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Chapter Text

It was not uncommon to hear about kingdoms forcing their children to marry into other cultures to show their truce to each other through the 'sacred bond'. In fact, it was more common than not. 

Of course, some kingdoms actually cared for their children allowed their children to marry someone they chose themselves. Someone they loved or at least had a chance of loving, whereas when you were thrown into an arranged marriage with someone you didn't even know. 

Skeppy realized how quiet it had gotten and bit his lip, setting down his dinner fork on the porcelain-colored napkin in front of him. He cleared his throat quietly. "So," he started, "is there a reason you have called me for this dinner?" He asked, looking at his mother then back to his father. His parents exchanged glances and his mother sighed. "Skeppy, we have some good news!" Skeppy narrowed his eyes, heart filling with dread. "Good news for you or me?" 

His parents hesitated and that terrified him.

"Good news for the kingdom." His father said, deep voice cutting through the tension and making Skeppy jump slightly. He let out a shaky sigh and closed his eyes. He knew where this was going. "Please," he started, voice cracking, he hadn't realized he was talking until he was and he knew it was impolite, "there has to be another way, yes?" "Skeppy, gem," his heart panged; she used to call him that as a child, "we've tried everything. We've held off for as long as possible. You have to. There's no other way."

He kept his face blank. His walls that he had spent years building and packing tight were coming loose and he would not break just because of some stupid arranged marriage. He sucked in a breath and exhaled deeply. It's what's best for your kingdom, Skeppy he told himself. He nodded and picked his dinner fork back up, stabbing it a little harshly into the piece of carp that was on his plate. "Who are they?" he asked, trying to keep his tone bored, and stuffed the piece of fish into his mouth.

His parents exchanged glances and his father raised an eyebrow. "You're.. not going to fight us anymore?" Skeppy sighed and slammed his fist down on the table, startling his mother. "Please excuse my immature outburst," he said through clenched teeth, "But I know I don't have a choice on this matter. So, can I please know the details on the person I'm marrying?" 

"His name is Bad," his mother said, watching his face intently for any sign of emotion. He froze up. "'His' name?" His father nodded, looking unapproving himself. "Yes, he is male." "And- and you're okay with that?" Skeppy asked, breathless. What the fuck? He had to get married to a guy? "As we said, there's not much choice." "Does he not have any siblings? A sister perhaps?" Skeppy asked, frantic. 

His mother snorted and he narrowed his gaze at her. "He has a niece," she said and Skeppy felt hope for a millisecond, "but she's four." He really was trapped.

"What nation?" "The Nether." "You're kidding me! He's a demon?!" His father nodded. "How- wait. How tall is he?" Don't ask, he just needed to know this. His mother and father thought for a moment before his mother spoke up again. "I believe they said somewhere around six foot nine."

Skeppy nearly fainted. "He could kill me if he wanted." He said with a shake to his tone. "He won't kill you," his father reassured, "He doesn't even curse."

"Yay," Skeppy stood up on shaky legs, "may I be excused?" "I suppose." His mother answered with a sad smile.

He nearly tripped several times walking up the many stairs to his room. When he finally reached his room, he collapsed into the sheets and tried to calm his breathing. Everything felt fuzzy. In a bad way. 'Bad'. He cringed. What kind of name was that? He wondered what his soon-to-be-husband looked like. Tall, that's for sure. He was a demon so either red or black. Probably horns and a tail. Maybe wings. 

Skeppy wondered if this 'Bad' had been told about the marriage already. He wondered how he reacted. Skeppy realized he didn't know anything about this man. How old was he? Skeppy hoped he wasn't, like, thirty or something. He supposed he didn't mind if he was around eighteen, it might be weird though, considering Skeppy himself wasn't the most mature or logical person. 

It would be fine, he reassured himself. 

He decided that he should probably sleep so he didn't grow anxious in the morning. There was still so much he needed to work out. When would he meet this demon? When was the wedding? How long would they have to warm up to each other before the ceremony? He groaned and dragged his hand down his face.

He fell asleep that night thinking about all the things that could have gone wrong.

He woke up screaming, like usual.

Nightmares, he cursed. He hated them like they hated him. They haunted him, but this time it wasn't his failures haunting him. It was his 'fiance'. He imagined the demon to tower over him, skin a dark red, like blood almost, and his eyes black. Two black horns pointed to the sky, sharp and big. His tail scaley and long, dangerous. His whole persona screamed danger. 

He woke up after said demon bit his throat out with razor teeth.

He knew he probably got the whole image wrong, but can you blame him? He knew nothing about him. He figured he couldn't be that scary, he didn't even cuss. Skeppy decided to stop thinking about him. He got up and wiped the tears that had collected from his eyes. 

A knock on his door made him jump and he sighed. "Come in," he called, fixing his hair. "Sir Skeppy, are you alright?" One of his butlers asked, face blank and eyes showing no real concern for his safety. "I'm fine," he said, brushing his hair out of his face, "just a nightmare, again. Thank you for your concern." The butler nodded. "The Queen would like you to meet her in her garden." 

Skeppy sighed and sent the butler away so he could get changed. 

He decided on putting on black oversized pants with a white shirt. He slipped on dress shoes and walked to his mirror, actually fixing his hair this time.

He walked down the hall slowly, not really wanting to meet with his mother at the moment. 

As he walked outside, he shuddered at the cold temperature. He rubbed his hands up and down the side of his arms to try and create some friction and warm himself up. It was futile.

He spotted his mother on a white bench, a white fur coat draped heavily over her small frame. Her underdress was a pastel pink that matched her gems that were embedded in her hands and ran up her arms until they scattered off and stopped at her shoulders. Kind of like gloves. Skeppy quite liked them and was often jealous he only had his blue diamonds as freckles. Boring, he thought.

"Hello, mother. You look beautiful this morning." His mother smiled and her cheeks dusted with light pink. "Thank you, darling. I have some... not so good news." His heart flipped and he cleared his throat. "What is it?" "Bad will be coming today to meet you," She said bluntly and Skeppy almost passed out. "When?" "An hour or so, gem."

"Fuck. Oh- sorry!" His mother laughed at him and shook her head. "You may want to have a maid or two help you look presentable. Make a good first impression." "I don't care what he thinks about me." "Yes, you do." Yes, he did.

He sighed and kissed his mother's cheek, rushing off to find a maid to help him.

They had put on dark blue dress pants with a white button-up shirt, leaving one button undone so he could breathe comfortably, and fixed his hair to the side and fluffed it a bit to look softer and 'more enduring' as they put it.

When he stepped back out into the hall, his mother and father were waiting for him. He saw the way his mother's eyes sparkle when she looked at him and blushed. "You look wonderful," she said. "Thank you."

"Are they-" "They're waiting outside." His father interrupted and Skeppy inhaled sharply. He fought the urge to crystalize. They walked down the stairs quickly and Skeppy tried to slow his breathing. His nerves were on fire and he hoped he wouldn't pass out. 

As the guards opened the door, Skeppy kept his head down and avoided looking up. He had read once that Demons from the Nether found it respectful when someone only made eye contact once they greeted each other.

He walked closer to his mother and ignored his shaking hands. "Are you okay, Gem?" She asked quietly, glancing over her shoulder at him. He nodded and whispered, "scared." "You'll be okay." He nodded and sighed through his nose.

They stopped and he snuck a glance just slightly up. He saw shoes standing in front of him and quickly returned his gaze down. "Hello," a voice greeted, it was hard to explain. It was deep but had an underlying highness to it. 

"Hello," he repeated and waited a second before lifting his gaze officially. He kept moving his gaze up until he made eye contact with a pair of purely white eyes. Opposite of his nightmare. The Demon, Bad, smiled at him. Showing straight white teeth with only two fangs. 

Skeppy returned a closed-lip smile. Bad reached his hand down and placed it against Skeppy's cheek. His hand was very warm, Skeppy noted. Skeppy knew that was a greeting of some sort but, still, he hadn't expected such an abrupt movement. The spot Bad touched turned to diamond underneath his hand in the perfect shape of his palm and fingers. It was something every gem-folk did. Something passed down every generation through their ancestors. It was useful, really.

Skeppy felt embarrassed. He was in front of new people- new family, well soon-to-be, anyway. He tried to swallow his nerves and get rid of the feeling of surprise so he could allow himself to return to normal.

Bad gasped slightly and pulled his arm away. Skeppy flinched at the ache the diamonds left and reached his hand up to feel the hard rock that replaced his skin. He looked back up to see Bad's reaction, who was flicking his gaze from his own parents to Skeppy, then to Skeppy's parents and trying to sputter something. Skeppy chuckled nervously. "Sorry," he said, "it's a defense mechanism." He explained and let himself uncrystallized. 

He reached his hand out, palm up, for Bad to take, who did. He put the Demon's hand back on his cheek and gave a shy smile. "You're freezing," Bad murmured quietly. Skeppy let Bad's hand fall and he nodded stiffly. 

"Well!" His mother clapped, startling the diamond-encrusted man, who jumped. "Should we take this inside?" Bad's parents muttered their agreements and they all walked back inside.

Skeppy couldn't help but steal glances at Bad. He was far less ugly than he expected. He was quite cute, in fact. His skin was dark gray, and his hair was black like his horns. His tail was a gradient of gray to black and the very tip was the smallest bit red. And his wings were a brownish red, they attached at his shoulder blades and hung down to his knees, roughly the same size as Skeppy. They stayed folded on the Demon's back and Skeppy wondered what they would look like completely stretched.

Of course, just because he was cute didn't mean Skeppy was going to just fall head over heels in love. He scowled. Bad walked with confidence, Skeppy noted.

