder. He could tell from his master’s body language how important it is for him to be the perfect little pet right now. The only reason he is not freaking out right now is because of all the training he received for this party and the fact that he is too in shock to fully process that he is about to meet the devil himself.

Once on the ground Tom assumes the heel position on all four with his eyes firmly locked on the floor. His ears straining for any command that is given. That is how he hears the gentle rustling of fabric before a hand enters his field of vision to grasp his chin to lift his head. That is how green eyes lock with blue. 

Lucifer is squatting down in front of him and is currently the one holding his chin up. The King of demons looks completely human with pale skin and soft red lips, his golden hair falls in waves to curl around his ears. He is dressed in a well fitted two-piece back and white suit. The only thing that sets him apart from a human is the three pairs of pure white feathery wings that protrude from his back, marking him as an archangel. But Tom sees none of this for his eyes are still entrapped by the angel’s eyes. Eyes that hold nothing in them. Eyes that are so empty that staring into them is like falling into a dark pit. A pit that never seems to end as the darkness surrounds you, suffocating you until there is nothing left. 

“What beautiful eyes he has, I can see why you kept him.”

Clauneck swallows dryly, his body still coiled with tension and the desire to run, but he holds himself steady and answers, his voice completely flat. “Thank you, my King. His eyes are one of the first things that I noticed about him. They are indeed one of the reasons I decided to keep him as a pet.” 

“I see…” The King drawls out. His eyes never breaking with Tom. “I must admit I was quite surprised to see a human in the Netherworld this evening. After all, there are only two ways for that to happen. One is if a human sold their soul to a demon and thus making it that demon’s property. Or…”

*BOOOM*

Tom violently flinches away from the loud crash that occurs to his left. Having fallen on his side Tom sits up and takes a moment to figure out what just happened. Looking around his eyes land on a bone-chilling sight. King Lucifer is no longer in front of him, instead, he stands less than a foot away, holding Clauneck in the air by his neck with only one hand. A spider web of cracks extends outward from where the Devil slammed Clauneck’s body against the wall. 

Staring at the horrifying scene taking place before him, for no amount of training could have prepared him for this, Tom’s terrified brain takes in every detail. The way King Lucifer’s six wings are all flared out behind him in fury. The way the cracks on the wall are still creeping outward from the pressure Lucifer is still applying to Clauneck’s throat. The way his master claws desperately at his king’s hand to let him go but making no progress.

“Or-“  

Tom listens carefully as King Lucifer begins to speak again. The adrenaline coursing this his veins forcing him to hear every word with complete clarity. 

“-You stole this soul straight from the living world without forming a contract and decided to keep it. Disregarding every law put into place in the process. I put those laws there for a reason. Taking a soul without forming a contract first will bring my Father’s attention to us. So tell me, ‘Great Demon Lord of Greed,’ where is your contract for this human.”

King Lucifer pulls Clauneck away from the wall till their noses are almost touching, here Lucifer growls out through bared teeth. “Anything to say for yourself?” Clauneck just whimpers pathetically. The Devil slams the other demon back into the wall before dropping him to the ground. There is now a small crater on the wall, the crack having leaped all the way to the ceiling. Lucifer glowers down at the demon that is gasping for air at his feet with a scowl. “I will deal with you later, for now, I have your mess to clean up.” 

Turning around King Lucifer stalks his way over to where Tom is. Realizing that Clauneck’s ‘mess’ is him, Tom scrambles to get his feet under him to make a break for it. Unfortunately, he forgets about the diamond leash that is still attached to his collar. The leash wraps around his limbs and prevents him from escaping. Whimpers of fear emit from him as he frantically flails his arms and legs, but the more he struggles the more tangled he becomes. With each failed attempt to detangle himself Tom’s terror grows. That is until he feels a hand grab the back of his shirt and he is dragged across the floor to the door. 

Having learned enough over the past five months living with Clauneck that escape is impossible once a demon has a hold of you, so he goes limp. Salty tears cascading down his cheeks as sobs rack his body. Lifting his head Tom’s last sight is of his Master’s black eyes, eyes that hold such sorrow and regret, eyes that seem to scream ‘I am sorry I could not protect you.’ It is all too much for the poor little human. Tom’s eyes roll back, his head slumping to the side in a dead faint as he is dragged off into the night. 

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech"

Recap 

Turning around King Lucifer stalks his way over to where Tom is. Realizing that Clauneck’s ‘mess’ is him, Tom scrambles to get his feet under him to make a break for it. Unfortunately, he forgets about the diamond leash that is still attached to his collar. The leash wraps around his limbs and prevents him from escaping. Whimpers of fear emit from him as he frantically flails his arms and legs, but the more he struggles the more tangled he becomes. With each failed attempt to detangle himself Tom’s terror grows. That is until he feels a hand grab the back of his shirt and he is dragged across the floor to the door. 

Having learned enough over the past five months living with Clauneck that escape is impossible once a demon has a hold of you, so he goes limp. Salty tears cascading down his cheeks as sobs rack his body. Lifting his head Tom’s last sight is of his Master’s black eyes, eyes that hold such sorrow and regret, eyes that seem to scream ‘I am sorry I could not protect you.’ It is all too much for the poor little human. Tom’s eyes roll back, his head slumping to the side in a dead faint as he is dragged off into the night.

Using his six pearl white wings King Lucifer flies through the sky towards his castle. An unconscious human dangling from his grasp. His face shows no emotion but his eyes tell a different story, he is furious. ‘I can’t believe Clauneck was this stupid, bringing an unbound human soul into my domain is like setting off an airhorn in a library. It’s stupid, idiotic, and guaranteed to draw unwanted attention. Like the attention of my overbearing Father and goody-two-shoes brother Micheal. There was a reason I rebelled and got myself kicked out of Heaven, it was to get away from my family and their self-righteous attitudes. If anyone of my siblings were to find out about this human being in the Netherworld when it should still be on Earth they will go crying to daddy. Then, of course, Father will come down and lecture me on how much of a disappointment I am, how I had so much potential that I just wasted, how I should be more like my perfect brother Micheal. Lucifer rolls his eyes in annoyance. ‘If he finds out I will have to sit through another one of his long-winded lectures, I mean seriously the last time he talked for two and a half weeks straight! 432 hours of not stop yammering.’ A migraine begins to form just from thinking about it. ‘I am NOT going through that again, I just need to get the human back to Earth without anyone noticing then I am home free.’ Putting extra strength into downward thrust his topmost pair of wings Lucifer accelerates through the air toward his castle. 

Soon the stars above begin to disappear under ominous clouds. The ground under them dying out to reveal jagged rocks. Up ahead standing above it all is Lucifer’s castle. The black stone towers jetting out into the swirling vortex of clouds that permanently shrouds the castle in darkness.  The land surrounding the fortress is nothing but a fifty-mile drop onto the unforgiving stone. 

Swooping down Lucifer lands gently on the stone steps leading up to the iron front doors. His large white wings fold in on themselves as he has no more need of them since he has reached his destination. The large doors loom ahead as he makes his way up the steps, dragging the limp human with him. Throwing the heavy door open with one hand hard enough that it collides against the wall with a *BANG.*

Tom startles awake at the loud impact. Confused and disoriented he moans softly as he fights to open his eyes ‘What happened?’ Feeling the ground moving under him he tries a little harder to get his brain to work properly, but for some reason, his mind refuses to cooperate. Blinking the last bit of fuzziness out of his eyes the sight that greets him just makes him more confused. ‘Red carpet? Why am I being hauled over a red carpet? Where am I?’ 

Sluggishly Tom lifts his head with a groan, trying to take in his surroundings. What he sees, unfortunately, does not help his poor dazed mind. ‘Why am I in some sort of medieval hallway?’  Tom thinks as he takes in the stone walls covered in beautiful woven tapestries. The candlelight from the chandelles above cast them all in a gloomy light. Tom tries to make out the scene in one of the tapestry but he is being dragged along too quickly to catch more than a fleeting glance of familiar horns. 

This finally brings Tom’s attention to the fact that if he is in motion that is not of his own doing, then something or someone is dragging him along. Rolling his head to his right Tom studies the man that is holding him by the back of his shirt. Traveling up the man’s torso till his eyes rest on the side profile of the man’s handsome face. ‘He looks familiar, where have I seen this guy before?’ Eyes focused solely on the person’s face Tom tries to concentrate but at the back of his mind, he keeps getting the feeling like he is forgetting something. That is until the man spares a glance down at Tom and he gets a brief flash of empty blue eyes. 

Like a bolt of lightning all the events that had transpired coursed through Tom’s mind. The party, the attack, the kidnapping. So Tom does what any person would do in his situation. He screams bloody murder and starts thrashing to get away. 

Lucifer is deep in thought as he hauls the human through his home to his office. ‘First things first, before I deal with the human I need to make sure that none of my siblings have already gotten wind of this little mistake. Next, I will have to think of a punishment for Clauneck for braking one of my laws, probably something public so I can make an example out of him. After that I can s-‘ Lucifer stops mid-thought as he feels a pair of eyes on him. Sparing a quick glance at the only other living thing in the whole castle, Lucifer sees that the human has regained consciousness. He is about to return to his thoughts, ready to ignore the human’s sobs when it does something he was not expecting. Dropping the human to cover his ears the second the boy starts screaming, Lucifer watches as the human scrambles to his feet and takes off down the hallway still wailing. 

Only when the deafening shrieks begin to fade does Lucifer remove his hands from his ears. ‘Wow, kids got some lungs on him. He could give a banshee a run for their money, I didn’t even know humans could get that loud.’  With a put upon sigh Lucifer walk after where the boy disappeared too. ‘It’s not like he is going to be able to escape, the only way out is through the front door, which is in the opposite direction.’ For a fleeting second Lucifer worries that the human might get into a room he is not supposed to and reck something in his panic but he dismisses that thought quickly. ‘I doubt he will even be able to open any of the doors in my castle, he may be fast for a human but even a middle-class demon would barely be able to open my lightest door, no way would a human be able to.’  That in mind Lucifer follows the sound of the human’s frantic heartbeat through his home. 

Meanwhile, after Tom’s escape from the Devil, he runs through the halls in a blind panic. Rounding corners with barely a thought he runs, not caring where he is going as long as it is away from the archangel behind him. After running into a few dead ends and sometimes a few walls, Tom is thoroughly lost by the time the adrenaline coercing through his body begins to die.

Leaning against a wall Tom greedily gulps down lung fulls of air. His hair, which had been styled for the party is now a rat’s nest of tangles, most strains cling to his forehead as sweat drips down his face onto the floor. His clothes are in a similar state of disarray. The emerald collar is still snuggly around his neck and the diamond leash trails behind him on the floor. 

Resting against the wall for what feels like five minutes but is actually fifteen, Tom straightens up and starts walking down the hallway again. ‘I have to get out of here before he finds and kills me. I just need to find an exit before it is too late.’ 

Rounding a corner Tom’s heart sinks. Standing at the other end of the hall is King Lucifer in all his glory, not a hair out of place. Freezing like a deer in headlights Tom is unable to move as they stare at each other, one with horror and the other with bored indifference. The moment seems to last an eternity but in reality, it is only three seconds. Snapping himself out of the trance Tom whips around and takes off in the opposite direction. A new wave of terror sending him careening away from the Demon King even faster than before. Sadly in his panic, Tom forgets about one thing. He had just come around a corner so when he turns around to run away he isn’t actually facing another hallway. 

In other words, instead of running down another hallway to get away, Tom gets so scared that he ends up running headlong into a wall. 

Lucifer was in no real hurry to catch the human wandering around his home, walking through the halls he listens to the human’s heartbeat to tell him where to go. Walking a leisurely pace he closes in on where the fast-paced beating originates from. When the human appears from around the corner he stops to study the boy’s appearance. ‘He looks like shit. Well, he has been running around for forty-five minutes by now, if he keeps his up his heart might burst.’ Focusing on the human’s wide panicked eyes Lucifer spots the moment when the human decides to run again. Tensing his leg muscles he prepares to leap forward to grab the human when he moves to run. This is why Lucifer stumbles and nearly crashes to the floor when Tom runs right into the wall with enough force to bounce off and sends him crashing to the ground. 

Lucifer stares in stunned silence at the human that is now laying on the ground before him. Walking over he peers down at Tom. Upon getting a closer look he immediately sweeps his eyes over the human. Taking note of the wound on his forehead that is bleeding sluggishly. All the while Tom stares right back at him. Lucifer raises an eyebrow when the human gives him a lazy smile. 

“Hey, handsome, like what you see?” Tom slurs up at the Devil. 

Lucifer continues to stare at Tom. His face completely blank but on the inside, he is smirking. ‘Is he flirting with me? He must have hit his head extremely hard to have the courage to do that.’

“Come on big guy, come down here and join me?” Tom continues, lifting his arm in an attempt to grab Lucifer’s hand to pull him down. All the while giving the Devil what he thinks is a sexy look but in reality, makes him look constipated. 

Lucifer bats Tom’s hands away and ignores the pout it earns him. Reaching down he grips the front of Tom’s shirt and hauls him to his feet. Unfortunately, this effort is in vain for as soon as Tom is standing he goes right back down the second Lucifer stops hold him up. 

Meanwhile, Tom is loving this, giggling like a schoolgirl with her first crush. 

Rolling his eyes at the human’s antics Lucifer reaches down again but this time he simply seizes Tom’s ankle and begins walking. 

“WEEEE!” Lucifer hears the excited cry of joy behind him as he drags the human down the hall. After a few more giggles the human starts rabbling on about random stuff. Lucifer listens absently as he walks to his study. He learns all about how red is Tom’s favorite color, how he thought squirrels were secretly aliens here to take over the world, how flibbertigibbet is a funny word that he thinks is made up. The last comment manages to elect a snort of laughter out of the Devil. ‘Ironic that you think that word is made up when you are being a flibbertigibbet right now.’

(AN: Flibbertigibbet - An overly talkative person.)

Finally arriving at his office Lucifer pushes the heavy door open, dragging Tom the rest of the way in before closing it. 

‘Ok, down to business.’ Lucifer thought as he deposited Tom in the middle of the room. He then bends down and places two fingers to his wound and pushed a little bit of his grace into the loopy human. Lucifer watches as the wound on Tom’s head heals at a rapid pace. The haze receipts from the human’s eyes as the concussion disappears.

The dazed smile that Tom had been wearing fades as his brain starts to work again. He tries to scramble back away from the demon king the second he sees him looming over him. His actions seem to have been anticipated because no sooner had his eyes dilated with fear did a large hand descent and pin him to the floor. Tom watches in horror as King Lucifer’s eyes light up with white light before fading. As the light fades so did Tom’s fears. They just seemed to drain out of him. Sitting up once Lucifer removed his hand from his chest Tom watches numbly as the Demon King walks away from him to a large East Indian rosewood desk. After rounding the desk and sitting in a high back chair Lucifer’s ice-cold blue eyes lock onto Tom’s smaller form. 

“Now, human, I am sure that you are wondering what is going to happen to you, so allow me to clear something up. First, that spell I just put on you is to keep your heart rate at a steady pace. If you continued to run around like you were before your heart would have burst from overstimulation.”

Tom reaches a hand up to clutch the fabric of his shirt above his heart. A wave of gratitude washes over him. He opens his mouth to thank the Devil but before he could Lucifer continues to speak. 

“Second once you tell me how long Clauneck has been keeping you here without my knowledge, after that I will return you to the human world.”

Snapping to attention hope serges through his body as tears of joy gather at the corner of his eyes. “I get to go home?” Tom asks. 

“Yes, the only way for a human to belong in the Netherworld is if summon a demon and then proceed to sold their soul in a demonic contract, since it is clear that you still have your soul I must return you to your world before my Father finds out.”

“Oh,” Tom nods in understanding, even if he doesn't understand half of what was just said. “How would someone summon a demon anyway?” Tom mumbles to himself, not realizing that he is speaking out loud. 

Lucifer hears him and decides to answer his question. “Summoning a demon is easy, all you need is a virgin sacrifice.”

“WHAT!?” Tom shouts in surprise, both at the answer and the realization that he spoke out loud. 

Lucifer waves his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Oh calm down, it is only the high ranking demons that require a human virgin sacrifice. Lower level demons can be summoned with virgin animals. All you need to do is call out the demon’s name before killing the sacrifice and then the demon will appear. But anyway we are getting off-topic. Tell me human, how long have you been in the Netherworld?” 

“Oh, uh,” Tom scratches the back of his head, mentally counting up the time he as spent with Clauneck. “About five months I think.”

“FIVE MONTHS!” King Lucifer roars as he jumps to his feet, his six wings flare out behind him. The chair he had been sitting on fell back and hit the ground with a loud thud. The only reason this action did not send Tom into another panic-induced escape attempt was that the spell put on him was keeping his body calm, even if his mind was screaming at him to run. Nevertheless, Tom stayed still as he watched the Demon King begin to pace behind his desk. 

“Honestly, what was that idiot thinking keeping an unbound human here for five months, did he think I would not find out eventually? He must think I am a bigger fool than he is if he thought he could get away with parading you around the Netherworld.”

Finally, King Lucifer rights his chair and collapsed into it with a heavy sigh. “What am I going to do with him? What did he think would happen when he just took a human without forming a contract first?”

Tom thinks back to the first time he met Clauneck, how completely out of it he was. He couldn’t help himself. Tom starts laughing, first, it starts out as a light giggle but soon Tom finds himself clutching his stomach as loud laughter escapes his mouth. 

Lucifer stares in mild concern as the human seems to go crazy right before his eyes. His concern then turns to annoyance when it becomes clear that the human will not be stopping anytime soon. “Care to share what is so amusing?” Lucifer snarls through clenched teeth. 

Cutting off his laughing fit abruptly at the growled question, coughing twice to get himself under control, Tom bows his head in respect before he answers. “I am sorry your majesty, I was just thinking of when I first met Master. You are right he was not thinking at the time. He was a bit…-” 

Tom pauses as he racks his brain for the right words to describe Clauneck’s behavior.

-… Out of it, at the time.”

Lucifer narrows his eyes at the human. “What do you mean out of it?”

“Well…” Tom then proceeds to tell King Lucifer the whole story on how he found Clauneck in his living room with his pet Milo, how Tom noticed the bandages around Clauneck’s jaw and how later his theory of dental work was proven correct, how Clauneck liked his singing voice, and finally how Clauneck decide to keep him. By the end of his story, King Lucifer is massaging his forehead in an effort to get rid of the migraine that had formed. 

“So you're telling me that laws thousands of years old were broken because be got high?” Lucifer didn’t look up from where his head is resting in his hands. 

“Yes sir.” ‘It sounds kind of ridiculous when you put it that way but that is basically what happened.’

“Terrific, just terrific,” Lucifer mumbles under his breath. Opening one eye he takes in the form of the human that is still sitting on the floor of his office. ‘I can see why Clauneck would want him, he is not bad to look at and he does have an amazing voice.’ Lucifer thought as he remembered the performance Tom gave at the party. ‘But even then Clauneck should have returned him after the drugs wore off. It doesn’t matter, what’s done is done. Now I just need to return him to his world and hope my Father never finds out about this whole fiasco.’

Standing up Lucifer rounded his desk and made his way over to the human. Standing in front of him Lucifer extends his hand out to Tom. “Come, the sooner I take you home the sooner this nightmare will be over.”

Hesitantly Tom reaches up and takes the Demon King’s hand. The second he does all the shadows in the room rush over and engulfs both of them. Tom only has enough time to blink before the shadows are receding away from them to reveal Tom’s living room. Letting go of the arch angel’s hand Tom looks around, everything is exactly how he left it five months ago. He turns to thank King Lucifer but when he looks back the Demon King is already gone. Tom is left there alone in his fancy dress clothes and emerald collar, the diamond leash dangling on the floor.  

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech"

Recap

Hesitantly Tom reaches up and takes the Demon King’s hand. The second he does all the shadows in the room rush over and engulfs both of them. Tom only has enough time to blink before the shadows are receding away from them to reveal Tom’s living room. Letting go of the arch angel’s hand Tom looks around, everything is exactly how he left it five months ago. He turns to thank King Lucifer but when he looks back the Demon King is already gone. Tom is left there alone in his fancy dress clothes and emerald collar, the diamond leash dangling on the floor.

1 year later

Tom opens the door to his house and steps inside, letting the door swing closed behind him. Sighing heavily, he toes off his shoes and hangs up his jacket. He then makes his way out of his mudroom. The second he enters the rest of the house he hears it.

“Meoow”

A soft smile plants itself on his lips at the sight of his tubby cat Milo slowly making his way towards him. Stooping down Tom scoops up his cat in his arms and carries him to the living room couch where he proceeds to plop himself down on, positioning Milo so he sits in his lap.

“How you been buddy?” Tom asks his cat as he strokes his back, a deep rumble erupts from Milo as he starts to purr. “You aren’t in any pain, are you?” Tom begins poking at his cat’s joints to test them, watching carefully for Milo’s reactions. When Tom starts prodding at Milo’s back legs the purr cuts off abruptly.

“YEEOWERRR!!!” Milo yells out in discomfort and distress. He whips his head around, yellow eyes narrowed with judgment and annoyance glare up at Tom.

Tom, who had removed his hands the second Milo cried out, stares back at his cat with guilt shown all over his face. “I’m sorry Milo, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” His hand reaches down to begin scratching Milo behind his ears, his favorite spot to be scratched. Soon Milo stops glaring and rests his head between his paws. Tom takes this as his apology being accepted and resumes his stroking of Milo’s back, now though his heart feels a bit heavier.

Staring ahead blankly Tom thinks back on why he has to check Milo’s joints for discomfort. Milo is no longer the young kitten he had gotten all those years ago. He is a seventeen-year-old cat whose time is coming to a close soon.

‘It’s not fair!’ Tom thinks angrily. ‘He was only eleven when Clauneck took me! Why does time move faster in the human world than it does in the Netherworld! I was gone for five months, not five fucking years!’

Tom takes a deep breath through clenched teeth as he pulls Milo closer to him. The cat stiffens slightly but otherwise remains asleep. Once he is calm again Tom lets his mind drift as he continues to stroke Milo. He thinks back to what he did after King Lucifer returned him to the human world.

~ Flashback ~

Tom stands there in the middle of his silent living room, still trying to wrap his head around what just transpired. The spell that King Lucifer had placed on him was still working so everything seems so surreal. Looking around again with disbelieving eyes but still finding no demons or archangels Tom feels something bubble up from his chest. A breathily giggle escapes his lips which then turns into uncontrollable laughter.

“I’m back. I’m back home, in the human world.” Tears of joy gather in his eyes as he throws his arms up in the air. “I’M FREE!”

Suddenly a foul odor assaults his nostrils. Turning his head to the side he takes a cautionary sniff and immediately regrets it. “Whoof I stink!”

‘Well I was just running around a castle, no wonder I stink so much I am covered in dry sweat. I need a shower.’ The thought of a hot shower after the terrifying and stressful night he’s had is enough to elect a moan of pleasure from him. His tired leg muscles scream out their agreement in the form of acute pain, they did not appreciate all the running that had occurred. So, without further ado, Tom turns on his heels and makes his way upstairs to his bathroom.

Once there, Tom makes a beeline for his shower. Opening the glass door, he reaches in to twist the metal knob to turn on the water flow. Nothing happens. Confused, Tom turns the knob back and tries again. Still nothing. Taking a step back Tom scratches his head. His fingers come away salty from the sweat that still clings to his hair. Finally, Tom takes in his surroundings and notices the glaring difference. The bathroom is completely bare. All of his towels, soups, razer, shampoos, everything is gone. A sinking feeling envelops his gut as Tom slowly leaves the bathroom. Heading back downstairs Tom takes in the naked walls that used to hold pictures of his foster family. Arriving in the kitchen he is greeted to the same sight as the bathroom, everything is gone.

‘What happened? Was I robbed?’ Scanning the room again Tom dismisses this idea when he sees that the microwave is still there. ‘No, if someone decided to rob my house, they would have tried to take the microwave too. But if I wasn’t robbed then where is all my stuff?’ The sinking feeling in Tom’s gut grows heavier. A feeling of foreboding looms over him like a silent shadow. The only reason Tom is not panicking right now is that the spell King Lucifer put on him to keep him calm is still going. Though it is starting to wear off if the rising unease Tom feels is any indication. So, Tom does what he always used to do when he was upset or confused or angry or when he needed to talk to someone, he calls his foster brother James.

Grabbing the landline that he keeps in the kitchen Tom dials the number he knows by heart. Tapping his foot on the floor as the phone rings. Once… twice… three times. On the fourth ring Tom is about to hang up to try again when someone on the other end picks up.

“Hello, this is James Hermano, who is this?” His brother’s cheerful voice comes through the phone, sounding like a choir of angels. The dread that has been blanketing him ever since he realized something is wrong lifts from his shoulders at hearing his brother’s voice again.

With a watery smile, Tom replies. “Hey James, it’s been a while.”

“…T-tom? Tom is that you?” James’s voice returns but this time there is no cheer. This time the voice is nothing more than a shaky whisper.

“Yeah, James it's me. I’m back.” Tom’s voice cracks as the blanket of dread starts creeping back.

‘Why does James sound so broken? I haven’t been gone that long.’ Tom is pulled from his thoughts when he hears his brother start talking again.

“Tom tell me where you are right now,” James demands through the phone. Tom can hear shuffling sounds that indicate that James is moving.

Taken aback by the harsh demand, nevertheless, Tom replies. “I am in the kitchen of my house… James, what’s going on? Why do you sound so frantic?”

“I’ll explain when I get there just don’t move from where you are…. And don’t hang up the phone got it? I will be there as soon as I can.”

“Ok,” Tom replies too stunned to say anything else.

After that Tom hears the sound of a car door slam shut and then an engine roar to life. Tom waits quietly in his kitchen for his brother to arrive. Every now and then James will check to see if Tom is still on the phone. Every time Tom replies with a gentle “I’m still here” he hears a shaky sigh from the other end of the phone.

Not even fifteen minutes later Tom hears a car come ripping around the corner of his street. The car skids to a stop outside his house and the door flings open to reveal James. Forgetting that he is supposed to stay put Tom drops the phone and runs to the front door. Ripping the door open Tom’s emerald eyes lock onto the chocolate brown of James’s eyes. They both just stand there for a few seconds taking each other in. James’ clothes are rumpled, he is missing a shoe but otherwise, he is exactly how Tom remembers him. His black hair sits atop his head in tight curls, contrasting with his pale complexion, his skinny but toned six-foot frame, his broad chest that is heaving with adrenaline.

Finally, both men snap out of their daze and run to meet each other on the lawn. The collision is a little rough but neither men care. They cling to the other like they will disappear if they let go. Before either of them knew it, they have sunken to the ground and were crying their eyes out in each other’s arms.