His parents  showed the guests around the castle. It was boring, really. The parents seemed to enjoy it, though. Bad didn't really seem like anything. Skeppy supposed he didn't know the taller well enough yet to know what his facial expressions meant. He was very fascinated by Bad's tail, though. It would flick from side to side sharply, and sometimes when the older group talked for a tad too long, it would flop down to the ground dramatically. 

It was very amusing.

What wasn't so amusing, though, was that his parents were now listing his flaws. He pinched the back of his hand and released it right before it drew blood and listened to what they were talking about. Bad seemed to be interested, too, because his tail was wagging calmly at his waist. Skeppy pinched himself again, keeping it there for a moment "You'll have to excuse him, sometimes. He can be quite shy and stutters. And he has this horrible habit of pinching his hand sometimes when he's overwhelmed." Bad's parents responded with something that Skeppy didn't catch.

He was too busy focusing on how he cut through his skin and didn't know what to do with the blood that was pooling on his hand. His shirt was white so he couldn't dab it into that. He looked around the room and he froze when he realized his 'fiance' had realized his situation, too. He hid his hand behind his back and smiled tightly, ignoring the sting.

Bad sighed and took out a gauze from his pocket. Who the fuck carries a gauze in their pocket, Skeppy thought but held his hand out for Bad who rapped it delicately. "You shouldn't do that to yourself, you know." "Yeah, sorry." "Don't apologize." "Oh, okay. Sorry." Skeppy tensed and Bad laughed quietly. He realized their hands were still placed on top of each other but ignored it. He laughed too, slightly embarrassed.

They were unaware of their parents watching them with small smiles and small amounts of hope. 

"I should... show you around the upstairs, yes?" Skeppy asked, looking up at Bad, who nodded with a smile. He took back his hand and turned to his parents, who he realized was staring at them. He flushed pink, which turned more of a purple against his blue skin, but ignored it. "I-I'm going to show him the upstairs." He hated that he sounded nervous. 

"Okay, gem." His mother smiled and waved them off. 

Skeppy hated this. He hated how well they got along even though they have spoken to each other a total of two times now. He hated how he liked to look at Bad's tail and he hated how he liked his voice. He decided he hated Bad as a whole.

When they got to the top of the stairs, he watched Bad look around the room, examining it. "So, how long have you known?" Skeppy asked, walking slowly down the hall. "Known what?" "That we're supposed to wed." "Oh," Bad said, tail flicking again and his wings fluttered slightly, "yes, that. About two weeks, now. And you?" If Skeppy was drinking something, he would have spat it out. "Two weeks?! I've known for a day!" "A day?" Bad looked baffled. "That's a very short time." Skeppy rubbed his face and ignored the ache in his fingertips where his skin was turning to small diamonds. "Tell me about it," he mumbled.

"You're doing that thing again," Bad said quietly. Skeppy looked up at him and the Demon gestured to his hand. He let himself relax and blushed slightly. "I get scared easily, I guess." "I picked up on that." Skeppy was nervous, again. He didn't want Bad to pick up on the bad things about him. 

He rolled his eyes and looked back up, seeing that Bad was now reaching out towards him. He jumped back and stumbled, trying and failing to land on his feet. He fell flat on his ass, hitting his tail bone. He groaned and flopped back down on the ground. "Oh my goodness!" Bad exclaimed, rushing to kneel besides Skeppy, "are you okay?" "Peachy," Skeppy strained, sitting up and rubbing his back. 

They stayed quiet for a moment and stared at each other, Skeppy feeling slightly embarrassed. He didn't know why, but Skeppy busted out laughing, wheezing as he laid back down. Bad laughed too, chuckling under his breath as he helped Skeppy to his feet. "You're clumsy, I see," Bad said with a smile after their laughter died down. Skeppy sighed and backed up awkwardly, creating a comfortable few feet of distance between them.

"Yup," he sighed, dusting off his shirt, "that's me."

Chapter Text

Demon courting was definitely a lot different than Gem courting.

It started when Bad started following him around and staring at him non-stop. And he would give Skeppy things. The first item was a light blue rose. He presented it to Skeppy shyly, as if it was a peace offering. Skeppy took it, it was pretty. "Thank you," he had said, giving a small smile to the Demon before ducking his head and leaving to go hide out in his room.

Skeppy was reading, sitting very much inelegantly in a chair near his fireplace. He could feel Bad's eyes on him, burning a hole into the side of his head. He tried to ignore it at first, but after half an hour, it was getting unbearable. "Bad," Skeppy gritted through clenched teeth, closing the book and turning his head to look at the other male, "dude, stop looking at me so damn much."

"Language," Bad grumbled, cheeks flushing red with embarrassment at getting caught again, "it's a culture thing." Skeppy rolled his eyes, his patience thinning as his irritation spiked. "I'm going to my room," Skeppy announced as he stood up and stretched, ignoring the way Bad looked at the part of his stomach that showed when his shirt rode up, "don't follow me." Bad closed his mouth, which he had opened, and huffed, slumping into his seat with a pout.

Skeppy would've thought it was cute if Bad hadn't been annoying him for days on end.

--

Once in his room, he immediately grew bored. It sucked that he had to practically hide from Bad. Like some twisted game of hide-and-seek but from your fiance who is trying to stare at you twenty-four-seven as he pouts like a child when you need a minute to yourself. Groaning, he buried his face into his pillow. He sighed heavily. Turning to his side, he looked at the side of his room.

The first thing that caught his eyes was his telephone that sat upon his nightstand. It was an ancient thing, he remembered playing with it as a young child. Probably from the mid-nineties if he had to guess. But, impossibly, it still worked well. He let out a long sigh through his nose and rolled over to the phone. Picking it up, he put in his friend's number and let it ring.

Vurb picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Vurb, hey, It's Skeppy."

"Skeppy, hey. Wow, it's been a minute. How have you been, man? I heard about your engagement. Congrats!"

"Ugh. Don't remind me."

"Oh. Is she that bad?"

"He's okay... I guess. I just need to get away sometimes and it's like he's obsessed with me. Maybe it's a Demon thing, I don't know."

"Woah, what? He's a he, and a Demon? Dude, your luck is insane."

"Wh-"

"Insanely bad, I mean. So, what's his name? Tell me all about 'em."

"Well, actually, I was hoping you would come over. I need to see a new face. I'll tell you about him then."

"Okay, sure! I'll be there in an hour or two."

"Okay, bye Vurb."

"See ya soon."

Skeppy hung up the phone and smiled. It had been so long since he had hung out with Vurb. They had both gotten so caught up with their lives and just kinda... fell out. Skeppy got up, quickly turning his attention into getting ready for Vurb's visit. He figured they would hang out in his room for a bit, talking about his new soon-to-be husband like a couple of girls, and then eat outside in the garden.

His mom would probably want to see Vurb, too. He was always one of her favorites out of his (small group of) friends. 

He got dressed in more casual clothes, not needing to impress Vurb, and tidied up his room. He requested a chef to get some food ready for them. Bad watched wearily while Skeppy did all this, trying to ask questions but getting caught off every time by Skeppy saying variations of: "not now, Bad. I'm busy." 

Finally, an hour and a half later, Vurb was being let inside and Skeppy was dashing down the stairs to greet him. They embraced clumsily, almost knocking each other over with the force of their collision. "Oh my god! Hi!" Skeppy said loudly, hugging Vurb tighter. "Hey," Vurb chuckled, "I missed you." "I missed you, dummy! Why haven't you called?" "Ah, I've been busy avoiding my own marriage." Skeppy halted, mouth falling open. "You're engaged?" 

"No, idiot, that's what I just said. I'm avoiding it. My parents keep trying to pawn me off." "Oh. Dang. We could've wallowed together." Vurb snorted and clapped Skeppy on the back, earning him a small 'oof.' "I'm sure he's not that bad." Skeppy chuckled and shook his head. "He's okay."

"So, where is he?" Skeppy let out a drawn-out shwa sound as he looked around the room. After seeing no sign of a tall dark Demon, he called Bad's name. There was a second of silence before a dull thud and then Bad's head popped through the library doorframe. "Skeppy?" "Yeah, hey, come down here for a minute." Bad obeyed immediately, walking down the stairs and standing next to the pair.

"Vurb, this is my fiance, Bad," Skeppy said, gesturing to Bad and Vurb looked Bad up and down, craning his neck when he looked at his face, "Bad, this is one of my best friends, Vurb." Bad nodded and held out a hand for Vurb to shake, which he did. 

Skeppy never really thought about it, but Bad's hands were huge. One fully engulfed Vurb's. And when he thought about it, Bad seemed to be able to cradle his face quite easily when they greeted each other. 

"Okay, now," Skeppy tugged at Vurb's arm, "come on." Vurb smiled as an apology for such a short greeting as Skeppy pulled him away and into his room, shutting his door and sitting on the floor with Vurb. "He's huge, oh my god!" Vurb whisper yelled. "I know! It's kinda scary when he gets mad," Skeppy whispered back. Vurb frowned. "Does he get mad often?" "No, dude 's a teddy bear."

"Is he good to you?" Skeppy rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I guess, we've only known each other for a couple of days but he's nice and respects me." "that's good. Am I allowed to say I'm happy for you?" "I don't know, you can if you want." "Are you happy for you?" Skeppy looked down at the floor, picking at the carpet as he half shrugged. "I'm not ready to get married. And he's a stranger."

"But he's a stranger who's nice and respects you. And is clearly protective." Skeppy laughed once, looking back up. "Protective how?" "Did you see the way he was looking at us when you were holding onto me earlier? He looked jealous!" "Jealous?" Skeppy snorted. "No. Bad doesn't get jealous."Uh-huh. How much do you want to bet that if you walk down there, he'll bombard you with questions about us?"