After what seems like only a few seconds but was really ten minutes Tom feels James begins to pull away. When they are an arm’s length away, but both refuse to let go of the other, Tom stares into James' bloodshot eyes that reflect his own.

“It’s good to see you again James.” Tom chokes out between sobs.

James chokes out some sort of laugh as his hands around Tom’s arms tighten. “It’s good to see you too Tom.”

They share a few more broken laughs between them before they die down. The dark mood that had been present over the phone returns and hangs over them like a disembodied spirit. Unable to stand it any long Tom asks the question that is on both of their minds.

“James, what happened? Why did you react the way you did when I called you? Why did you rush over here like you did?”

James’s dark chocolate eyes fill with sorrow as he stares back at this brother. “I thought you were dead.”

“…What?” Tom’s own emerald eyes widen in disbelief.

“Five years ago, you disappeared without a trace. The police looked for you, they even searched your house, but they found no clues to what happened to you. They told us that there was nothing they could do without any leads, your case when cold. They told us that if there were any development, they would contact up but after three years of absolutely nothing we lost hope.”

After finishing his explanation James pulls his brother back into a hug as sobs rack his body. Meanwhile, Tom is in shock. ‘Five… years. But I have only been gone for five months not five years! How is this possible!?’

~ End of Flashback ~

Tom sighs as he sinks further into his couch. ‘After James had calmed down again, he took me back to his house seeing as mine no longer belonged to me. The town had seized it and were trying on selling it. The next day James and I went to the police station to close my missing person case. They asked me a lot of questions about what happened to me. So, I told them everything, why I got kidnapped, and what I had to do while being held captive. All the way to why I was set free. Of course, I did change a few details like the fact that my kidnapper was a demon and that I was in the Netherworld. I didn’t want to be sent to the loony bin, thank you very much.’

Once the police were done questioning him, the brothers returned to James’ house. He insisted Tom stays with him until he ‘got back on his feet.’ This luckily happened just one month later. Having practiced daily for five months had improved Tom’s musical abilities by leaps and bounds. This meant that when he applied for a music teacher position at this fancy prep school, he got the job. The job pays really well because most of the kids that go there come from really rich families. One-month later Tom had enough money to support himself. So, he went to the town hall to get his house back. At first, they tried to put up a fuss about giving him the house but seeing as it belonged to him in the first place, they eventually had to return ownership of it to him free of charge. Thanking his brother for allowing him to stay and being forced to promise to keep in contact Tom moved back into his old house. Tom’s next step was to find Milo. This part was easy since all he had to do was find the nearest animal shelter and tell them he was looking for his cat. He had Milo chipped when he first got him so all the people at the shelter had to do was look up his chip number and it would tell them which shelter Milo was located in. Tom had gotten lucky because during those five years he had been gone Milo hadn’t been adopted. There were a few close calls but every time a family tried to take him home Milo would throw a hissy fit until they brought him back. So, after confirming his identity Tom was able to take Milo home that day. Tom even made a small donation to the shelter as a way of thanking them for taking care of his cat all these years.

The thing is since Milo was so old now it didn’t have much longer to live. The vet that Tom has been taking him to told him to check his joints and watch his behavior to make sure he was alright.

Tom looks down at his sleeping cat with mournful eyes. ‘I think it is almost time. He hasn’t been eating much these last couple of days and he rarely moves around anymore.’

Scooping Milo up in his arms again Tom stands up from the couch. The cat lets out a small noise of annoyance but soon resumes his slumber in his owner’s arms.

Arriving in the kitchen Tom gently places Milo on the table, this time the cat doesn’t stir at all. Tom starts moving about the kitchen to make dinner for both of them. Once the food is done Tom sets a bowl of mac’n'cheese in front of himself before opening a can of cat food for Milo.

“Come on buddy, time for dinner.” Tom lightly strokes Milo’s face while simultaneously pushing the cat food under his black nose. “Come on Milo, it’s your favorite, tuna flavored.” Milo slowly opens his yellow eyes to stare at Tom, but otherwise, he just continues to lie there. “Please Milo, eat,” Tom begs as he stares back with pleading eyes.

Thankfully Milo decides to take pity on him and begins eating. A bright smile appears on Tom’s lips as he sits down to eat his own meal. They eat in silence and soon both of them have cleaned their plates. Tom clears the table and does the dishes; he also throws the empty can away in the trash. He then goes back and scoops up Milo again and carries him up the stairs to their room so they both can go to bed. Placing Milo on the bed, who wastes no time making himself comfortable on one of the pillows, Tom grabs his PJ from his closet and walks into the bathroom to take a shower and brush his teeth.

Ten minutes later Tom emerges from the bathroom, a puff of steam following him, all ready for bed. Striding over to the bed he pulls back the covers to slip in, a content sigh escapes him as he sinks into the mattress.

“Good night Milo.” He says as he turns off the lamp next to his bed. Of course, no answer comes seeing as Milo is already asleep.

Closing his eyes Tom waits for sleep to take him.

He waits…

And waits…

And waits…

Half an hour later he gives up. Throwing off the covers Tom swings his legs over the side of the bed and turns the lamp back on. Hunching over Tom places his elbows on his knees and buries his face in his hands, a long-suffering groan rings out through the room. Peeking through his fingers Tom eyes the drawer of his bedside table.

‘I need to stop doing this! It’s been a whole year for fuck’s sake! I am no longer a pet that has an owner. I don’t below to anyone but myself.’

Even with these thoughts running through his head Tom still finds himself reaching to open the drawer. Inside is none other than the emerald collar and diamond leash that he had to wear so long ago. Without consciously realizing it Tom finds himself picking up the emerald collar. Running his fingers along the cool smooth surface. Before long, his fingers ended up resting on the dog tag that hangs from the D ring.

“Property of Clauneck” Tom read out in no more than a whisper.

‘This isn’t healthy. I don’t belong to him anymore. I can’t keep doing this.’ Tom’s mind rages at him even as his body disobeys by bringing the collar up to his throat and fastens it into place. Twisting it around until the tag is resting over his collar bone. Tom then turns off the light and lays back down. Closing his eyes sleep comes much easier this time, he drifts off with both hands clutching tightly to the dog tag.

Right before Tom succumbs to the allure of sleep, he subconsciously utters a single phrase.

“Good night Master.”          

(AN: I almost ended this chapter here but then I decided that my readers deserve more)

Ever since that night, Tom has not been able to take his mind off of his Master and the Netherworld. During the first week since he slept with the collar on he only wore it at night to help him sleep, taking it off after he woke up. But soon he starts wearing it in the morning during breakfast, taking it off right before he leaves for work. Then he starts wearing it when he gets home from teaching. On the weekend he never takes it off since he has no classes to teach and thus doesn’t have to leave the house. The more he wears it the harder it gets to take off.

‘What is wrong with me!?’ Tom thinks one day after he finds himself out of breath after clipping the collar in place. He had run through his house the second he got home so he could put the collar on as soon as possible.

‘It’s not like this is the first time this has happened.’ Tom thinks as he remembers the few times he has slipped over the pasted year and worn the collar. But each time that happened he would force himself to stop.

‘Why is it so different this time? Before it just felt like my neck was bare like I was missing something. But the feeling went away if I ignored it. Now though….’ Reaching up Tom grips the dog tag so hard his knuckles turn white. ‘Now I feel anxious all the time and the only way to calm my nerves is to have my… -THE- …the collar around my neck.’ Sinking down to the knees, red hot tears gather in his eyes. ‘What is going on? Why is this happening now of all times? What does it mean?’

“Meooow”

The loud noise startles Tom out of his frantic thoughts. Sluggishly turning his head bloodshot emerald eyes land on the old cat standing in the doorway. Milo gradually makes his way over to where Tom has collapsed, he settles down next to his left thigh.

Sniffling slightly Tom musters up a watery smile for his companion. “Hey buddy, were you worried about me?”

Milo continues to stare up at Tom for a little bit longer before Tom’s forced smile cracks, his shoulders drooping in defeat. Staring at his lap Tom began to speak again.

“Oh Milo, I don’t know what’s come over me lately. I was doing so well, I have a job that I love, I got my old house back, I get to see any of my family members whenever I want. So why am I slipping like this?”

“Rrarr” A quiet meow and the soft prodding of a paw on his thigh brings Tom’s eyes back over to his cat. Milo is staring at Tom with such intensity, like he was trying to tell him something.

Reaching out Tom strokes a hand down Milo’s back. “You know, I sometimes wonder what is going on through that little brain of yours. You are defiantly smarter than your average cat. After all, you waited for me for five whole years at different shelters for me to come back, didn’t you?”

Milo leans into Tom’s touch when his hand comes back up to his head before gliding down his back again.

“You had plenty of chances to be adopted by other families,” Tom continues. “But you threw them all away just for a chance to be reunited with me. You must have really missed me huh buddy.”

“MEOW!” Milo suddenly cries out, his intense yellow gaze boring into Tom’s even stronger than earlier.

Taken aback by his pet’s unusual behavior Tom stares down at Milo. “You missed me?” He repeats to see if this was what caused his pet to cry out.

His gamble pays off as he is rewarded with Milo meowing again. This time though Milo climbs into Tom’s lap. Then with a great deal of effort on his part since he is so old, Milo heaves himself up so his front paws land on Tom’s chest. Next Milo extends one paw to bat at the dog tag hanging from Tom’s collar. Meowing as loudly as his old throat will allow Milo to peer deeply into his owner’s emerald eyes with his own fool’s gold yellow.

Eventually, Tom understands what his cat is trying to tell him. “I miss him!”

Satisfied Milo climbs down off Tom’s chest to settle in his lap, all the while purring loudly with delight at getting his owner to understand his feelings.

Meanwhile, Tom’s mind is racing with this new realization. ‘That’s why I want to wear the collar so much! I miss Clauneck just like how Milo missed me. I want to go back to him!... But should I really give up all that I have here in the human world for a life as a pet to a demon?’

Thinking about the life he has built here and his time as a pet Tom compares them. In no time at all, he comes to the conclusion that even if his life here is better than before, with a better job and more time to relax, his time with Clauneck was when he was truly happy. ‘Sure, it can be scary at times and a bit embarrassing, but I was truly happy then, and I miss it.’

Mind made up Tom gets up from the ground to begin planning how to return to the Netherworld.

2 and a half months later

Tom stands in the middle of his living room where it all started. The expensive outfit that he wore to Zepar and Naamah’s anniversary party once again adorning his body. His emerald collar on full display around his neck, the diamond chain dangling to the floor. He has worked tirelessly for this very moment. He quit his job as a teacher, giving them some excuse about traveling the world to learn about different types of music to broaden his horizons. He had his will written up so that one-quarter of his savings were given to his foster parent, the rest of the money and everything else he owned, including the house, would go to his brother James. He had also written two letters to both his foster parents and to James telling them that he loved them and that he will miss them. The letters also explain that where he is going, he won’t be able to return from but that he is happy with his decision to go.

With everything taken care of Tom gets ready to summon a demon. He has thought long and hard about how to go about this. Remembering what King Lucifer told him about summoning a demon. All he had to do was call out the name of the demon he wishes to summon and then kill a virgin sacrifice. Obviously, he couldn’t summon Clauneck himself seeing as he is a demon lord, thus needing a human sacrifice to be summoned. So, Tom has no choice but to summon a lower level demon that he knows the name of. Luckily Tom already knows the name of a low-level demon, and as a bonus, this demon owns him a favor. Melchom, the servant that Tom had stopped Clauneck from killing at the party.

Sinking to his knees Tom prepares for the hardest part of the summoning, the virgin sacrifice.

“Rrarr.” The near-silent meow comes from the tired cat laying on the floor. A needle connected to a long tune is sticking out of Milo’s front leg. Over the past two and a half months Milo’s health has slowly gone downhill. He is ready to pass on to the next life and, no matter how much it hurt him to do so, Tom can’t let this type of opportunity pass him by. Milo had been neutered when Tom had gotten him as a kitten. Which means that Milo is still a virgin.

Tom runs his hands over Milo’s side one last time, choked sobs causing his whole body to give violent jerks. Heartbroken tears cascade down his face, splattering on the floor to form a small puddle.

Hands shaking Tom picks up the stolen syringe of pentobarbital he stole from the vet’s office the last time he was there. Sticking the tip into the end of the tube connected to Milo’s leg. Through tear-filled eyes, Tom locks his gaze with Milo’s beautiful fool’s gold orbs as he says his final farewell.

“Thank you, Milo, for always being there when I need you. For being my companion for all these years. For never giving up on waiting for me while I was gone. For hanging on for another year so we could spend a little more time together. For opening my eyes to the path to my happiness. For listening to me when I need to get something off my chest. Thank you for being the gateway so I can return home. Goodbye Milo, I will never forget what you have done for me.”

Gathering every last scrap of willpower Tom calls out Melchom’s name and forces himself to plunge the serum down the tube into Milo’s body. Not once breaking eye contact with his best friend.

Soon Milo’s eyes slip shut and he exhales one final time, his work in this world is completed, he can rest now.

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”

Recap

Gathering every last scrap of willpower Tom calls out Melchom’s name and forces himself to plunge the serum down the tube into Milo’s body. Not once breaking eye contact with his best friend.

Soon Milo’s eyes slip shut and exhales one final time, his work in this world is completed, he can rest now.

Ultramarine colored flames spontaneously erupt from Milo’s chest, the flames rapidly grow until they have completely engulfed the cat. In a matter of moments, the fire has completely devoured Milo’s body, not even a spec of ash remains of Tom’s best friend. Still, the fire remains; slowly the flames start moving as if it has a mind of its own. The sapphire flames begin expanding outward in two thin lines on both sides. The path the flames are following curves in on itself so when the two paths connect it will form a large ring of fire. When the ultramarine flames finally meet again to complete the circle the flames roar to life, exploding upward to the ceiling, creating a wall of sapphire fire. Just as quickly as the wall went up it abruptly falls. The aesthetic blue flames disappearing, the only evidence that they were ever there are the maroon scorch marks it left on the floor where it once was. Standing in the center of the large circular scorch mark is Melchom.

Tom had watched all of this happen from his place on the floor feeling numb inside. After the fire has disappeared, he stares up at Melchom. Aside from his clothes the young demon hasn’t changed much from the last time Tom saw him. The formal outfit is nowhere in sight, instead, the demon is wearing a baggy faded black shirt that has seen better days. His pants are an ugly barf brown that is ripped in some places. He is barefoot and his once slicked back copper hair is now a tangled mess. His grey metallic skin is now a shade darker thanks to the grim that clings to him. Melchom’s tail hangs low behind him, the tuft of hair at the end twitches back and forth showcasing his alertness and caution. His amber eyes dart around the room like he expects to be attacked at any moment. Finally, his murky yellow eyes land on Tom’s kneeling form. In quick secession, his expression switches from shock to recognition then finally to confusion.

“Tom? Tom is that you?” he asks as he talks a cautious step forward.

Tom gives a shaky nod as his bottom lip trembles, his eyes sting as tears form at the corners. Unable to stop himself Tom hugs his stomach as he slumps over, sobs rack his body as he cries over what he has just done.

‘He’s gone. Milo is gone forever because of me. All because I needed to summon a demon so I could go back to being a pet. Oh God, what have I done? I lost my best friend forever because I am being selfish.’

Tom continues to cry for a few minutes before he feels a hesitant hand settle on his back. Lifting his head up bloodshot emerald eyes lock onto amber yellow. Melchom has moved out of the circle and is now kneeling next to Tom. He gives Tom what he thinks is a reassuring smile, but it looks more like what someone would do in a mirror to check for something in their teeth.

‘Is he trying to comfort me?’ Tom wonders as he studies Melchom’s uncertain face. Melchom awkwardly pats him on the back as his face screams how uncomfortable he is with the situation he has found himself in.

Wiping away the tear on his face Tom takes a few moments to calm himself down. ‘Everything is ok. Milo was getting old; his time was up. It was for the best for everyone. Milo is up in heaven where he belongs and he has given me a chance at reuniting with Master again.’

Turning to the demon next to him Tom gives a small grateful smile as a form of thanks. Melchom removes his hand, the relief he feels of the situation being over with is clear. Gathering himself up is about to speak but Melchom beats him to it.

“Tom, where are we? How did we get here? What’s going on? Are we in danger? Were we taken here to he killed?” He asks in rapid succession, getting more frantic as he goes on.

Reaching out Tom grabs Melchom’s shoulder to get his attention. “Melchom calm down, we aren’t in any danger. You’re in my house in the human world I summoned you here.”

Freezing in place Melchom gaps at Tom, amber eyes blown wide with shock. “Th-e human world?” He manages to stutter out.

“Yeah, the human world. After the party King Lucifer cornered Master Clauneck and me. He found out that I never sold my soul, which meant that I wasn’t supposed to be in the Netherworld in the first place. So, he took me away from Master Clauneck and back to his castle. After he asked me some questions, he sent me back here.”

Melchom had snapped to attention when he heard Tom mention King Lucifer and is now listening to Tom explain what happened.

“After I got back, I called my brother and he helped me get settled back in the human world. But eventually, I realized something, I wasn’t happy. I miss my Master, I miss playing and singing for him, I miss the food he would cook for me, I miss spending time with him. I realized that I want to go back to that, I want to be his pet again.” Tom looks up at Melchom. “Which is why I summoned you. Melchom I need your help getting back to Master Clauneck.”

“Me? How can I help you? I am just some low-level demon from the second ring. If King Lucifer himself kicked you out what makes you think I can get you back in? He would slaughter me in seconds.”

“He only sent me back because I never formed a contract to sell my soul. Which is why I want to fix that by forming a contract with you.”

Melchom is once again stunned. ‘No one has been able to form a contract with a human to get their soul in over 100 years if I do this then I will be able to move out of the second ring into a higher ring! I won’t have to wear rags anymore or get pushed around by stronger demons, I can finally gain some respect!’

~Flashback to before Melchom was summoned~

Melchom trudges down the rocky path through his village - if a bunch of hovels half-hazard thrown together can even be called that. The sharp rocks underfoot no longer bothering him as he has long gotten used to it. He keeps his head down but his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings. He knows better than to let his guard down at any time. It is a lesson that all low-level demons learn from a young age if they want to survive. Always be on guard otherwise you will find yourself in a ditch left to die. This unfortunately happens to most kids in the second ring.

Melchom can almost see his own hovel at the edge of the village when he hears them.

“Well, well, well look who it is?”

Grinding his teeth Melchom slows to a stop and, with his head still tilted down, looks over to where the voice came from. Standing six feet away are Nero and his gang of assholes. Nero and his friends are all from the third ring, but they like to come down to the second ring to relieve stress. In other words, they like to find demons who are weaker than them and beat them up for fun. Unfortunately, Melchom just so happens to be their favorite target. 

Nero saunters over with a dumb smirk as his friend fan out to surround Melchom. “Our favorite punching bag.” Nero gets right up in Melchom’s face, his breath reeks like a rotting corpse and Melchom has to fight to keep his face neutral.

“What got nothing to say?”

Melchom clenches his teeth, he knows from experience that reacting in any way will just make things worse. Instead, he prepares for what is to come next. Right on cue Nero throws a punch to his stomach. Melchom, having done this song and dance a thousand times curls around the fist to lessen the blow. Next, he is thrown to the ground; Nero of course starts kicking him and his friends join in. Melchom curls up, his arms protect his head while he brings his knees up to protect his stomach, his tail is tucked tightly between his legs to prevent them from breaking it again. The kicks continue to rain down on him but Melchom doesn’t really care. Nero and his friends aren’t even that strong, plus after so many beating it doesn’t hurt as much as it used to.

After about ten minutes of this, the assholes get bored and decide to leave, but not before Nero says one final comment as he sneers down at Melchom. “This is where you belong, rolling around in the dirt like the piece of trash you are.”

Nero’s friends burst into laughter like he had said the funniest joke in the world. They walk away as Melchom picks himself off the ground. Melchom glares at their retreating backs with disgust.

‘I’ll get them back someday; I refuse to live in this dump forever. I will make it to the upper rings somehow, and when I do, I am going to rub it in that asshole’s face and make him beg for forgiveness.’

Melchom begins walking to his hovel again, his mind racing with plans to make his dream a reality. ‘I already blew my first chance at getting out when I messed up in front of Demon Lord Clauneck, I only survived that night because of the human that intervened. What makes things even worse is that I himself am a greed demon. Sir Clauneck was the one demon I needed to impress that night, but instead, I made a fool of myself.’ Despair fills him at that thought. ‘What am I going to do? If he ever sees me again, he is more likely to kill me than grant me permission to move to a higher ring.’

Melchom is only a few feet from his hovel when it appears, a beautiful dark blue flame sparks to life right in front of him. Bewildered by the sight he stops to stare at it. ‘What the? What is that?’ Before he can get a closer look the fire rapidly surrounds him. The fire then flares into the sky all around him, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opens them again, he is no longer where he once was.

~End of Flashback~

Melchom stares down at Tom with a new hope filling his chest. But before it can grow too big, he squashes it down. ‘I can’t get ahead of myself; Tom hasn’t said what he wants for his soul yet. I have to be careful; he could ask for anything and I will have to make it happen.’

“Alright Tom, I will form a contract with you.”

Tom’s face lights up with the brightest smile Melchom has ever seen. “Oh, thank you Melchom, you don’t know how much this means to me. So, here is what I was thinking you take me back to the Netherworld and get me back to Master Clauneck so I can form a contract with him to sell my soul and…”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Melchom interrupts. “You can’t sell your soul to me and Sir Clauneck.”

Tom shoots Melchom a confused look. “But I’m not, I am only selling my soul to him.”

Melchom narrows his eyes. “Well, what about my contract? I bring you to him but what do I get out of it. Contracts are meant to be an exchange, if I don’t get something out of this then there is no contract.”

“Oh, I guess you’re right,” Tom says sheepishly. “Well, what do you want?”

Falling silent Melchom thinks. ‘Ok, so Tom wants to be back with Sir Clauneck and be his pet again. In order for that to happen Tom is right, he will have to sell his soul to Sir Clauneck. How can I use that to my advantage?’ Melchom stares at Tom, taking in his appearance. ‘Huh, he is wearing the same clothes as he did at the party…. Wait the party! That’s it!’ 

“Sir Clauneck listens to you, right? He will do something if you ask him too, right?” Melchom asks Tom.

“W-well, not really, I mean sometimes he will let me do small stuff if I ask but…”

“I mean like at the party when I messed up and he almost killed me, you asked him to spare me and he did. If you asked for something like that again will he listen?”

“Well, it depends on what it is but…”

“So, if you asked him to promote me to the fourth ring he will listen?”

“I-I don’t kno…” Tom takes a moment to think about what Melchom is asking. ‘Will Master Clauneck listen to me? I know Master cares about me, and he did listen to me last time. So it stands to reason that if Melchom brings me back to him then I should be able to convince him to let Melchom stay in the fourth ring.’ 

Locking eyes with Melchom’s amber orbs he answers. “If you can get me back to Master Clauneck so I can sell my soul to him then I will make sure to convince him to put you in the fourth ring or higher if I can.” He sticks out his hand to the demon before him.

Melchom grasps his hand in his own. “It is a deal then; I will carry your mortal soul through the Netherworld to Sir Clauneck.”

The red scorch marks on the floor come to life, slithering across the floor until both Tom and Melchom stand in the center of the circle. This time the flames take on a dark jade color. The fire once again roars up to the ceiling before falling again, Tom and Melchom nowhere in sight.

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech"

Recap

Locking eyes with Melchom’s amber orbs he answers. “If you can get me back to Master Clauneck so I can sell my soul to him then I will make sure to convince him to put you in the fourth ring or higher if I can.” He sticks out his hand to the demon before him.

Melchom grasps his hand in his own. “It is a deal then; I will carry your mortal soul through the Netherworld to Sir Clauneck.”

The red scorch marks on the floor come to life, slithering across the floor until both Tom and Melchom stand in the center of the circle. This time the flames take on a dark jade color. The fire once again roars up to the ceiling before falling again, Tom and Melchom nowhere in sight.

Tom peeks his eyes open, having closed them when the green flames jumped to life around them. He looks around excitedly, happy to be back in the Netherworld. What he sees does little to impress him. The once beautiful dark orange sky is taken over by a grisly brown, not even a speck of its true beauty shining through. The ground is nearly entirely covered in suspicious patches of dried liquids. The rare specks of the actual ground are no longer the calming mucky purple he admires, instead, it is replaced by an unsettling coal black. Taking a deep breath in Tom nearly pukes. The air, a mix of sulfur and a bonfire that Tom has grown to love, is now replaced with the horrendous stench of a rotting whale carcass that has been left out in the desert sun for three days. Ripping his hand out of Melchom’s Tom covers his nose and mouth in an attempt to block out the stench.

“Where…” *hurrg* Tom pauses to fend off another vomit attack. “Where are we?”

Melchom smirks down at him with a knowing glint in his amber eyes. “Welcome to the shit pool that is the second ring.” He says as he holds his arms up like a magician. “What? Did you expect all the rings to be the same?” Dropping his arms back to his side Melchom turns and walks to his hovel. They were lucky enough that the summoning circle deposited them right where it had taken Melchom from.

Tom waste no time following Melchom, his hands still covering his face. Spotting their destination Tom is taken aback by the structure. It is nothing more than skinny logs stuck into the ground, the logs are all leaning against a slightly thicker log that has been propped up by a bolder. A raggedy old tarp filled with holes drapes over most of the structure but a good chunk of it is still visible. Overall the whole thing looks like a strong wind will knock it over.

‘Is this where Melchom lives?’ Tom wonders as he watches Melchom duck inside.

Before Tom can follow Melchom comes back out carrying a bundle of clothes which he promptly throws in the human’s face.

“Put these on over your clothes. Your outfit is going to attract unwanted attention. Attention that will most likely get us both killed if we are not careful.”

Not needing to be told twice Tom quickly puts on Melchom’s filthy and ragged clothes over his own expensive attire. The clothes are way too big for him, but they succeed in hiding his original outfit. Next Melchom bends down to scoop up some dirt, he begins rubbing it all over Tom’s shoes to makes them less fancy looking. Grabbing another fist full of dirt Melchom stands up and starts rubbing it all over Tom’s face and hair. Tom squirms and tries to turn away when this happens, earning an annoyed glare from Melchom.

‘Hey just because I know why you have to do this doesn’t mean I have to like it’ Tom thinks as he glares right back.

Finally, Melchom pulls a dirty rag out of his pocket and wraps it around Tom’s neck to hide the collar and leash, which is also wrapped around Tom’s neck. Taking a step back Melchom looks Tom over.

“Well, it won’t fool anyone if they look too closely but should serve our purpose of getting you through the second and third ring without being noticed. Now come on the sooner we get going the sooner I can get you to Sir Clauneck.”