"I never said he wouldn't! But that doesn't mean he's jealous." "Mhm, sure." Vurb's stomach growled and he patted it. "I guess I'm hungry." "Me, too. Wanna go out to the garden? It's really pretty out there." "Yeah, sure."

--

Skeppy let Bad go out there with them, seeing as he felt bad for ignoring him most of the day. Once they were sat down, Skeppy enjoyed the conversation Vurb and Bad picked up. They mostly talked about each other, trying to get to know more about the other. Sometimes they would talk about Skeppy, but he quickly shut them up. It was all going very smoothly. Until Vurb handed Skeppy a piece of bread. 

As soon as Skeppy accepted with a smile, Bad growled. A deep snarl from within his chest. Vurb and Skeppy both paused and looked at him. Bad slapped a hand over his mouth, scrambling to stand up. "I'm- wow. I'm so sorry! Oh, goodness. Sorry! I'm sorry!" He called, turning and running back inside. Vurb turned to Skeppy and mouthed 'jealous.'

--

It all came to a head when Bad started touching him. He could handle staring, he could handle jealously and possessiveness, he could handle growling, that was all well and good. But touching? No. That was the line in the sand. That was his boundary. 

They were standing in the hall, just talking. "I'm sorry about growling at your friend, It's a culture thing." Bad had started touching his hair that curled behind his ear. Okay, whatever, he could deal with that. But Bad started gently tracing his hipbone with his nail through his shirt. 

In all honestly, and he wasn't proud of it, he lost it. He pushed Bad away from him and stepped back rapidly. "Don't do that, okay? I'm okay, I guess, with all the other shit. But this? Absolutely not. Do not touch me without asking me! Got it?" "Oh, goodness. No, Skeppy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's a-" "A culture thing, right? That's a load of shit and you know it!" "Wha- Language! Skeppy! It's not!"

"Oh, yeah? Because I've never met another Demon who does all the weird crap you do! What, are you in love with me or something?" Bad immediately went red, sputtering. "No!" "Then what, huh?" "I'm courting you!"

They both went silent, Bad biting his lip in embarrassment, and Skepy blinked at him. "What? You're courting me?" "Yeah," Bad said quietly." "Bad," Skeppy felt horrible, of course, his behavior made sense now, "It's okay, I'm not mad at you. That's normal." "It's embarrassing. And my behavior was not okay. I know how to control myself and I should've asked you if I could touch you. That was extremely inconsiderate of your feelings and I'm sorry."

Skeppy smiled at Bad. He was right about the respectful bit. Maybe this guy wasn't as bad as he thought. "Thank you for apologizing. And, yes, it made me really uncomfortable at that moment, but next time just ask, okay? I don't have any issues with touch as long as I'm comfortable with the person giving it." Bad nodded while he talked, making sure Skeppy knew he was listening to every word he said. 

"I promise." "Okay, and don't feel embarrassed. I'm sure that if Gems courted, then I would, too." Bad blinked for a moment. "Don't they?" "Kinda? I think. But it's different when we court with other cultures. Demons being the most difficult. Bt we do like sand and that's used for our offspring and stuff but, that's- I'm not ready for that." Bad nodded and smiled a the blush that swarmed Skeppy's face.

"Can I touch you?" Skeppy nodded. Bad placed his hand against Skeppy's face and smiled. "That's alright, I'm okay with anything you're willing to do." He said his words sweetly, keeping eye contact for as long as Skeppy could handle. Which wasn't very long, because Skeppy couldn't bear to see the look in Bad's eyes. He didn't like how loving it looked.

Chapter Text

Besides being overly protective, and sometimes not knowing when to give him some personal space, Bad wasn't too hard to deal with.

Right now, they had to learn a dance for their wedding and Skeppy wasn't too psyched about it. It would be one thing if Skeppy knew how to dance and didn't want to dance with Bad, and it would be another to not know how to dance but want to dance with Bad, but he could neither dance and didn't want to partake in anything of the sort with Bad.

That's just asking for embarrassment. And he was about seventy-five percent sure Bad knew how to dance because, honestly, he knows everything.

"I really don't want to." "Gem, come on. It'll be fun and It'll give you some bonding time with your fiancé." "One, mom, don't call him that. And two, I'm not trying to humiliate myself in front of him at the moment." Skeppy's mom huffed and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him into their ballroom where Bad was waiting, dressed accordingly in dark red dress pants and a light gray button-up shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his arms.

Skeppy was wearing similar clothes, dark blue pants, and a white button-up. His sleeves were rolled down. "Good afternoon," Bad greeted, his tail wagging when he spotted Skeppy in all his awkward glory. "Hi," Skeppy sighed in return. "Are you excited?" "No." Bad looked taken aback and actually kind of offended. "What, why?" "Look, man, it has nothing to do with you. I just can't dance and I don't like embarrassing myself."

"Okay, but that's the whole point." "Embarrassing myself?" "No, dummy, learning to dance." Skeppy rolled his eyes and Bad mocked him by doing the same. "Stop," Skeppy swatted his arm and that earned him a chuckle. He was glad Bad didn't retaliate because he was one hundred percent confident Bad would probably give him a bruise if he hit back.

"Okay," his mother clapped her hands together and motioned for the orchestra to start playing, "now, you're going to need to get up close and personal. Don't be shy with each other." Skeppy wanted to make a snarky remark about how Bad was never shy and that 'getting up close and personal' wasn't going to be an issue for the Demon. He bit his tongue, though, when he recognized the song playing.

He swiveled his head to look back at his mother, mouth open slightly. "Is this Chopin?" "Yes," his mother answered simply, pushing Skeppy closer to Bad and grabbing their hands and placing them where she wanted them.

Their position ended up being rather classic, Skeppy's hand on Bad's shoulder, Bad's hand on Skeppy's waist, and their free hands interlocked. The chorus picked up, only slightly, since Nocturne was a slow song,  and then they were moving. Bad obviously knew what he was doing and, oddly enough, seemed happy to basically pull Skeppy along with him. Skeppy tried to tug himself away, muttering: "I don't know what I'm doing." Bad pulled him closer and moved his hand from Skeppy's waist to his lower back.

"Then let me teach you," he replied, voice equally as soft, the music nearly drowning it out. Bad cleared his throat discreetly and Skeppy glanced up at him. "Stand on my feet," he whispered. Skeppy opened his mouth to decline but stopped himself. Why not? He gently, overly aware of his weight, stopped onto Bad's feet, just above his toes. It gained him just about two inches, from the thickness of Bad's shoes and Bad's foot as it was.

He didn't have to crane so far to make eye contact. "I should do this on our wedding day." "What? Stand on my feet?" Bad twirled them and Skeppy clung onto him harder, hair falling into his eyes. He flicked his head to the side to get it out of his way. "No," he chuckled, "well- yes. But I mean when we kiss. Because sometimes your height inconveniences me." "Oh, does it now? Sorry, just let me shrink really quick-" "You're so annoying!"

Bad laughed and Skeppy rolled his eyes in mock annoyance. "You love me, admit it." "In your dreams." "Are you suggesting I dream about you?" "Your words not mine." They were quiet for a few moments after that, simply swaying and stepping in a pattern to the song, Bad twirling them every once in a while to get a reaction out of Skeppy. 

"Tell me about Chopin," Bad spoke, interrupting Skeppy from looking at their feet. Skeppy looked back up at him, eyes lighting up at the name. "What?" "Tell me about Chopin. You seem to be able to recognize their music and I want to know about them." Skeppy grinned and exhaled in a way that said 'where do I start?'

"Okay," he breathed, "well, he was a Polish composer in the early eighteen hundreds. He, uh, his full name," Skeppy paused when Bad leaned in closer, "was Frédéric François Chopin, and he established himself in France in eighteen thirty-one. He had a romance thing with this girl who went by George Sand. But he died, like, super young. I think he was- what was it?" He gnawed on his lip as he thought, "thirty-nine, I think." 

"'Romance thing'? What does that even mean?" Bad chuckled. Skeppy huffed but smiled anyway. "Shut the fuck up." Bad dipped them and Skeppy let out a startled yelp. "Watch your language," Bad spoke softly, his voice light and a smile on his face. Skeppy couldn't help but notice how pretty Bad looked, hair tousled and in front of his eyes, sweat making his collar bone, that peaked out of his shirt ever so subtly, shimmer and smile with perfect teeth, his dimples adding to the effect.

Bad let them back up and Skeppy rested his head on Bad's shoulder. His feet were starting to cramp, he didn't even want to think about Bad's. 

"How are you holding up?" He asked. "I'm alright, why? Are you okay?" "Yes, yeah, I'm fine. I was just- I'm kinda heavy and I didn't know if-" "Heavy?" Bad snorted. "You weigh like, what, one hundred and sixty pounds? That's nothing." "One fifty-five, thank you." "Point proven," Bad grinned.

The song finally came to a close and Skeppy stepped back. "That was beautiful, really." His mother said immediately. He startled a bit and whipped his head around to look at her. He totally forgot she was there. "Oh," he exhaled "uh, yeah." Bad was staring at him the entire time, a soft smile present on his lips. Skeppy pretended like he couldn't feel the gaze burning him.

--

After the whole 'bonding exercise with Bad, Skeppy needed an escape. And what does one do when they need to escape? Read. He wandered the halls until he got to their library. It smelt of old parchment and dust. He ran his fingertips along the dark oak wood the shelves were made of as he walked down the isles of books. He got to a section where he usually found the best books and bent over to examine them.