Melchom starts walking away at a rapid pace. Tom has to do a half jog half walk to keep up. They are walking for only seven minutes before Tom breaks the silence.

“Where are we even going?” he asks, slightly out of breath. ‘I really need to get in better shape. This is nothing compared to the morning jogs I used to go on with Master.’

Melchom side-eyes Tom before slowing his pace so Tom no longer has to jog. Tom sends him a small grateful smile that Melchom misses because he is too focused on the path in front of them. After a few seconds, he answers.

“We are heading to a town located in the third ring. You see if a demon wants to enter the third ring from the second ring there are a large number of safe paths to get there. But getting from the third ring to the fourth ring is a different story. There are only a limited number of paths that a demon can use to get there without dying. In order to reach the entrance to this pathway, we need to go through this village. Once we reach the fourth ring, we can ditch the disguise. Next, we head into the city. I heard a rumor that a demon from the fifth ring is getting promoted today. Which means one of the seven demon lords will be there. All we need to do is get their attention. That is where you come in, thanks to that party all of the demon lords know who you are. They can contact Sir Clauneck for us.”

“Oh ok.”

They both fall into silence as they continue to walk. Tom taking in his surroundings as they gradually gain more color. Melchom deep in thought too focused on the task ahead to pay attention to anything else. Soon they arrive at the edge of the town. Tom is about to enter when he is stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Looking up at Melchom Tom notices his companion’s tight expression and tense body language.

“We have to be careful here. We need to fool these demons into thinking you are a demon as well. And the best way to do that is to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. So, you need to stay close to me at all times and keep your head down. Be ready to run at a moment’s notice.” Melchom states as hard amber eyes bore into emerald orbs.

Steeling his nerves Tom gives a firm nod that is returned. Then together they both enter the town. Soon they are immersed in a crowd of demons. Melchom has picked up the pace again, making Tom lengthen his strides to keep up. Tom keeps his head down just enough to avoid looking at the town too much but still high enough to watch where he is going. As they walk Tom does catch bits and pieces of the stores and shops that make up the town. Every now and then a flash of a boutique or a bookstore will briefly steal his attention, but within milliseconds Tom snaps his eyes back to Melchom, not wanting to lose him in the crowd.

Melchom is much the same keeping one eye on Tom while the other watches where they are going. Finally, they break away from the crowd on the other side of town. The pathway to the fourth ring is insight. Thinking that they are in the clear Melchom relaxes. This proves to be a mistake when he hears an obnoxious voice call out.

“Well, well, well, look what the trash dragged in, more trash.”

Standing in between them and the pathway is Nero and is his abhorrent gang.

Melchom stiffens and pushes Tom behind him, his mind racing. ‘We were so close, why did we have to run into him of all demons. What am I going to do? They won’t leave without “proving their superiority.” That wouldn’t be such a problem if Tom wasn’t here. Since they have seen me with him, they are going to want to beat him up too. They could kill him on accident, not that they would care. But even if they didn’t kill him, they could hurt him pretty badly, and if I return Sir Clauneck’s pet in any other condition than injury free then he will kill me. Damn it, I am going to have to hold them off while Tom runs then try and find him later.’ 

Seeing no other choice Melchom whispers his plan to Tom, who is still behind him. “We are only going to get one shot at this. While I distract them, you need to get to the path and run as fast as you can away from here.” Tom looks away from the demons in front of them to Melchom about to protest, but one glimpse of the determination in his amber eyes causes the argument to die in his throat.

During this time Nero begins sauntering over to them. Melchom stays where he is waiting for the jackass to get within striking distance. Nero, overconfident with his abilities, walks right up to Melchom and Tom. With a stupid grin, he winds up to punch his victim in the stomach. This time though, his victim fights back. Quicker than he can blink Melchom bursts into motion and throws his own fist into Nero’s stomach.

What no one accounted for what the amount of power that went into the punch. Melchom, thinking that he is going to lose the fight put all of his strength into the punch to try and take Nero by surprise. Well he succeeds, he takes Nero by surprise when he punches him with enough force to hurl him off his feet through the air into his gang, knocking them over in the process.

For a moment everything is quiet, everyone is too stunned to move. All of them have the same thought running through their heads. ‘What the fuck just happened?’

Luckily it is Melchom who snaps out of his stupor first. Not about to look a gift kelpie in the mouth he spins around and throws Tom over his shoulder. Then he books it towards the trail while Nero and his gang are still recovering.

Melchom continues to sprint with Tom on his shoulder for a good thirteen minutes before he slows to a stop. Collapsing to his knees Melchom drops Tom to the ground where he lands in a tangle of limbs. Not caring about his less than graceful land Tom scrambles to his feet to check on Melchom who is panting heavily.

“Melchom are you ok? What happened back there? Why did you change plans so suddenly? And if you are that strong why was the first plan me ditching you? You took out that first guy so easily.”

Having regained his breath Melchom stares down at his hands in disbelief. Still lost in confusion Melchom answers Tom without thinking. “I don’t know what happened. I have never been able to do something like that before. I’ve never even had the strength to stop them from beating the shit out of me. Let alone win a fight against them so easily. I don’t know where this newfound strength came… from…”

Melchom trails off as he looks up at Tom. “You.”

“Me?” Tom asks shock written all over his face. “What did I do?”

Jumping to his feet Melchom squishes Tom against his chest in a bear hug. “You formed a contract with me that’s what you did!” Melchom exclaims happily as releases the human. “Demon can draw power from the contracts they make. The bigger the deal the more power they can get. But even then, nothing like this! Forming a contract with a human must have given me more power than I realized!”

A blinding grin splits across Tom’s face. “Really that’s great!”

Melchom pulls Tom into another hug, this time Tom returns the gesture. After a few moments, the excitement dims. “Come on, we need to keep moving if we are going to make the promotion ceremony.” Letting go of Tom Melchom turns to continue their trek to the city, Tom falls into step beside him. They once again lapse into a comfortable silence. Tom again observing their surroundings gain even more color and life. Melchom smiling like a moron as he basks in the knowledge that he can now beat the crap out of Nero and his gang. They stop briefly at a weird wine-colored stream to wash away the grime and dirt off their body. Tom also returns Melchom’s clothes to him.

Arriving at the city both human and demon are momentarily stunned by the sight before them. Buildings made of glass tower over them. The air buzzing with energy as demons dressed in only the finest garb strut around with their heads held high.

Shaking off his awe Melchom turns to Tom. “Let’s get going, the ceremony will be in the city center.”

Moving along the two weave through the crowded street, which is a lot harder than it was in the town. The only reason they don’t get separated is that Melchom insisted that he be allowed to hold Tom’s leash. At first, Tom refuses, saying that only his Master is allowed to hold his leash. They argue for a good ten minutes until Tom finally gives in. Now Tom is glad he did. The slight pull of the leash on both ends has saved them from getting separated a total of thirteen times.

They travel like this for half an hour until they eventually reach the city center. The center is a grand park that demons can walk through when they have free time. The grass is a soft lemony yellow that sways gently with the slightest breeze. The winding paths are a magnificent violet that is placed in a way that makes them look almost naturally occurring. The vegetation that inhabits the park is scattered around seemingly at random. One glance indicates that they are all well maintained, but underneath that pristine appears one can still make out a wild edge to them.

Usually, because of the sheer magnitude of the park, there is always plenty of room, but today is not a usual day. In the center of the park a large stage has been set up for the ceremony. Which has already started. A dense crowd of demons has gathered in front of the stage in order to watch the promotion take place. Mistress Naamah stands up on the stage in all her hormone inducing glory. Another demon stands next to her, most likely the lust demon who is getting promoted.

Tom and Melchom stand at the edge of the crowd trying to figure out what to do next. They have already tried getting to the front of the crowd, which would have made getting the attention of the demon lord easy, but the crowd wouldn’t let them pass.

“We need to come up with a plan and soon, the ceremony is almost over! If we can’t get Mistress Naamah’s attention now, then we will never get you back to Sir Clauneck.” Melchom rants as he paces.

Tom is not doing much better himself, his nerves have shot through the roof causing his whole body to vibrate with stress. ‘There has to be some way we can talk to Mistress Naamah before she leaves. But how?’

Looking around frantically Tom spots their salvation. Not wanting to miss their chance Tom snatches Melchom’s arm and starts dragging him.

“When the ceremony ends Mistress Naamah will leave via the side door connected to the stage. If we can be there before the ceremony ends, then we can talk to her before she leaves!” Tom explains as they both start running to the left side of the stage.

“How do you know she will come out this side of the stage and not the other side?” Melchom asks but doesn’t slow down

“Because of her position on the stage now. She is marginally closer to the left side of the stage, and she has angled her body right. Trust me I know stage educate like the back of my hand; she is going left.”

Sure enough, when the ceremony comes to an end Mistress Naamah thanks the crowd for coming then walks stage left. Tom and Melchom, who are three-quarters of the way there pick up the pace. Melchom grabs Tom’s arm and is now basically dragging him along. Tom is too desperate to care.

They only have twelve more feet to go when the stage door opens and out steps Mistress Naamah. She doesn’t see them and starts to walk away.

“MISTRESS NAAMAH!” Tom shouts in desperation.

Mercifully she hears his cry and turns, allowing them to finally close the last few feet that separate them. Coming to an abrupt stop in front of her they nearly collapse in exhaustion. Since Melchom was dragging Tom behind him he has partially hidden him. She sneers down at Melchom as she takes in his shabby clothes and sweaty body.

Tom takes two shaky steps out from behind his companion and lifts his head. “Mistress Naamah.” He wheezes as he is still out of breath.

Her steely glare snaps to him but instantly is replaced by shock and recognition.

“Tom? Tom sweety is that you?” She asks in confusion. At his jerky nod, she steps forwards to examine him. His hair clings to his forehead from sweat and traces of dirt are still visible from his disguise. His clothes are bunched up and patches of sweat have soaked through.

“Oh, sweetheart what happened to you?”

Finally, Tom gains enough of his breath back that he no longer feels like his lungs are going to collapse. “It’s a long story Mistress Naamah.” He says as he straightens up. She just gives him a look that says she has time. So, Tom tells her everything, getting sent back by King Lucifer, living in the human world, missing Master Clauneck, summoning Melchom, their journey through the second, third, and fourth ring.

“… And now we need your help. You are one of the only demons that can connect Master Clauneck. Please will you help us?” Tom finishes his story, begging her to help them.

‘If she refuses, then we are both screwed.’

Mistress Naamah stares down at both Melchom and Tom with a blank expression. Each second that ticks by feels like an eternity. Suddenly Mistress Naamah’s face softens. “Well seeing as it was because of my anniversary party that separated you and Clauneck. Then it is only fair that I help you reunite with him.”

Human and demon both feel the tension and stress seep out of them at her words. Emerald and amber eyes lock together as a silent message pass between them.

‘We did it!’

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech"

Recap

Mistress Naamah stares down at both Melchom and Tom with a blank expression. Each second that ticks by feels like an eternity. Suddenly Mistress Naamah’s face softens. “Well seeing as it was because of my anniversary party that separated you and Clauneck. Then it is only fair that I help you reunite with him.”

Human and demon both feel the tension and stress seep out of them at her words. Emerald and amber eyes lock together as a silent message pass between them.

‘We did it!’

~1 human year ago, a month in the Netherworld~

Clauneck lays pathetically on the ground where he was thrown, staring blankly at the door where King Lucifer exited with Tom dragging limply behind him. He stays there for a while longer before forcing his shaking limbs under him. With a grunt of pain Clauneck pushes himself up from the floor. Once standing he makes his own way to the exit, when he is far enough from the house he shifts into his true form and takes off. The journey to his house seems to take an eternity, especially since every movement sends tidal waves of pain emanating from his throat to the very tip of his tail. In a twisted way, Clauneck is thankful for the pain, he gives him something to focus on. All too soon Clauneck arrives home. Diving down to his lawn Clauneck spreads his wings out to slow his descent. Unfortunately, this motion results in a particularly agonizing wave of pain to shoot through his body, causing Clauneck’s entire body to seize. The crash that follows is not the worse Clauneck has suffered from but even still it results in many bruises. Once again Clauneck stays on the ground where he landed, waiting for the raging rivers of pain to subside to more tolerable levels. Eleven minutes later Clauneck once again gathers his limbs under him to drag himself out of the crater he created with his crash landing. Shifting when he is closer to the house Clauneck limps up the porch steps and through the front door. Dragging his throbbing body a few feet into his home Clauneck stops before turning around to face the door. As slowly and carefully as possible the demon lord bends down until he is on his knees with his head bowed. There he waits, waits for what he knows will come. His king’s words echo in his head.

“I will deal with you later.”

A dark chill travels down his spine at the remembrance of the dark promise. Still, he waits for his king to arrive to deliver his punishment. The thought of running or hiding doesn’t even cross his mind. He knows that either of those options will only prolong the inevitable as well as make the punishment even worse than before. So, he waits in silence for his king’s judgment.

The slowly dulling pain fades to the back of his mind as the silence of the house screams at him. With nothing to distract him Clauneck’s mind wanders. Tom’s terrified emerald eyes flash before him as a cold heavy ache explodes in this chest, an ache that has nothing to do with any physical injury.