He heard the faint sounds of footsteps come into the library and immediately knew who it was. Of course, his fiance. He pretended like Bad wasn't there as he continued to look at the shelf, pulling out a book that he thought looked familiar. It was dark purple with silver wording on it. He hummed at the vague description on the back of the book. He sat it back down and continued with his search.

"You're not that bad at dancing," Bad mused, leaning against the bookcase Skeppy was examining. "You don't know that, you were in control the entire time," he replied, his gut churning with an angry flare that he wasn't expecting. "I think you like it when I'm in control." Skeppy sighed, long and fed up, and pushed the book he was looking at back into its place. "I think you like assuming things about me when you think you know me, when, actually, you really don't."

"I do know you, maybe not all of you, but I know some of you." "Okay, well, some isn't good enough anymore! I can't marry someone I know just some of." He turned on his heel and walked down another row, pinching into the back of his hand. "Skeppy," Bad sighed, rushing after him. "Just- leave me alone, Bad." "Skeppy, let's just talk, okay? Talk to me!" Skeppy shook his head, the pace never faltering even as he took sharp turns to try and lose his persistent Demon.

Bad called after him again, quickening his stride. Skeppy felt a firm grip on his arm, jerking him back and spinning him around, his face mere inches away from Bad's own. "Why won't you just talk to me?" Bad didn't seem mad, per se, just confused. Skeppy, not even really knowing why, felt distressed.  He tried to pull his arm free of Bad's grip, earning it to be tightened. 

"You're hurting me." He seethed, wrenching his arm away and turning around to stalk off again. Bad gripped his shoulders and turned him around, again. He moved his hands to Skeppy's face and held him there. His eyes seemed desperate, almost frantic, as they searched Skeppy's. "I'm sorry if I upset you," Bad started quietly, "I just want you to warm up to me. I really do enjoy your company, Skeppy."

Skeppy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I do." "I don't believe you." "I know, and I'll continue to do everything in my power to get you to." Skeppy sighed again, looking up at Bad. "Why are you so persistent?" "Because, eventually, I want you to fall in love with me. And there's only one way for that to happen, and that's getting you to trust me." Skeppy blew out a puff of air and tried to will himself not to blush.

"So," Bad pressed, "will you try to trust me? "I'll- I can try." "Thank you." Bad pressed their foreheads together, having to bend down awkwardly to do so.

Skeppy couldn't tell if he needed a drink or an advil.

Chapter Text

If Skeppy thought the courting was bad, he was dead wrong. This. This was bad.

Currently, Skeppy was trying to convince the cooks to let him cook. They are very against this, considering every other time he's tried to cook, he's almost killed himself  (accidentally, of course.) "Please, guys," Skeppy basically whined, "I promise I won't... do what I did last time." "What did you do last time?" Bad purred, weirdly close to him. "Nothin-" "He set the kitchen on fire." "Okay, whoever said that is getting fired!"

Skeppy was a terrible cook. He would forever try to bargain and say he was decent, but all his previous charred creations would say otherwise. He truly did try to make things. He would follow the instructions to a T, but, somehow, his dishes would always go out in flames. The only reason he wasn't allowed to try more was for his safety, a very valid reason to anyone but him.

He didn't want to tell Bad. He would overreact and get all protective. Skeppy knew he would, he knew much more about the Demon than he should've been able to pick up in just a week. Skeppy guessed he wasn't all bad. He had a good smile. And the fact that he could easily dominate him was just a plus. So what if he has a size kink?

He blushed deeply at his thoughts. I hate him, I hate him and I don't want to have sex with him. That's absurd. Skeppy thought. 

"You set the kitchen on fire?!" Bad's face was a mix between concerned and just plain shocked, and his voice was pitched an active higher than it normally would be. Skeppy laughed awkwardly. "Yeaaahhh... anyway! You guys," he gestured to the cooks," are gonna scram and let me do my thing. Or else you lose your jobs. Get outta here." The cooks sighed and left. It wasn't worth losing their jobs, plus there was a giant Demon there to stop any damage, right?

"How did you set the kitchen on fire?" Bad asked with a small chuckle, waltzing over to where Skeppy was looking for pots and supplies for cooking. "I was young, okay? And I don't know. I did everything right, the world just hates me. That's why I got stuck with you." He hip-bumped Bad to let him know the last part was a joke. "You love me." "Eh, not yet." He bit his tongue as Bad let out an amused hum from behind him.

Why was he even still there? Skeppy did not need a babysitter.

"Bad, I can do this by myself, I'm okay." "Nope, sorry 'Geppy, but I'm here to supervise. Plus, we have things to talk about," Bad said, his voice dropping in pitch as he ran his hand along Skeppy's lower back and to his hips. Their position was... suggestive. Skeppy was facing the counter with his back to Bad who was pressed against said back with his hands wondering a little too much. 

"T-things to talk about?" "Mhm." Skeppy gulped. He felt oddly warm. Hot. Bad was making him hot. Why wasn't he crystalizing? Oh, god, he liked their position. Bad squeezed his hips, pulling him out of his head. Well, if he was going to be internally panicking, why not make Bad, too? He gripped the counter as he lolled his head back onto Bad's shoulder, looking back at him, pressing back into Bad.

"And what's that?" Bad simply rolled his eyes and laughed breathily, completely wrecking Skeppy's plan to make him panic. Bad wrapped his arms fully around Skeppy's waist and lifted him slightly, forcing him onto the tip of his toes, eliciting a small 'oof' out of Skeppy. Skeppy grabbed at Bad's forearms for stability.

Bad hooked his chin onto Skeppy's shoulder, lining his mouth up to Skeppy's ear. "The ceremony." His voice was deep, raspy even, and it made the Gem's heartbeat rapidly. And like that, he was detangling himself from Skeppy and leaning against another nearby counter. Suddenly Skeppy didn't feel like cooking. His breathing was erratic and he needed to calm down.

He huffed a laugh as he walked out of the kitchen. Just a week ago he thought he hated Bad, now he wanted to get him just as worked up as he was.

--

The ceremony? Why would they need to talk about the ceremony? They still had, what, three weeks?

"So, what do we have to talk about?" "Details, Skep." Skep. New nickname. "Like?" Skeppy pressed, flopping down on the couch next to Bad like he always did. It irritated the Demon, which is the main reason he continues to do it. "Like who's wearing what, what the theme is, who's doing what, who's invited, and- uh, after arrangements." Skeppy snorted. "'After arrangments'?" "Yes, like... um, well. You know what married couples do after their wedding."

Skeppy's smile faded as he registered what Bad was suggesting. "Wait," he held his hand up as his eyebrows furrowed. He hadn't thought about that. That would mean sex. As in, actual anal sex. He blushed. Maybe.. maybe the height difference didn't matter? "Who's... are you going to- which of us..." He used his hands as he talked, waving them around in the air.

"Skeppy, breathe," Bad voice had a calm hint to it and that just made Skeppy panic more. "You're- you're going to fuck me?" "Wha- Language! Skeppy, oh my goodness, don't put it like that! But- yes." "I'm... I'm going to need a minute by myself." Skeppy excused himself and made his way to his room where he stayed for the rest of the afternoon.

How could Bad be so calm? It's one thing to fuck yourself with a toy or something, but it's an entirely different thing to get fucked by a 6'9 Demon. 

--

They hadn't really discussed a sleeping arrangement, Bad had just ended up sleeping on either the couch when he wanted to be near the fire (Skeppy guessed it reminded him of home), or in the guest room. Which was two rooms away from Skeppy's.

Skeppy's hair was still dripping with water as he stepped out of the bathroom. He was too lazy to fully towel it. His bedsheets were cold when he wrapped himself up into them. Too cold. And he found himself aching for a certain Demon to come and warm him up. He shook his head, mentally scolding himself for thinking so weirdly, and forced himself to power down and sleep. 

His nightmares were particularly harsh tonight, maybe because they were real this time. Flashbacks from when his dad used to hit him. His dad would yell at him and ask why he couldn't just toughen up and take a beating like all the other boys his age. Maybe that's why he would hit harder every time. It probably had the opposite effect of what his dad wanted. Instead of toughening him up, it just gave him mental issues.

Like PTSD and anxiety. He was too young to cope with that. And Skeppy learned later on that 'all the other boys his age' that his dad wanted him to be so much alike, didn't have to take beatings like he did. It was all just an excuse. Skeppy always theorized that his dad was just upset because the marriage between his mother and father was so bad. 

It was so painfully obvious that they didn't love each other anymore. And his father took it out on him. It was only so that he would be forced to be manlier, but alas, he still woke up screaming. His fingernails dug into the bedsheets as hot tears raced down his face. He brought a shaking hand to his mouth as he brought his knees to his chest.

He hated having nightmares every goddamn night. And he hated screaming even more.

Panicked sounding thuds came from the hallow, footsteps, rushing to Skeppy's door. His door was pushed open and there Bad stood, hair messed up, eyes wide and concerned. "Skeppy? Are you okay?" Skeppy immediately ducked his head down into his knees to hide his face. "Y-Yeah, Bad. I'm fine." The room was quiet for a beat and soft footsteps made their way to his bed.

A dip in the mattress informed him that Bad had sat down. "Skeppy," Bad started quietly, "you don't have to tell me now, or ever, but, I'm here. Okay? I'm always gonna be here." Skeppy bit his lip harshly, his eyes welling up again. He peaked up at Bad and was met with the softest and most sincere gaze he had ever seen. It made him cry again. Bad was always so nice to him. It didn't make sense. He had no reason to be. He sobbed as Bad scooped him up and sat him in his lap.

Strong arms wrapped around him and he buried his face into Bad's chest. "I-It's just.. nightmares." "Shhh..." "It was memories, this time. My- my dad- he used to... hurt me- but only because he thought it would- but my mom. She didn't know how bad it was, or else she wouldn't have let him," he couldn't bring himself to say it outright but Bad was able to put the pieces together.

His hold tightened and Skeppy felt him press a kiss to his forehead. "I'm so sorry. You're safe now, and I won't let anyone hurt you ever again." His words were said with such... anger, anger at Skeppy's dad for doing that to Skeppy, at Skeppy's mom for not stopping it, at himself for not being there sooner, and at the universe for condemning such a wonderful person to that kind of pain, that Skeppy believed him.

"Stay with me? For tonight?" Skeppy said, sniffling quietly. "Of course."

They curled up together under the covers, Bad's warm skin heating Skeppy up just the way he was craving only hours before. That night he didn't have nightmares, but he still woke up sweating.

--

So maybe it wasn't just because of his trauma. Because there's no way in hell trauma caused Skeppy to have a wet dream about Bad.

He got out of bed, after untangling himself from the very person he had said dream about, and padded over to the bathroom to fix his problem. He did so with shame. When he finished, literally, he washed his hands and stepped back into his room where Bad was still sleeping in his bed. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. Skeppy was jealous. Bad didn't drool or snore in his sleep, the only thing 'bad' about it was his bed hair, but that just made him cuter.

Skeppy wished he looked like that when he was sleeping. His hair always became tangled at the ends and he would always drool just a little bit and sometimes he snored too loud and he would move around too much and don't forget the waking up screaming and the-

The list goes on.

He felt a small tug at his heartstrings. There's no way Bad would think of Skeppy as hot or, certainly not, sexy. There's no way Bad would get dreams about Skeppy like that and need to go get off in the bathroom. Skeppy pretended like his eyes weren't stinging with tears ready to form as he crawled back into bed. The sunlight was hitting Bad's face just right, making him look ethereal.

He wished he looked that good.

All the movement on the bed must have woken Bad up because he stirred slightly before blinking his eyes twice and zoning in on Skeppy. A happy rumble bubbled out of his throat as he moved his hand up to Skeppy's face, cupping his cheek. "G'morning," he rasped. Skeppy softened a bit, the purring and the pure domestication of it all-- Bad waking up with a smile and happy to see him so early-- just got to him. In a good way.

"Morning," Skeppy replied. "You look so beautiful right now," Bad muttered, eyes flicking around Skeppy's face. Skeppy felt himself blush and he couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled up and rushed out of his lips. He was so happy and it felt so crazy. "That's ironic because a second ago I was wishing I looked as handsome as you do." "No," Bad said softly, "you're far too pretty to want to look any different."

"Bad," Skeppy breathed, "don't go falling in love with me already." Bad didn't answer, just smiled with his two sharp teeth and sat up. He stretched and Skeppy couldn't help but be reminded of a cat. The ongoing purring didn't help, either. Bad, once done stretching, cupped Skeppy's face with his hands and pressed his forehead against the shorter males. Skeppy fought the blush rising to his face every time he felt Bad's puff of breaths fan over his face.

He could get used to mornings like this, all cuddled up with Bad. "So," Skepppy said quietly, causing Bad to pull away and drop his hands to Skeppy's and intertwine their fingers, "we should probably plan the wedding today, right?" Bad smiled wider and nodded, leaning in and kissing Skeppy's nose softly. Skeppy didn't even try to fight the wave of crimson that settled on his cheeks.

He cleared his throat and blinked at Bad. "How did you sleep?" "Very well, actually. How about you?" Skeppy coughed awkwardly. "Good." "Any more dreams?" He hated his life. "Nope." 

Bad squeezed his hands and smiled at him again, a section of dark hair falling over his eyes. Skeppy felt his heart jump at the sight and laughed softly. 

Yeah, he could get used to mornings like this.

Chapter Text

Bad was the first to get up and ready, making his way down the stairs and waiting patiently at the bottom for Skeppy to pad down to stairs, still sleepy-eyed and hair messy. 

"Bad," Skeppy groaned, "I'm tired." "Aw, 'Geppy, you're adorable." Skeppy had reached Bad at the bottom of the staircase and, for once, initiated contact first by wrapping his arms around Bad's torso and burying his face into the taller man's chest. "Let's go back to bed," Skeppy mumbled as he felt a clawed hand find its way into his hair and massage his scalp. If he was a Demon like Bad, he would be purring.

A throat clearing from behind them made him stiffen immediately. He knew that voice and he knew what that particular sound meant. He separated himself from Bad swiftly, stepping away to create another foot of distance between them, and stood straight. "Good morning, father," Skeppy greeted, internally cringing at how formal he had to be when he talked to his dad.

"And you," his father said, eyeing him and then shifting his gaze to look at Bad. "How did you sleep?" Bad didn't seem phased at all by Skeppy's father's presence. Maybe because he secretly wanted to rip the man to shreds, and definitely could if he wanted to. "Wonderfully." "I hope the screaming didn't disturb you, he does that every once in a while. He's been having nightmares since he was little. I always try to tell him that he's just making it up inside that head of his. None of those things ever happened. Right, Skeppy?"

Skeppy wanted to cry, he wanted to scream. He wondered if Bad believed his dad over him and really thought he was making up things to get pity from him. "Right, Skeppy?" His dad asked again. That wasn't good, to keep him waiting. "Ye- yes, father." He pinched the back of his hand harshly as his dad nodded stiffly. "I didn't mind. I went to check up on him, though. I actually ended up keeping him company last night." 

Bad seemed to speak with venom, even as he kept his composure and pulled Skeppy to his side. "Oh," Skeppy's father said bluntly, his eyes narrowing, "did you now?" Bad snaked an arm around Skeppy's waist, his hold firm. "I did." Skeppy felt oddly out of place as if he shouldn't be there. He decided to try and break the awkwardness by piping up with, "Okay, well-- let's go eat something, yeah? I'm starving." 

Bad hummed in agreement and let Skeppy go in favor of intertwining their fingers. Skeppy saw his father scowl out of the corner of his eye and huddled closer to Bad. They sat at the table where the cooks sat down their breakfast soon after. There were many options: fruit, pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, and more breakfast foods. Skeppy had lied earlier about being starving, he was never really hungry in the mornings.

He opted for a few strawberries and one of the smaller pancakes. He ended up leaning against Bad as he ate, he was still tired and he had a headache. "What are your plans today, Mr. Halo?" Skeppy's father asked. Skeppy almost forgot he was there and internally scowled as he pulled away from Bad. "Skeppy and I are going to plan for the wedding."

Skeppy's dad nodded as he took a sip of his drink. "Do you have any ideas in mind?" "Not yet," Bad replied. Skeppy, once he saw that both he and Bad were done eating, stood up. "Okay, we should get to that." Bad nodded and stood up, grabbing Skeppy's hand again. They made their way out of the dining room and didn't bother saying bye to Skeppy's dad.

--

They sat in comfortable-ish silence on Skeppy's bed, looking at the many pictures that his butler had spread out for them. "I like this one," Skeppy said, pointing to a picture of one of his far relative's wedding from ages ago. It had an assortment of reds and whites, some yellows were thrown around too. Lots of flowers. He mostly picked it for Bad, since- red. 

But the more he looked at it, the more he disliked it. "What about this one?" Bad suggested, holding up a picture of a wedding Skeppy didn't even try to recognize. It had shades of blue fabric dangling from lights that were stationed on the side of a long white carpet that led to the alter. "Bad, you just picked that one because it's blue." "And you didn't pick that one," he gestured to the red one Skeppy had suggested, "because it's red?" 

Skeppy scoffed and turned away to avoid eye contact. "That's- of course not!" "You're a horrible liar," Bad said, throwing a pillow at Skeppy's head. It made contact and Skeppy made an affronted sound from the back of his throat, picking the pillow up and launching it back at the Demon. Bad guffawed and held the pillow up threateningly. Skeppy laughed breathlessly, trying to scramble up and crawl backward.

"Bad," he choked through his laugh, "don't. Think about this." "Hm," Bad hummed, pretending to rub his chin thoughtfully, "thought about it." He smiled as he lunged for Skeppy, grabbing at his ankle and pulling him towards himself. Skeppy resisted playfully, his laughter making his arms weak as he slid towards his fiance. "Wait," he gasped, trying to compose himself, "why are you so strong? What the hell-" 

Bad finally had Skeppy underneath him and they laughed together, Bad leaning down to press their foreheads together, a habit he had picked up apparently. Skeppy met him halfway, leaning up and keeping eye contact with Bad. His laughter died down, eventually, but they didn't disconnect. Skeppy had the urge to kiss Bad but resisted. He blushed feverishly at the revelation and let his head fall back against the bed.

The rumpled sound of the crushed wedding suggestions were distracting and he reached under himself with a groan as he pulled the picture out from below him. He was going to toss the paper aside but it was so... pretty. He held the paper up in front of his face, stretching the sides to straighten it out a bit. It was on a beach, at night. There were tiki lanterns all around and the chairs in front of the archway, which was- circular?, were white. Instead of white flowers, the decor was black roses. 

Skeppy thought that red and blue suist would look lovely amongst the black and greens of the flowers. Instead of a long carpet leading up to the arch, there were pebbles, and Skeppy supposed if he really wanted to, he could sprinkle a few gems amongst the rocks for a splash of color. "Bad," he breathed, imagining himself and his soon-to-be husband at the altar together, "this one."

He flipped the photo around and watched Bad's facial expressions as he examined it. "I- I mean, we could probably put some red and blue roses with the black ones, right? And maybe have like- rainbow gems with the rocks? I think the color of our outfits would go really well with the look of it, right? And the archway is circular. That's cool, right?" He rushed the explain his ideas in case Bad dismissed the design.