‘I am such an idiot! What was I thinking when I decided to keep Tom here? I should have returned him the second I found him in my treasury.’ Clauneck berates himself. ‘Instead, like an idiot, I broke the law and kept him. I could have been smart about keeping him and formed a contract with him so he could stay with me legally, but like a moron, I never even thought about that solution.’ Clauneck sighs as he lies to himself. ‘No, forming a contract with Tom had crossed my mind but I dismissed the thought before it could fully form.’ Clauneck thinks back to the five months he shared with Tom, how scared he was of Clauneck, how he used to cry himself to sleep at night, how for a whole two weeks after Clauneck whipped him he would flinch and cower if Clauneck makes any type of sudden moment. ‘I knew that if Tom ever found out that he had the option to return to the human world or stay with me he would jump at the chance to return. No way would he want to stay with the monster that whipped him and treats him like a pet.’ Clauneck thinks, the ache in his chest like a cold knife being slowly twisted.

Suddenly the front door slams open, snapping Clauneck out of his morbid thoughts. His king has arrived.

King Lucifer glides inside the house with an air of superiority, the door swinging shut behind him. The soft click echoing in Clauneck’s ears, sounding more like the cocking of a gun than a door closing.

The Devil waste no time as he silently circles Clauneck’s bent over form, a predator playing with prey that it has already caught. He takes in Clauneck’s disheveled appearance, his clothes and jewelry is covered in dirt and ripped in some places, his hair is a rat’s nest of tangles with chunks of grass clinging to it, his beautiful feathery wings hang limply at his sides, but most propitiate thing of all is the ugly black hand-shaped bruise that encircles his neck. Coming to a stop behind the demon lord King Lucifer lifts one leg before slamming his foot into Clauneck’s back, sending the demon sprawling. Taking his time Lucifer walks around until he is standing in front of the demon. Placing his foot on the back of Clauneck’s head he grinds the demon’s face into the ground.

“You really fucked up, didn’t you?” Lucifer whispers as his glacier blue eyes stare down at Clauneck with disgust. “You, as a demon lord, are well aware of my laws and why they are in place. Yet you deliberately broke them for your own selfish desire. You even had the audacity to parade your illegal activity around for the rest of the Netherworld to see. Do you think so little of my authority that you thought you could get away with it?”

King Lucifer abruptly shifts his foot so it catches Clauneck’s right horn, causing his face to jerk to the side as the horn is pressed to the ground. Black tar-like blood covers Clauneck’s face where it rushes out from his now broken nose. The blood has already formed a small puddle on the ground.

“No-o…” Clauneck coughs heavily as his throat catches fire. “No, my Ki-ng.” He forces himself to continue through the blinding pain talking causes his throat. “I ne-ver meant to dire-spect you. I j-ust want-ed to sh-ow off how incre-dible my pe… the h-uman’s voice wa-s.” Clauneck fell into another coughing fit as he finishes.

“Hmmm, granted I have to agree with you. The human’s performance at the party was spectacular. I would want to show him off as well if I was you. However…”

King Lucifer increased the pressure on Clauneck’s horn.

*SNAP*

Clauneck let loose a blood-curdling scream as his right horn is savagely snapped off.

“… that still does not give you a valid reason for keeping a human in the Netherworld without owning their soul.” Lucifer continues after Clauneck’s scream dies down.

“Y-es your m-ajesty.” Clauneck wheezes out.

“Good, now that I am sure you won’t make the same mistake twice it is time to discuss the rest of your punishment.” King Lucifer says in a cheery tone. “Now let’s see…” The Devil starts slowly circling Clauneck’s prone body again as he thinks about what would cause the most pain without resulting in lasting damage. Pausing in the middle of his third lap Lucifer stares down at the quivering demon as a sinister grin stretches across his face. “Ah, I know just the thing.”

Clauneck tenses in fear, but otherwise doesn’t react to his king’s words.

“For each day that you had that human here illegally, you will donate 1,000,000 gold coins from your treasury to a charity in the human world.”

The demon lord of greed flinches violently at the declaration. ’1,000,000 gold coins for every day! That is over 150,000,000 coins in total! Granted that won’t make that big of a dent in my treasury, but to give it all to charity! To give all that money away and gain nothing in return!’

While momentarily lost in thought Clauneck doesn’t see the sadistic grin grow sharper and glacial eyes fill with dark glee as his king watches him fill with dread at his chosen punishment.  King Lucifer knows exactly what giving all that gold away means for the demon in front of him. To any other demon, it would just be losing a lot of money, but for Clauneck, the demon lord of greed, giving all that money away without getting anything in return will physically pain him. He will most likely have to take some time off just to recover.

Satisfied with his decision King Lucifer kicks Clauneck’s side to gain his attention. “I trust you don’t have any complaints with my decision, do you?” Lucifer asks in a sickly-sweet voice. Clauneck shakes his head no. “Wonderful, I expect you to get right on it early tomorrow morning.” The Devil begins walking towards the door but not two steps later he suddenly leans down to pick something up off the floor. “Oh, and I will be holding on to this. As a reminder and warning to others who might think it is a good idea to cross me.”

Lifting his head just enough Clauneck looks at what his king is holding. Liquid nitrogen floods his veins as he stares at his own broken horn clutched in Lucifer’s hand. Without another sound The Devil disappears out the door, his work completed.

With this king gone Clauneck goes completely limp where he lays. All the tension and fear that is keeping him alert bleeds out of him. Blackness creeps over his vision as unconsciousness claims him.

Waking up the next morning is torture for the demon, his limbs are stiff from sleeping on the floor all night and his throat screams in pain with every breath. His eyes feel like they have weights on them, but he still forces them open, only to close them again when the bright light of morning causes them to burn. Blinking rapidly Clauneck takes in his surroundings, sluggishly he gathers his muddled thoughts as the events of last night come back to him.

‘King Lucifer found out about Tom; he took him away from me. He then came to my house and delivered my punishment. I need to donate over 150,000,000 gold coins to charity starting today. If I don’t King Lucifer will only make my punishment worse.’

Even with the threat of a worse punishment dangling over his head it still takes Clauneck thirty minutes to drag his battered body up the stairs to his bathroom. Opening the closet, he pulls out the first aid kit that he left in there after he whipped Tom. He grabs the bottle of pain killers that reside inside and downs five of them. Leaving the bottle there he then heads to the shower where he gets in, clothes and all. He stays in there for an hour and a half, cleaning off the blood and dirt from his body. Finally done he forces himself out of the hot shower to his room where he stumbles over to his dresser to grab a fresh shirt and pants. Thanks to the pain killers Clauneck wanders down to his treasury in a daze. He summons all 150,000,000 gold coins to him. Storing all the money in a special pouch that he created a long time ago. With the money in hand, Clauneck cast an illusion spell he learned from this sister that will change his appearance. A bright green fog cascaded from his mouth as he says the spell out loud. The fog covers his entire body before fading away to reveal a human-looking Clauneck. His wings and horns are nowhere in sight, his skin is a rich golden tan, his eyes are still black but now they have white around the edges. Now that he has everything he needs and looks presentable enough all he has to do now is shadow travel to the human world and give the money to a charity.

…

…

…

…

Sinking to the ground Clauneck leans against the wall as he thinks about his next move. ‘How am I going to do this? I have never had to donate to a charity before, so I don’t know what to do. Is there a process involved? Do I just give them the money then leave? And what charity do I even give the money to? I don’t like King Lucifer really cares about the charity; he just wants me to suffer.’

With the fog of the pain killers muddling his mind Clauneck’s thoughts unwillingly drift to the one thing that he is trying not to think about. Tom. ‘King Lucifer most likely killed Tom and his soul traveled up to heaven where it belongs. Tom, I am so sorry for dragging you into this mess. You didn’t deserve any of the things I put you through. I hope you are happy where you are.’

Thoughts falling silent Clauneck sits in the cave as loneliness, sorrow, and regret cause him to feel miserable. It is only four minutes later that Clauneck realizes he is humming. Recognizing the tune as a lullaby Tom told him he sang when they first meet. The song fills him with emptiness like no other, but it also gives him an idea. Standing up Clauneck gathers the shadows around him and lets them take him to his destination. A second later he finds himself standing outside a large building. Making his way through the front door he went straight for the front desk. The young man who sat behind the desk smiles up at him as he approaches.

“Hi, welcome to the Education Through Music foundation center, how may I help you today?”

“I would like to make a donation,” Clauneck states with a determination that surprises him.

The boy’s smile brightens. “Wonderful how will you be making your donation today?”

Clauneck hesitates, “Will a check work?”

“Yes, a check will work perfectly, just address it to ‘Education Through Music, Inc.’”

Taking out a special checkbook that is connected to the money pouch Clauneck fills it out then hands it to the boy. He is about to leave when he hears the choked gasp from the boy. Seeing how pale the boy has gotten while staring at the check in his hands the demon grows concerned.

“Is something wrong?”

The boy looks up at Clauneck like he is from another planet. “Si-r, are you sure you filled out the correct amount you want to donate?”

Clauneck takes the check back from the boy’s shaking hands and looks it over. “Yes, that is the correct amount.” He states as he tries to give the check back to the boy.

The boy doesn’t make a move to take the check, instead, he does an amazing impression of a fish by opening and closing his mouth repeatably. Growing annoyed Clauneck snaps his fingers to get the boy to snap out of it.

“Le-t me just get my superior real quick. Don’t go anywhere I will be right back.” The boy stands up so quickly that he knocks over his chair. Then he sprints out of the room through a door that is marked employees only. Clauneck is left standing there with the check still in his hands, his annoyance growing with each second that ticks by.

When the boy returns, he is acuminated by a dark-skinned woman dressed in a dark purple business suit. They both head straight for where Clauneck is still standing.

“Hello, my name is Amanda Holland. I am the director of this branch of Education Through Music.” The woman states as she holds out her hand for Clauneck to shake. The demon just glares at her until she lowers her hand. Still, she presses on. “I was told by Johnathan here that you would like to make a very large donation. Is this true?”

“Yes.” Clauneck nearly snarls, the pain killers are starting to wear off, he holds out the check to her.

She takes the check from him and examines it. Her eyes widen at the number written down, clearly, she had not fully believed the boy, Johnathan, when he first told her the amount. Swallowing the woman tears her eyes away from the paper to look at Clauneck.

“Sir, this is quite a large sum of money. Thus, I am quite concerned; what made you want to randomly donate 4,048,590,000,000 dollars to our cause?”

 This time Clauneck did growl at the woman. His eyes flash bright orange as a fire burns in his chest. “Not that it is any of your fucking business, but I recently lost someone very close to me. Music helped him get through some tough times growing up, so I thought this was a good way to honor his memory.”

The woman had taken a couple of steps back and most of the blood has drained from her face. Clauneck doesn’t care; he turns on his heels and makes his way to the door. Before he leaves, he hears a quiet voice call out.

“What was his name?”

Whipping his head around Clauneck glares at the young teen that had spoken. The boy flinches and cowers slightly but then he speaks again. “Your friend, what was his name? We can put the donation in his name if you want.”

Eyes softening the demon answers. “Tom, his name was Tom.”

With those parting words, Clauneck exits the building.

Calling forth the shadows as he walks Clauneck travels back to the Netherworld right into his bedroom. He quickly collapses on the bed and waits for it to start.

He doesn’t wait long, not even seven seconds after collapsing on the bed the pain starts. The humans have cashed the check and he has officially started his punishment. His entire body ignites with searing agony. He doesn’t even notice that he is screaming or that his body is seizing. All he can think about is the pain. Pain that makes him want to rip off his own wings just to get a second of relief. But no relief comes, the pain stays with him as he thrashes off the bed onto the floor. The pain keeps growing in intensity with no end in sight.

For two and a half weeks Clauneck is forced to experience this agony. The only brief relief he had was when it grew too much for him and he passed out for a second, only to be brought back to the waking world by the still increasing torture. When the constant pain finally stops Clauneck passes out. He sleeps for four days straight. On the fifth day Clauneck finally wakes up, he finds the whole room trashed. The bed is turned over and smashed, the dresser is halfway through a hole in the wall. The floor has deep grooves in it from sharp claws. Overall the room is a total mess, but Clauneck doesn’t care. The only reason he is not still asleep is that he hasn’t eaten in the last three weeks. So, with no other choice, Clauneck drags himself down into the kitchen where he opens the freezer and grabs the first thing he can get his hands on. Biting into the meat he scarfs down whatever it is before grabbing something else. After his fifth helping of meat, he crawls his way out of the freezing before passing out on the kitchen floor.

This process lasts another three days before Clauneck starts to gain some awareness back. On the fifth day, he manages to take a shower and change his clothes. On the sixth day, he can successfully make it from the kitchen to a guest bedroom without collapsing, his room is still trashed. This would have continued if it wasn’t for the seventh day after waking up that he receives a phone call from his sister Naamah.

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech"

Recap

This process lasts another three days before Clauneck starts to gain some awareness back. On the fifth day, he manages to take a shower and change his clothes. On the sixth day, he can successfully make it from the kitchen to a guest bedroom without collapsing, his room is still trashed. This would have continued if it wasn’t for the seventh day after waking up that he receives a phone call from his sister Naamah.

Consciousness returns to Clauneck instantly by strings of agony shooting through his veins originating from his stomach. Clenching his teeth, a slight whimper escapes as he rides out the pain. When it finally subsides Clauneck painstakingly peels his eyes open to see the dark guest room he had collapsed into after his last food run. Having woken up in a similar manner for the past few days Clauneck knew that if he didn’t get up to satisfy his empty stomach soon then it would continue to growl. Which in turn would send waves of torment through his aching body. Having no other choice Clauneck slowly begins dragging his body towards the side of the bed. Once there he meticulously gathers his arms under him and gently pushes himself up, swinging his legs over the side so his feet brush the floor. Stopping as another growl from his stomach sends another string of pain through his body Clauneck mentally prepares himself for what he is about to do.