Bad's eyebrows knit as he studied the picture, but his eyes didn't seem disapproving. In fact, they seemed adoring. He liked it! Skeppy wanted to cheer. "Yeah," Bad said quietly, "you're going to look so pretty." Skeppy felt a spark of something in his gut. Something he hadn't felt, not even once, since the very beginning of finding out about the wedding. He felt excitement.

"Well- the catering, we could do something classic, right? And for the outfits- I was thinking about suits a second ago, but what if we wore traditional outfits from our cultures." Bad's face reddened and he set the paper down next to them, still positioned on top of Skeppy. "'Geppy, both our cultures have very, er- revealing outfit choices for weddings." "And?" Skeppy smirked and Bad huffed, burying his face into the diamond-encrusted man's neck.

"You're a menace." Skeppy giggled at the tickling sensation of Bad's voice on his throat. "You love me," he said. Bad responded with a growl. Skeppy laughed again, wrapping his arms around Bad's shoulders. There was a knocking at the door then and before either could process it, the door opened. Skeppy sighed, already knowing who was there and how their position must have looked.

Bad peaked his head up to look at Skeppy's father. "Oh. Uh, hello." Skeppy's dad just nodded to them, trying to not look at them. "Sorry to... interrupt, have you found anything you like?" Skeppy blushed as Bad crawled off of him. "Yeah," Bad said, letting Skeppy collect himself as he handed the picture that they agreed on over. "We think that one's the one. Maybe some red and blue roses, and gems in the stones. We don't really care about catering, so we'll have the chefs surprise us. The guests can be up to you, as long as our relatives are coming. We've both decided to dress in the traditional ways of our separate cultures."

Bad said everything quickly, listing off all points of the plans swiftly and confidently. Skeppy was grateful for him. At the mention of their clothing, Skeppy's dad quirked a brow. "Do you think that's appropriate?" "Doesn't matter." Skeppy wanted to slam his head into the wall. He could never talk to his dad like that and he was absolutely sure the only reason Bad was being so cold was because of what he told him the night prior.

"Dad, we were trying to spend some time together. Alone." Skeppy's dad turned to look at him and narrowed his eyes. "Can we talk out in the hall?" His father said, and it would've been a question if his tone wasn't so demanding. Skeppy nodded stiffly and gave Bad a pleading look as he walked out of the room. 

Once the door was closed, his dad was grabbing his arm. It was similar to how Bad grabbed him a few days ago, but this time it hurt. Not like how Bad hurt him, Bad's grip only hurt because it was annoying, it caused him emotional hurt. This grip was physically painful. "Dad, stop. Ow, stop. You're hurting me." "Really? Am I really hurting you? Who do you think you are? You think you're an adult just because you're getting married? You're not some- some fag, Skeppy. I don't want to see my son all cuddled up with another man. How could you be doing this to me?"

His words hurt. Skeppy told himself it was gaslighting and manipulative, but he couldn't help falling into the familiar mindset that he was doing wrong. He shouldn't have let his guard down around Bad, he shouldn't have allowed him to kiss his head or to cuddle him or to hold him whenever he wanted. He should have set boundaries. He should have fought harder with him. He shouldn't have been so easy. 

One person shows him a little bit of affection and he falls in love? In love he thought sourly, I'm not in love. No way. But he couldn't help it. Bad looked at him like he was the center of the universe. Like he was the very being that could solve all the universe' problems. Like he was a freaking godsend or something, all soft-eyed and adoring smile-like. 

"That's not- don't say that. We were just.. bonding! We're getting married and we're going to spend the rest of our lives together, right? So we have to warm up to each other." "Ha," his dad snarled, "warm up to each other using each other's body heat?" He had a look of disgust painted on his face as he looked down at Skeppy, belittling him with his words and his eyes. 

Skeppy felt tears prick at his eyes. A spark of heat flashed through his body and he clenched his fists to keep himself from yelling. "This. is. what. you. wanted." He seethed, angry and hurt tears pooling at the corners of his eyes as he glared at his father. "Watch your tone, boy." "Or else what?! You gonna hit m-" A sharp slap had his head flicking to the side. He stayed looking in that direction, familiar with what his father wanted and he was determined not to give it to him.

Usually, when his dad would hit him, he would wait for Skeppy to turn back to him so he could shove his finger in his face and scream at him. He felt a tear slide down his face, slowly. "Great," he said, his voice wavering, "was that what you were hoping to accomplish? Congrats, dad." He tried to push past his father to walk back to his room but his dad pulled him back harshly. A tremor rolled through his body and he pinched his hand hard. 

He was really starting to get sick of people pushing him around.

"Let me go. Just let me go," his voice still held the venom he felt, but only faintly. He was getting tired of fighting all the time. "You can not disrespect me. Do you hear me? I'm the parent and you're the child." "Okay, sorry." He said, his voice breaking, and he grimaced at how unsympathetic his tone sounded. He let out a hiccup when his dad tightened his grip on his arm, shaking. His dad had fire in his eyes and almost looked like he was going to strike again but a door clicking stopped him.

They both turned. Bad. He was in the doorframe of Skeppy's room, frozen. Probably shocked at the scene in front of him. "What." Skeppy tried to pull out of his father's grip but it only tightened more. He whimpered quietly at the bolt of pain and struggled until his father finally let him go. He dashed the short distance to Bad, who immediately held him tight to his body.

Everything was alright now that Bad was here. Now that Bad was holding him. He shook violently as he buried his face into Bad's chest. He felt Bad shaking, too, probably trying to hold back from snapping his father's neck. "Go," Skeppy said quietly, pushing at Bad's chest weakly, "go in the room." Bad stepped backward into the room, still clutching Skeppy, and slammed the door.

"Are you okay? I heard a noise- I shouldn't have let you go out there alone. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I promised I wouldn't let anyone hurt you. I'm so sorry, Skeppy." Bad sat them both on the bed and held Skeppy as the younger tried to compose himself. "It's- okay. It's not your fault," he sniffled, wiping his tears as he tried to slow his breathing. "Ah, but I should have-" a low growl escaped Bad's lips.

"I should kill him." His voice didn't sound like it normally did, it sounded guttural and deep. Scary. "No," Skeppy said, pushing away so he could look at Bad, "let's not." "But he hurt you, 'Geppy, and you're crying because of him. And you're mine, and he hurt you." Bad seemed frantic, inraged- but frantic. "Bad," Skeppy said, ignoring the 'you're mine' statement, "right now I need you. And I need you to not kill my dad, okay? Can you do that? For me?" 

Bad sighed heavily, nodding as if it pained him to agree. "Thank you," Skeppy sighed.

Chapter Text

"I think we need a break," Skeppy sighed, pushing away the cart of wedding cake options. "A break?" Bad said, nearly dropping the fork in his hand. He smiled apologetically at the baker who he was previously talking to. "From the wedding stuff," Skeppy clarified, grinning as the scared look on Bad's face slipped away. "Ah," Bad exhaled, "what should we do, then?" 

Skeppy hummed as the Demon walked over to him, wrapping his arms around his waist and snuggling into his neck. "We could go to the garden." Bad nodded and pressed a chaste kissed to Skeppy's shoulder. "Bad," Skeppy warned, squirming in his hold, trying to escape. "Struggling only makes it worse," Bad said. "That's so creepy! Let me go!" Skeppy giggled.

Bad leaned back, lifting Skeppy's body off the ground as the younger continued to struggle. "Bad, please," Skeppy gasped, "mercy." He smacked Bad's arms repeatedly. Bad let him drop with a dry chuckle as Skeppy bent over, hand on his knees, gasping for breath. "Not funny," Skeppy wheezed. "Oh, common, 'Geppy, it was a little funny." "And you say I'm a menace? Please." "Be nice to me."

They continued to bicker as they made their way out of the kitchen. "That strawberry cake was really good, though," Bad said, intertwining their fingers. "I thought so, too." Skeppy smiled up at Bad, leaning against him as they walked outside. Bad smiled too, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

--

"This place is really beautiful," Bad said, following as Skeppy lead him to a gray stone bench surrounded by rose bushes and shrubs. "Yeah, I come out here to read sometimes." "I can see why." They sat next to each other on the bench, a peaceful silence settling between them. Skeppy looked around at the roses they were surrounded by, most of them different shades of multiple colors. A pure blood-red rose stood out amongst them. 

Skeppy stood up and walked over to where it grew, making sure to block Bad's view of it with his body. He gently plucked it and held it behind his back as he walked over to the bench again. "Hey," Skeppy said quietly, smiling down at Bad who was still sitting. "Hi," Bad replied, seeing that Skeppy was hiding something, "whatcha got there?" Skeppy slowly pulled it out from behind his back, presenting it to Bad. 

"'Geppy," Bad said quietly, gently taking the flower, "wow." "I thought it looked pretty, and since you gave me one..." "Yeah, thank you. Wow, it's beautiful." Skeppy smiled as Bad delicately examined the petals. "Blue and red make purple, ya know," Skeppy said and winked when Bad looked at him. "Skeppy, language." "I didn't even say anything bad!" "You were suggesting something."

Skeppy rolled his eyes and smiled, grumbling. "Stop wallowing," Bad scolded, grabbing Skeppy by his hips and pulling him forward. He pressed a short kiss to the blue man's cheek. Skeppy blushed and wrapped his arms around Bad's neck, playing with his hair. It was so soft. he held back a laugh. That was such a Bad thing. Soft hair, of course. Everything about Bad was soft, sweet. He was so nice and kind.

Unless you're Skepp's dad.

Bad had such a loving heart, he always looked for the best and people. He would be the one to walk an old lady across a street, make sure a duckling got reunited with its mom, make pancakes in the morning, comfort someone when needed, remember your birthday when you told him once, play your favorite song on a road trip, be the one to listen to you when everyone else is talking over your voice, etc.

"You get bolder every day," Skeppy said, as Bad started to pull away.

Bad looked at the ground nervously. "You have no idea." "Oh?" Skeppy grinned and put his hands on his hips, watching Bad fidget. Bad cleared his throat and took Skeppy's hand in his own, easily engrossing Skeppy's smaller palm with his much larger one. "We should.. we should get married." Skeppy smiled wider, a short laugh escaping him. "What?" He said as Bad flushed a darker red. "We're already engaged."

Bad shook his head softly. "No," he said, kneeling down to one knee, "we should get married." Skeppy's eyes widened as he understood what Bad was saying. He immediately went pink, well- purple, and narrowed his eyes. "I don't get it." Why was Bad proposing? They were already engaged. "Skeppy," Bad said softly, eyes soft, they were basically heart-shaped at this point, "I know we were originally forced to do this, but I- I've grown to love you. And I see how wonderful you are. I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else and," he exhaled, hands shaking as he pulled out a square box from his pocket, "will you marry me?"

Skeppy's eyes watered and he stared as Bad opened the box, revealing a ring. Its band was dark red and the gem in the middle wasn't a gem at all, it was nether quartz. Skeppy tried to blink back his tears as a smile forced its way onto his face. He nodded his head shakily, "yes," he said quietly. 

Bad grinned as he stood up and slid the ring on Skeppy's finger with shaky hands. Skeppy flexed his hand as he splayed his fingers out, admiring the look of the ring with his skin. "Do you-" "I love it." They smiled at each other. "I love you," Bad said softly, loving the way Skeppy's face lit up. "I- I..." Skeppy seemed to struggle as he opened his mouth, willing the words to come out. He loved Bad, right?

There were certainly many things he loved about Bad, but did he love him as a whole? Bad cupped his face with both hands. "Shh, 'Geppy, it's okay. Don't force yourself to say it. I understand it's hard, say it when you're ready. Do not feel obligated to say it back." Skeppy smiled, nodding. "I'll say it. Eventually." "I know." Bad wrapped his arms around Skeppy's shoulders. "My dad is going to flip out,' Skeppy chuckled as he hugged Bad around the middle.

"Let him." Skeppy nodded again, still grinning like a love-sick fool. "I wanna tell my mom, she'll be over the moon." Bad agreed and they made their way to the living quarters where Skeppy's mom was sitting near the fire. "Mother," he started, "Bad and I would like to tell you something." His mother turned to look at them. She raised her eyebrow and Skeppy moved to sit next to her. 

"Don't freak out." She nodded. Skeppy held out his hand for her to see the ring and her eyes went wide. "Oh my- what? Bad, why didn't you say anything!" She swatted at them, smiling wide the entire time and pulling them in for a hug. "About time. I was afraid you weren't going to do it in time." "What do you mean?" Bad asked, combing his fingers through Skeppy's hair. 

"Well, I was just concerned you weren't going to do it in time. You know, considering he weddings in two weeks." Bad stopped all movement abruptly and looked down at Skeppy. The younger looked just as shocked as he felt.

"Two weeks?"

Chapter Text

The wedding was getting closer every day.

Every hour, even. The couple knew, of course they knew. They were still getting used to each other, Skeppy more so. He was still wracking his brain for answers about their relationship, maybe chewing on his nails further, maybe pinching himself more often. Bad seemed annoyed with this. Not the thinking, but the physical harm Skeppy was subconsciously doing to himself. 

More than once, Bad has had to smack Skeppy's hand away from his mouth, or his nails away from his hand. "Stop," he warned, laying down next to the diamond on their, now shared, bed. Skeppy groaned, burying his face into the pillows. "'M sorry, just stressed." "About the wedding?" Skeppy sat back up, looking over his shoulder at Bad. "Kinda?" Bad laughed softly, lifting his hand to card his nails through the younger's hair.

Skeppy hummed in appreciation, leaning into the touch. "Well, don't. Everything's gonna be fine, my love." Skeppy slapped the Demon's chest, face dark purple. "Ow- Skeppy! Am I not allowed to call you nicknames now?" "That's a petname, my love." Skeppy watched, quite amused, as Bad's face flushed red, solidifying his point with a simple see?  

Bad was right, though, everything was going amazing. All the staff were working extra hard to make sure everything ended up perfect for the couple's big day. All the invitations had been sent and the pair were excited to meet each other's friends and family. 

“Hey,” Bad said quietly, waiting to continue until Skeppy rolled back over to face him, “just so you know, I’m really excited to marry you.” Skeppy grinned at him. “Me too.”

--

“Gem, please , we don’t have time for this. Let us see!” Skeppy’s mother sighed, tapping her foot impatiently. Bad’s mother whispered something to a distant relative next to her.  “Mom, no, you don’t understand. I look- this is so embarrassing!” Skeppy studied his reflection, not quite sure how he felt about the outfit he adorned. It was pretty, sure, and it made him feel handsome but he just didn’t look like himself.

“Can I come in and see, at least?”

He sighed and cracked the door open. His mother slipped in and gasped hand flying over his mouth. “Skeppy,” she sighed, “you look amazing, dear.” Tears welled in her eyes.

“Thank you.” Skeppy agreed, though it was quite revealing. The outfit included shorts, stopping at his midthigh, with a transparent lace-like fabric strapped around his waist, resembling a skirt. It was cut down the middle in the front, showing off his waist and the front on his thighs. 

The shirt only covered half of his torso, more like a crop top than anything. It was cut down the middle in a v-shape and the arms were covered in the same lace as the skirt. The color was a light blue, of course, with gray diamonds embedded in the fabric’s lining.

It was a very flattering outfit.

He could only imagine what Bad look liked in his. “Are you ready to show off?” His mother smiled, holding out her hand. He sighed and took it.

When they stepped out, his small audience ooed and ahhed at him. Bad’s mother, a woman who was quite tall and quiet, stepped forward. She trailed her fingers along his fabrics, only touching his actual skin slightly.

It was very odd to him, having very little previous contact with her. He cleared his throat awkwardly. She took a step back and smiled at him. “I think you look great.” He smiled shyly, his chest swelling with happiness at her approval. 

--

Finally, he arrived back home. As soon as he was in his quarters, he flopped on the bed. Awaiting Bad’s arrival, he tried to keep himself awake. Nearly an hour later, Bad stumbled in.  “Hey,” Skeppy sighed, holding his arms open. “Hello, beautiful.” Bad fell into the embrace. “I missed you.” Skeppy chuckled, squeezing Bad’s shoulders. “I missed you too.”

They fell asleep easily that night, curled together warmly in their duvet.

Chapter Text

It was inevitable that Skeppy's dad would find out. He was certainly not happy, scowling at the couple every time they passed him in the halls. To make sure Skeppy was safe, Bad would stick close to him in the halls. Not that he wouldn't before the incident with his father. 

Skeppy couldn't be happier. Their special day was approaching fast and almost everything was going according to plan. Seeing Skeppy enter their, now shared, bedroom, Bad immediately sat up from the bed, setting the book he was pretending to read aside. "Skeppy, you should've told me you were coming back. I would've-" "I don't need a bodyguard, babe." 

They both paused and Bad watched as Skeppy's face turned dark purple. "I mean-" "Babe?" Bad grinned as Skeppy stumbled over his words, trying to back peddle. "That's not what I meant-- I mean that's not not what I meant, but-" Bad climbed out of the bed and giggled as Skeppy flushed darker. He gently cupped his fiance's face with his hands, a purr rumbling in his chest. 

"Skeppy." The man in question closed his mouth with a distinct snap. "Bad?" "Shut up." Skeppy looked offended and pushed Bad away with a whiny, " Hey , that was mean !" "You know I didn't mean it," Bad defended, and Skeppy rolled his eyes in mock anger, retreating to the same bed Bad had been mere minutes before. Bad followed after him, pulling him down and crawling on top of him. Skeppy fought him the whole time, trying to push him away. "Oh, stop. This is pitiful, really." "You're so-" "Mean?" Bad leaned down, pressing his forehead against Skeppy's, the substitute of a kiss to them.

"Yes," Skeppy breathed, his annoyed attitude slipping away easily. "I want to kiss you." Bad laughed as Skeppy's face lit up with purple. "Bad," Skeppy hissed, "don't say that." "Why? I'll be your husband in just three days." "How could I forget?" Bad opted to kiss Skeppy's forehead. "Ugh, gross, get off me you Demon." "'Gross'?" Bad screeched as Skeppy pushed him off and to the side of him. "Yes, you're nasty." 

"You are the worst fiance I've ever had." Skeppy scoffed, punching Bad's shoulder. "I'm the only fiance you've ever had." Bad side-eyed him. "You sure?" Skeppy snapped his head to look at Bad. "What does that mean?" Bad simply laughed as he hauled himself out of bed, making his way to the bathroom. "Bad," Skeppy yelled, "what does that mean!" He only got the echo of Bad's laugh as an answer. 

He rolled his eyes, deciding Bad was just being an asshole. 

He yawned, flopping back into the bed. A few feathers launched into the air because of his impact. He groaned. "Bad, you need to clip your nails." "Another pillow?" Bad shouted from the bathroom. "Yup." 