‘Ok, I have done this before, and I can do it again. I just need to make it to the kitchen without my legs collapsing under me. After I get something to eat, I can come back here and sleep some more. Besides the pain is slowly dwindling with each passing day. Soon things will return to normal.’

Not allowing himself to think too much on it Clauneck stands up. Instantly an explosion of searing cold pain burns up his legs, causing them to rattle under his weight, but they hold. Having gone through this process before Clauneck waits for the pain to return to a throbbing ache before taking a step, then another, and another, until he sets a slow rhythm that takings him to his destination.

Limping into the kitchen he ignores the light switch, the lights being too bright for his eyes at the moment. Instead, he continues his limping walk to his freezer. Opening the door with a grunt, a mild wave of running pain up his arm, he selects the closes chunk of cow meat and drags it across the floor to the kitchen island. A fresh trail of blood paints over a previous trail from Clauneck’s last meal.  

With a heave Clauneck throws the meat onto the table, the carcass lands with a wet *splat,* blood splattering over the counter. But Clauneck doesn’t care, he just eases himself into a chair and begins gnawing on a piece. This way most of the blood from the meat starts gathering in his mouth.

‘Aww, that feels nice.’ Clauneck thinks as the cool smooth liquid runs down this throat. When Clauneck had woken up after two and a half weeks of torture he had found that his throat was in bad shape. So many days of screaming led to his throat tearing. Talking felt like trying to swallow sandpaper, when he tried to beath fire it felt like trying to regurgitate a live porcupine. Suffice to say, Clauneck hadn’t tried to do either of those activities since he woke up.

Clauneck is halfway done with his meal when the shrill screech of a phone cuts through the silence. Gripping his ears, trying to block out the noise, Clauneck glares at the offending contraption that is his phone.

‘Who THE FUCK is calling me right now? All of my subordinates should know that I am unavailable right now.’ Slipping out of his chair Clauneck limps over to the counter where the phone sits. ‘I swear to Satan if this is something stupid heads will roll.’

Clauneck snatches the phone from its stand.

“What?” Clauneck growls into the speaker, his annoyance and anger briefly overcoming the pain his throat is in from that one simple word.

“Well, I see someone is in a mood.” A silky-smooth voice answers from the other end, the voice dripping with poorly hidden amusement.

Clauneck stays silent as he recognizes his sister’s voice. Rising to the bait will only bring more teasing, he is severely tempted to hang up on her. But he knows his sister well, she only ever calls him for three reasons.

‘She either wants something from me, she has something that she knows I will want, or she wants needs someone to listen to her about the latest gossip.’

A few more seconds pass in silence before Naamah starts talking again, she has never been known for her patience. 

“So, bother dearest, you will never guess who I ran into while at a promotion ceremony today. I must say I was quite shocked to see your little human running towards me covered in dirt and smelling worse than-”

Clauneck hears no more as the phone slips from his hands to clatter on the floor. The buzz of white static fills his head as the demon repeats what he just heard.

‘My human… my human… my human… TOM!’

Crashing to his knees, ignoring the torment this sends through this body, Clauneck scrambles for the phone.

“Tom? You have Tom?” Clauneck croaks through the phone, desperation and hope seeping into every painfully said word.

“… yes?” Comes the slow response of his sister. “Clauneck is something wrong with your voice? You sound like a dying animal.” Naamah teases, but an underlining note of worry gives away her true feelings.

“I am fine, how did you find T_o^m?” Clauneck demands, his voice barely holding out.

Naamah is quiet for a second before she continues her story. “Well, As I was saying I was promoting an underling to the fifth ring when he came running up to me with another demon in tow. After I asked what he was doing there he explained that after the party you two ran into King Lucifer. Your human explained how his majesty… was upset… because you… broke a…”

Naamah’s voice grows quieter as she trails off. The pieces clicking in her mind at what must have happened to Clauneck.

“Oh-oh Clauneck, you were punished, weren’t you?” Naamah whispers through the phone in dawning horror.

Hanging his head in shame Clauneck doesn’t reply. The silence that stretches between them is all the answer his sister needs.

A shaky rattle cuts through the quiet as Naamah takes a deep breath to gather herself. “I am bringing the human and the second ring level demon that accompanies him to your house. I will drop them off at the edge of your property then leave. They can explain everything when they arrive.”

With that said Naamah hangs up. Clauneck leans against the kitchen cabinets in shock.

‘Tom is coming back! He will be here soon! But how? How did he return to the Netherworld after King Lucifer sent him back? Why would he want to return in the first place? Why is there a lower-level demon with him?’

Clauneck knows why his sister is dropping Tom off at the edge of his property then leaving. They may be siblings, but they are demons first, predators that are driven by instincts. While in his weakened state he will not see his sister, he will see another predator that is encroaching on his territory. His instincts will be driven to attack what he perceives as a threat.

‘So why is she risking this demon’s life by leaving them in my territory? Even in the state I am in a second ring level demon will be no match for me. Is that why Naamah is risking it? Why does he even need to stay?’ Collecting himself Clauneck rises off the floor. ‘It doesn’t matter. Naamah said that Tom will explain everything.’

Limping over to the table Clauneck grabs his unfinished meal and throws it back into the freezer. Next, he hobbles his way into the downstairs bathroom to clean the blood off his face. Even if it is just a second ring level demon, his instincts are screaming at him to put up a strong front.

~Meanwhile~

Melchom and Tom stare as Mistress Naamah hangs up her phone. They are all sitting in the back of Mistress Naamah’s limo. Naamah is lounging on one side while Tom and Melchom sit stiffly together on the other side.

When they first got into the limousine both human and demon were impressed by the interior of the vehicle. The smooth white leather seats, the gentle neon purple lights that lined the floor, the velvet carpet that cushioned each step, the relaxing violin music that plays in the background. All these things set the two men at ease; they were finally able to get off their feet after traveling such a large distance. But now? Now they are tense again after hearing the one-sided conversation. They watch as the demoness begins to drum her perfectly manicured nails against her thigh. The light glinting off the ruby red nail polish with each tap.

“Is-is there something wrong Mistress Naamah?” Tom asks, not being able to stand the silence anymore.

Slowly Mistress Naamah’s sky blue eyes creep over from where she was staring off into space until they land on them. But instead of landing on Tom, who was the one to ask the question, they bore into Melchom, pinning the demon in place.

“A complication has occurred that I had not anticipated.” The demoness answers quietly through thinly parted cherry red lips. Not once taking her icy blue eyes off of Melchom.

“It seems my brother is not very receptive to guests at the moment. King Lucifer was even more displeased with Clauneck than I originally thought. Since you are considered his property human, you will be fine. Your companion on the other hand will have to tread lightly if he wishes to survive.”

Melchom’s golden eyes widen, his pupils dilating to pinpricks as his whole-body quivers with fear, rattling his bones to the very core. He understands exactly what Mistress Naamah is telling him.

Tom on the other hand has no idea what is going on. “I don’t understand. Melchom is the one who brought me back to the Netherworld. Shouldn’t Master Clauneck be happy about this? Does – does he not want me anymore?”

Finally, Naamah looks away from Melchom when she hears the hurt and uncertainty in Tom’s voice.

“Oh no dear, my brother wants you back very much.” She reassures the human, watching as his shoulders sag with relief.

“The problem is,” Naamah continues. “Demons are creatures of instinct, and my brother is still recovering from King Lucifer’s punishment. This means that right now he is extremely territorial. If your friend here makes any type of move that could be seen as aggressive, then my brother will not hesitate to tear him to shreds.”

“Oh,” Tom breathes out as realization dawns on him. “Is – is there anything we can do to prevent that outcome from happening?” Tom asks in a small hopeful voice.

Naamah leans back into the white leather seat as she heaves a heavy sigh. She studies the two males in front of her with calculating blue eyes. Weighing their chances of survival, debating whether or not any advice she gives will actually help.

“As I said before, Tom will most likely be fine since my brother sees him as his property. But the only chance you have,” she points one red nailed finger at Melchom, “is if you act as pathetic as possible. Never look up from the ground unless told to, telegraph all your movements, speak as quietly and as little as possible, and only when asked a direct question. If you hear even a hint of a growl drop to the floor to display your stomach and neck. If he attacks go limp, don’t try to defend yourself, you may lose a limb, but you may keep your life if you are lucky.”

Melchom says nothing, just continues staring off into space. He gives no indication that he heard a word that was said besides a minuscule nod. Tom stares worryingly at his friend, already making plans to stand between him and his master as much as possible to prevent any loss of limbs. These plans go up in smoke when Mistress Naamah starts talking to him next.

“Your job is going to be much easier, all you have to do is act like your friend here doesn’t exist.”

Tom, shocked by the requirement, blinks a few times before he voices his confusion. “Why should I ignore him? Wouldn’t it be better if I tell Master Clauneck how much of a help he was in getting me back to him?”

Naamah shakes her head, wisps of fiery orange hair fall down her front. “With Clauneck as he is right now, your sole focus should be on him, this will give him fewer opportunities to be jealous. I would actually downplay Melchom’s involvement as much as possible. The fewer accomplishments he has, the less he will be seen as a threat.”

Hanging his head Tom accepts Mistress Naamah’s reasoning. ‘Melchom and I are going to have to be careful, if we get even a single thing wrong then Melchom will die. If that happens then I will be sent back to the human world because I didn’t hold up my end of our deal.’

Before Tom could get too deep in his thoughts Mistress Naamah speaks up again. “Well, I have done my part, now it is up to you boys.”

“Huh?”

Tom refocuses on the demoness, about to ask her what she is talking about when suddenly, quicker than they can blink Naamah snaps out her hands. Grabbing both him and Melchom by their shirts she hauls them out of their seat and out the open limo door.

“Oof,” Tom wheezes as his breath is knocked out of him. He turns from where lays on top of Melchom to look back at Mistress Naamah.

“I wish you boys luck,” Naamah says as she slams the door closed. The limousine then sprouts a pair of white leather bat wings before proceeding to take off into the sky.

A shifting under him reminds Tom that he is still on top of his friend. Clambering off of him to his feet Tom takes in the familiar surroundings. It doesn’t take Tom’s emerald eyes long to land on the mansion standing before them.

‘I’m finally home.’

Chapter Text

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
“Singing

Recap

“I wish you boys luck,” Naamah says as she slams the door closed. The limousine then sprouts a pair of white leather bat wings before proceeding to take off into the sky.

A shifting under him reminds Tom that he is still on top of his friend. Clambering off of him to his feet Tom takes in the familiar surroundings. It doesn’t take Tom’s emerald eyes long to land on the mansion standing before them.

‘I’m finally home.’

Tom wastes no time gawking as he marches towards the house, every few steps he has to stop himself from breaking off in a sprint. Melchom follows behind him at a slightly slower pace. His head already bowed and his pyrite eyes sharp with concentration, mentally preparing himself for facing a temperamental, territorial demon lord.

What seems like an eternity later for Tom, but all too short for Melchom, they reach the front door. Barely able to contain his excitement Tom pounds his fist on the door, pulling his hand back Tom bounces on the soul of his feet as he waits for the door to open. Out of the corner of his eye, Tom can see that Melchom has taken a few steps back, his head hanging low and slightly to the left to expose his neck, his arms hanging limply by his side, shoulders hunched in on themselves as he tries to make himself seem smaller. This site briefly stamps down on Tom’s joy of returning home. That joy returns when the door creeks open.

Heart pounding in his chest Tom vibrates where he stands as the door swings open, revealing his Master in all his demonic glory.

“MASTER!” Tom shouts as he launches himself at the demon. Large muscular crimson arms catch him and pull him close. Instinctually Tom wraps his legs around Clauneck’s waist, the arms holding him up tighten. Tom relishes in the warmth seeping into his very bones as he plasters himself against the demon. His head buries in the crook of his master’s neck. Tears of pure joy escape his eyes and form a wet spot on his master’s shoulder.

“Mas-ter, I-I,” Tom tries to speak, tries to say how much he missed Clauneck, but words fail him. A large hand comes up and cradles the back of his head.

“Shhh, shh, I know, Bright Eyes, I know.”

The nickname sets Tom off with a new wave of tears, a watery smile consumes his lips as he nuzzles his face into the warm inferno that is his master.

~A Few Minutes Earlier~

Clauneck sits in the living room of his house waiting. He has just gotten out of the shower four minutes ago. Mainly he just rinsed off all the grime and dried blood that clung to his body these past few days. The boiling hot water felt nice on his thick skin and helped loosen the cramped muscles that were causing him so much pain but not by much.

Suddenly Clauneck’s instincts roar to life screaming at him DANGER! INTRUDER! CHALLENGER! DANGER! Automatically his wings flare up behind him, his black nails grow to two-inch talons, his jaw protruding an inch from his face as his fangs lengthen. But just as suddenly as the feeling appeared, they stop.

‘Naamah must have arrived and dropped Tom off before leaving my territory.’

Heaving himself off the couch Clauneck straightens up as best he can. Slowly he walks to the front door where he knows Tom will arrive. Each footfall threatens to bring him crashing to the floor. But this time something else is battling against the pain in order to keep him moving. Inside his chest, the blazing inferno that is his heart is sending out weak waves of heat through this body. Each wave helps ease the pain that is shooting through his body.

Now in the mudroom, Clauneck continues to slowly walk to the door when sound explodes in his ears. Covering his sensitive ears from the loud banging on the door Clauneck pauses as he waits for the ringing in his ears to die down before continuing to the door.

Closing the remaining distance between him and the door Clauneck retches it open.

Green floods his vision. Two brilliant green orbs that dance with lights more luminescent and beautiful than the northern lights themselves. Green that has haunted his nightmares for weeks. Green that he thought he would never see again. His emerald treasure. His Bright Eyes.

“Master!” The eyes cry out as they launch themselves into his arms.

Catching his pet on instinct Clauneck holds him close. His body protests the action by sending wave after wave of agony from every contact point. But Clauneck is able to ignore it all. Seeing his human again has added gasoline to the fire in his heart. Heat surges through this body, combating the pain his body is in. This blistering heat crashes over the meager pain in his arms and chest like a tidal wave. Leaving nothing in its wake but the feeling of holding Tom close once again.

“Mas-ter, I-I,”

Clauneck hears his pet try to speak, but he doesn’t let him. Bringing one hand up he cradles the back of Tom’s head to comfort him.

“Shhh, shh, I know, Bright Eyes, I know.” ‘I missed you too. And I am never letting you go again.’

~Seven minutes later~

Finally coming down from the high of seeing his master again Tom loosens his grip around Clauneck’s neck, this causes the demon holding him to loosen his own grip. Sliding down from his master’s arms Tom wipes a hand over his cheeks to get rid of the tear track clinging to his face.

Still encircled by the demon’s arms, but now in a much looser embrace, Tom sends a breathtaking smile up at his master as he finally finds his voice. “I’ve come home Master Clauneck.”

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. For it is at this moment that Clauneck finally notices the other presence standing on his porch. Pulling Tom close to him Clauneck narrows his pitch-black eyes at the other demon in his territory. Studying the exposed neck and hunched shoulders the other is displaying does ease his instincts a little bit. Expanding his senses outward Clauneck inspects the aura around the demon to find out how powerful the kid before him truly is.

‘Mmm, power-wise he is defiantly from the second ring, but there is something more there, something if nurtured right could get him into the third ring if he truly fought for it. Either way, he is no match for me, even in my weakened state. That is not to say I won’t keep an eye on him at all times. After all, there has to be a reason Naamah left him here when she dropped Tom off.’

Still keeping Tom plastered to his side Clauneck motions the demon to follow him inside. Making his way back to the living room the demon lord rounds the couch before sitting down in the middle of it. Pulling Tom down so he sits right next to him, all the while not once has he taken his eyes off the other demon.

Melchom for his part has been playing the role of the submissive intruder perfectly, not taking his eyes off the floor but still keeping the demon lord in his peripheral so as to heed any instructions given to him. His head is still tilted to the side so as to expose his neck and he has kept a distance of six feet between them at all times. When Sir Clauneck takes a seat on the couch Melchom makes his way to the floor in front of the coach, taking special care to walk sideways as to not show his back to the more powerful demon. For turning one's back to another predator is the ultimate sign of disrespect. Once far enough away Melchom sinks to the floor and waits for his next instructions.

Meanwhile, Tom, who has been quiet ever since he realized that master Clauneck spotted Melchom steals glances between the two, unsure what to do to diffuse the tense atmosphere.

‘I know Mistress Naamah said that I should ignore Melchom as much as I can so Master doesn’t get jealous, but if this keeps up then Master is going to dispose of Melchom before either of us can get a word in edgewise, which will mean the contract we made together will be null and void. Right now, that contract is the only thing tying my soul to this realm, without it I will be sent back to the human world. But if I say anything too bluntly on how important Melchom is right now, then I risk setting Master Clauneck off and kill Melchom in a fit of jealously. What do I do?’

Suddenly a brilliant idea strikes Tom. Cuddling into his master’s left side to get his attention Tom set his plan into motion. Shyly looking up at the demon’s face, which is turned slightly so he can still keep Melchom in his sights while also giving Tom his attention.

“I missed you so much Master Clauneck, I was miserable in the human world without you. At first, I tried to move on because thought I would never see you again.” Tom ducks his head, as if ashamed by his own actions. “I reconnected with my brother and my cat Milo; I got a job teaching music at some fancy prep school. But it all felt hollow without you.” Reaching up Tom runs his fingers over the emerald collar still encircling his throat. Snapping his head up he stares at Clauneck as his hand wraps around the tag dangling from the front. “I missed eating meals with you, I missed going for a run with you, I missed playing music for you. But most of all I missed you. Your strong arms that make me feel safe, your deep voice that always brings comfort. I miss you so much it hurt.” Tears gather at the corners of his eyes, but Tom continues on. “I knew I had to get back to you somehow. I remembered King Lucifer saying that the only reason I couldn’t stay in the Netherworld was that I never sold my soul. So that is what I did.”

Clauneck’s head snaps to fully face Tom. A pinprick of glowing orange light up the center of his black eyes. Safe to say Tom now has his master’s full attention. Locking his gaze on those black orbs Tom scoots closer to Clauneck’s side as he continues his story.

“I wanted you to own my soul so we could be together again. But I also knew that you were too powerful and important for me to summon.” Tom strokes his master’s ego a bit. “So, I had to settle for a much weaker and insignificant demon to get back to you.”

‘Sorry Melchom.’

“The deal I made was that he would carry my soul through the Netherworld to you, in exchange I would convince you to put him in the fourth ring or higher. And it worked!” Tom once again nuzzles his face into Clauneck’s broad chest. “I am by your side again and I never plan to leave again!”

The room falls silent after Tom finishes his story. The tense atmosphere that Tom worked so hard to disperse returns with a vengeance. Clauneck shifts his gaze back to stare at Melchom, who has retained the same position as when he first knelt down.

Lifting himself from the coach Clauneck leaves Tom where he is as he moves across the floor to where the cowering demon kneels. With each step he takes the demon exposes more of his neck, shaking in fear of what is to come.

Clauneck looms over the trembling demon, his face blank. With agonizing slowness, the demon lord extends his right arm forwards. Wrapping his long fingers around Melchom’s throat Clauneck guides the weaker demon to his feet. Once the other is standing on semi steady feet Clauneck’s onyx orbs sluggishly travel down Melchom’s body, as if they are searching for something. Then, without warning Clauneck’s other hand comes up to hover over Melchom’s chest, ebony black talons posed to gut its prey. Melchom instinctively tries to move out of the way but the grip around his throat is unrelenting. The hand descends.

*RRRRRIIIIPPPP*

…

…

…

Large fool’s gold eyes stare transfixed at the tattered remains of the shirt that was just ripped from his body. His ribs rattle with each breath he forces into his lungs, his heart beating so hard that it almost hurts. Tiny droplets of golden blood creep down his neck from where the demon lord’s claws dug into his skin when he tried to flinch away. Not being able to comprehend what just transpired Melchom waits for the pain to start, for his stomach to split open and his intestines to spill out.

But nothing, no pain, no blood, no slow agonizing death. Just the loss of a ratty old shirt.

Abruptly Melchom is wrenched forwards by his throat. Sir Clauneck’s lips brush the tip of his left ear. Warm puffs of air tickle his ear lobe, copper strains of hair shift with each breath. Melchom barely dares to breathe with the demon lord so close.

A voice comprised of volcanic ash whispers in his ear. “Congratulations.”

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”  Melchom screams as blistering hot agony explodes from his chest over his heart. Mind consumed by the excruciating pain, he doesn’t notice that his throat has been released or that he has sunk to the floor; his hands hovering over the smoking burn on his chest. He lays there on his side, knees semi tucked into his stomach, tears escaping from shut eyes, his whole body spasming. When the pain finally dulls to a throbbing ache and the brand has stopped smoking Melchom carefully uncurls his arms and legs. Panting, he slowly opens his pyrite eyes to look at the mark that now adorns his chest. A shimmering golden upside-down five-pointed star encircled by a dragon eating its own tail stands proudly upon his skin.

‘The Mark of Favor, the symbol given to demons when they have proven themselves worthy of representing their lords and are given access to the fifth ring.’  

Melchom stares in wonder at the honor he has been given. Shaky fingers reach out to make sure that the brand is in fact real. However, reality crashes back to the now fifth level demon when a crimson-colored foot digs into his stomach. Remembering where he is and who he is in the presence of Melchom gathers himself to stand up again.

“Thank you, my lord,” Melchom says as he bows deeply to the demon before him.

“Due west is your new home, now get out,” Clauneck commands in barely a whisper.

Not one to push his luck in another demon’s territory, especially one as strong as Sir Clauneck’s, Melchom takes off in a dead sprint out the door. He doesn’t stop or slow down until he is well over three miles away. Only then does he collapse from exhaustion, lying on his back he stares up into the orange sky. A laugh bubbles up through his chest, followed by another, then another, until he ends up laughing hysterically on the forest floor like a mad man. 

‘I did it, I made it out of the slums of the second ring and make something of myself! I survived returning that human to Sir Clauneck without dying! And now! Now I am a fifth level demon!’

Melchom brings a hand to rest over his Mark, the brand gives off a pleasant warmth that causes Melchom’s fingers to tingle. Twelve minutes later Melchom finally picks himself off the ground and turns westward. He begins hiking his way through the forest to his new home, his new life.

~Meanwhile back at the house~

After Melchom sprints out the door the house falls silent. Tom watches as his master stands perfectly still in the middle of the room. His tall imposing figure seems to be cut out of polished marble. Then without warning, the image shatters and Clauneck crumbles to the floor.

“Master!” Tom calls out in alarm as he jumps off the couch.

Tom scrambles over to the demon’s side, worry edged into his features. His eyes dart all over as he searches his master for injury. He takes in the clenched teeth and furrowed brow, the shaking limps, but his eyes stop in horror when he finally notices the missing right horn.

“Master… what?... what happened?” Tom reaches out an unsteady hand towards the jagged space where the horn used to be.

Clauneck doesn’t answer as he gulps in lungfuls of air down his screaming throat. He stays there on his hands and knees; Tom sits in front of him with his hands hovering in the air. Once he regains enough composer that he is positive he won’t collapse again, Clauneck pushes himself up off the floor. He starts shuffling his way to the guest bedroom, knowing that Tom will follow, which he does like a worried little puppy.

Making it to the room he crawls into the bed. The relief of no longer having to put on a façade of a strong, powerful demon causing his muscles to turn to mosh. Curling his fingers inward Clauneck beckons Tom towards him.

The human scurries forwards like a little hamster, he leans his head down so his master can whisper in his ear.

“My punishment for breaking the law, I will recover, Bright Eyes. I just need to rest for a few more days.” Clauneck rasps out to his beloved pet. “I will explain more once I have fully recovered.”

Tom steps away from the bed. He is still extremely concerned and slightly terrified at seeing his master in this state.

‘I trust master Clauneck, if he says that he will recover then I have no reason to doubt him. I just wish there was something I could do to help.’

Suddenly an idea strikes Tom. Without a word, he dashes out of the room and across the house. Bursting into the music room he spots the silver guitar exactly where he had left it. Snatching it off its stand he sprints back to the downstairs guest room. Slowing down as he enters the room; he holds the guitar up in a silent question. Receiving permission via a small smile and nod Tom positions himself on the side of the bed then begins playing.

“Ooh, ooh

Ooh, ooh

When the darkness don’t let you sleep

I’mma hold you close

And when space is all you need

I can let you go

And if the spark in your eye goes out

I can be your glow

Bringing you home, yeah

Bringing you home

I see your hurt, I feel your pain

All of our dirt is washed in the rain

I’ve walked that road, I’ve felt that shame

No place is home but times, they are changin’

This is our sanctuary

We can find shelter and peace

This is our sanctuary

You are, you are safe with me

This is our sanctuary

We can find shelter and peace

This is our sanctuary

You are, you are safe with me

When the rain starts to take its toll

You can slow me down

‘Cause we both know that world’s turned cold

And I just need you now

Keep holding on (hold onto me, hold on)

You’ll see my hurt, you’ll feel my pain

All of our dirt is washed in the rain

You’ve walked that road, you felt that shame

No place is home but time, they are changin’

This is our sanctuary

We can find shelter and peace

This is our sanctuary

 You are, you are safe with me

This is our sanctuary

We can find shelter and peace

This is our sanctuary

You are, you are safe with me (Yeah, yeah)

You are, you are safe with me (Yeah, yeah)

We share this hurt, we share the pain

All of our dirt is washed in the rain

We’ve walked that road, we’ve felt that shame

Mmm, the times, they are changin’

Ooh

(Our sanctuary) Oh, oh

(Hold onto me)

(Our sanctuary) You are, you are

(Hold onto me) You are safe with me

This is our sanctuary

We can find shelter and peace

This is our sanctuary

You are, you are safe with me

This is our sanctuary

We can find shelter and peace

This is our sanctuary

You are, you are safe with me (Yeah, yeah)

You are, you are safe with me (Yeah, yeah)

You are, you are safe with me

(Our sanctuary)

You are, you are safe with me

(Hold onto me)

‘Cause this is our sanctuary.”  

Tom trails off as the song ends, the last cord from the guitar drifts off as deep breathing fills the room. Looking over Tom watches the rhythmic rise and fall of master Clauneck’s chest. Gently Tom sets the guitar on the ground before crawling up the length of the bed. As carefully as he can Tom positions himself on the demon’s right side. An arm drapes over him once he makes himself comfortable, he steals one last look at his master’s slumbering face before closing his own eyes, letting the stress from the day melt away. Now that he is finally back with his master, he can finally rest easy knowing that he is safe in Clauneck’s arms.