Skeppy brushed them away and pulled the duvet over himself, burying his face into one of the pillows with a sigh. Wedding planning was rough . He barely heard Bad's footsteps as he drifted off. He did, however, feel the pair of warm arms wrap around his waist and Bad's face snuggle into his neck. He laughed warmly, squeezing Bad's hand and finally let himself drift off to sleep, content.

--

He sat up quickly, eyes welling with tears and a scream stuck in his throat. Bad stirred next to him and he wiped his eyes hastily, hiccuping as he brought his knees to his chest. He looked at Bad, sleeping happily, unknowing of his fears, and leaned over. He pressed a long kiss to Bad's forehead and when he pulled away, he reached for the Demon's hand. 

He brought it to his face and pressed it against his cheek. He grew unreasonably sad at the lack of pressure it usually brought. He tried to reason with himself that Bad was asleep so, of course, it wouldn't press against him like usual but it still hurt him just the same. He sniffled and let Bad's hand drop onto the bed. He buried his face into his knees and willed himself to just get over it and go back to bed.

He felt movement to his side and looked over to Bad's side to see the Demon staring at him. "'Geppy?" "Go back to sleep, Bad. I just woke up for a second." Bad stayed still as he turned away from him. 

A warm hand grabbed his chin gently and turned his face to look back at Bad. Then, Bad cupped his face the way he loved. "What's wrong, baby?" "Nightmares." Bad nodded in understanding. He knew of Skeppy's nightmares, obviously. Hell, he's even helped Skeppy through a panic attack because of them a few times. He hadn't been having them recently, though.

A horrible thought struck Bad. He hadn't been aware if Skeppy had been having them. "Skeppy, when was your last nightmare?" Skeppy looked guiltily at him. "A couple of days ago.." "Skeppy," Bad sighed, letting his head fall on Skeppy's shoulder. "You should tell me these things." "I can't-" Bad shot him a look. 

"The ones I'm having... I can't go into details about them." Bad's face must have looked horrified because Skeppy immediately waved his hands frantically. "No, no no. Nothing like that. Just-- my own thoughts." Bad slid his hand down to grab Skeppy's. "I love you." Skeppy smiled, leaning into him. "I know." Bad shook his head, though. "I don't think you do." 

Skeppy pushed Bad back so he was sitting against the headboard. He then crawled into his lap and straddled his hips. "Well," he said, "just prove it to me on our wedding night." The suggestion didn't fly over Bad's head and he blushed, squeezing Skeppy's hips in a warning. "Language." "Yeah, yeah. I'm so scared." Bad rolled his eyes, pulling Skeppy down to lay on his chest.

He rubbed Skeppy's back and waited until the Gem's breathing slowed and he slumped down on him. Soon, his soft snores started up and Bad smiled, nuzzling into his shoulder. "I wish you believed me," he whispered, "because I'd tear the world apart for you."

--

The pair woke up by a commotion on the bed and a high-pitched yell. Skeppy startled, jumping and trying to sit up but not being able to due to Bad's arms around his back. He slapped the Demon's chest and Bad opened his eyes. "Huh?" Skeppy laughed at him until another yell rang out. They both jumped and looked to where the yell came from. A little girl sat at the end of the bed.

Her skin was light red and her hair was pitch black with orange at the bottom. She had two very small gray horns peeking out of her forehead and her tail swished behind her excitedly. Her eyes were white, just like Bad's. But smoke arose from beneath her and Skeppy realized quickly that the bed was starting to catch flame from the young Demon. "Bad- Bad, the bed." Maybe the Demons could handle fire well, but Skeppy could not.

Bad immediately scooped Skeppy up and stood up, setting him down a few feet away from the bed. "Abigail," he scolded as the little girl looked down at the, now charred, sheets. "Sorry." She really did look guilty for a few seconds before she smiled wide and leaped off the bed. Bad caught her easily, clearly used to it. They hugged. "Where’re your parents, hm? How did you get here?" Abigail giggled and hugged Bag again, looking behind him and at Skeppy.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, wiggling in Bad's arms to be let down. He sat her down and she immediately raced to Skeppy. "Are you Bad's boyfriend?" Skeppy's face turned purple and he laughed. "Um, yeah. Kinda. I'm his fiance." He bent down and showed Abigail the ring. She cooed at it before looking up at his face. "I'm his niece!" "I figured." He stood back up and she made grabby hands at him.

He sighed and picked her up, careful not to hurt her. He realized quickly that her safety wasn't the issue, it was his. Her hot skin immediately burned his arms and they were soon blistering and turning red. He held back a scream so as to not scare the child and gave her to Bad as quickly as he could. "Skeppy?" Bad questions as his soon-to-be husband rushed to a chest in the corner of the room.

Skeppy threw it open and picked through the many potions within it, hissing in pain every time his arms brushed against the sides of the box, finally finding a healing one. He dumped it over his arms, uncaring about making a mess and Bad furrowed his brows, unable to see the burns on his skin. Once his skin was completely healed, he turned back around, heart beating loudly and he forced a smile. 

"Just got a bit burnt, that's all." Bad looked down at the girl in his arms, smoke still rising off her from her excitement. "Oh! Skeppy, I totally forgot- your skin. Are you alright?" "Yes, Bad. Don't scare her." Bad sighed, looking at Abigail. "Cool it." She apologized again. "Bad?" A voice called from the hall before, yet another, Demon walked into the room. It was Bad's mother. Skeppy immediately straightened. 

"There you are, Abigail. Don't run away from us like that." The little girl pushed away from Bad and walked to her grandma. Bad's mother looked over to Skeppy, seeing the remains of the healing potion and empty bottle in his hands. "I'm so sorry," Skeppy started, "I'm usually not so messy. If I had known you were coming I would have been presentab-" "Did you burn yourself, dear?"

Skeppy blinked at her before setting the glass down and nodding. "It was an accident. I didn't know she was so warm." Bad's mother shook her head. "It's okay, darling. Are you okay now?" "Yes, ma'am." She smiled at him before hugging her son. She and Bad caught up for a bit, not having seen each other for just over a month. In the meantime, Abigail wandered back over to Skeppy.

"I'm cool now! I'm cool now!" She chirped happily, grabbing at his legs. He reached down and put his hand against her cheek, seeing that she was indeed at an appropriate temperature. He picked her back up, sighing with relief when his nerves didn't scream in agony at him. He bounced her a little and she giggled happily. "Can you say 'Skeppy'?" "Geppy!" She repeated. 

"Eh," he shrugged, "close enough. You and Bad are alike." She didn't reply, she just smiled. She started babbling at him and he pretended to know what she was saying and replied to her in vague answers just in case he read her tone wrong. "Book?" She asked eventually, pointing to his bookshelf. He looked over. "You wanna read a book?" She nodded.

He walked to the shelf, setting her down and searching for an appropriate book to read a four-year-old. He found The Ugly Duckling but decided against it, never really agreeing with how they discriminate against the poor baby duck just for his looks. Maybe not the best thing to teach a child. Finally, he settled for If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

"How about this one?" He held up the book for her to look at and she mimicked the mouse on the cover, stretching her arms up wide and pretending to hold a cookie above her head. "Take that as a yes?" She nodded and plopped down in his lap, fiddling with the cover until it opened to the first page. Skeppy chuckled and leaned down to read to her, not wanting to be too loud.

"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk...," he read and she used her finger to guide him word-to-word. She tried to read along with him at certain parts but ultimately let Skeppy read. 

After reading it, Skeppy closed the book. "So? What now?" He didn't get a response and looked down to see Abigail asleep in his lap. He smiled at her and picked her up, holding the young girl against his chest. 

Bad and his mother were on the bed, and Skeppy guessed they might have been watching him but didn't say anything. "I can take her," Bad's mother said, reaching for Abigail. Skeppy handed her over gently, careful not to wake her. "You're good with kids," Bad commented once Skeppy wrapped him in a hug, missing him from the fifteen minutes when he wasn't by his side.

Skeppy shushed him. "You're blushing." Skeppy buried his face further into Bad's chest, whining. "Stoppp!" Bad laughed gently, combing his fingers through Skeppy's hair. "Sorry, sorry." Skeppy pulled away and Bad leaned down, kissing his cheek. "Not with your mom in the room," Skeppy whispered. Bad rolled his eyes. "Fine."

“Bad, have I told you about Skeppy’s outfit?” Skeppy groaned, feeling his face burning and he could feel Bad’s laugh beneath him. “You have not.” “And it’s going to stay that way. It’s a surprise , people, a surprise .” Bad grumbled but dropped it. 

“Well,” Bad’s mother cut in, “I took a look at the venue, and I must say it really is quite beautiful.” Skeppy smiled and pushed Bad onto the bed playfully and stood up. 

“Isn’t it? I really appreciate everyone stepping up to make it perfect.” “Well it’s expected, you’re next in line in your kingdom, yes? That means Bad will rule with you and our kingdoms will have the official first joined rulers. Your wedding is a big deal. I’m actually surprised it’s not bigger.” 

Skeppy picked at his hand, nodding. “Yeah, uh, I guess we just wanted something more… intimate?” She nodded and stood up with Abigail. “Yes, I understand. I will be leaving now. See you two in a few days.”

Bad grabbed at the hand Skeppy was using to pick at himself with and kissed his knuckles. “I’m gonna make you wear gloves if you don’t knock that off.” Skeppy huffed out a laugh and laid down next to him. 

“How much skin does your outfit show?” Bad gave him a weird smile and quirked an eyebrow. “A bit. Why?” “Because I’m practically naked.” Bad laughed and put a hand over his eyes. “Lucky me.” “ Bad , language.” 

Bad peaked from behind his fingers and grinned at his gem. “What can I say? You’re just so pretty, sometimes my thoughts wander.” “Well reign them back in.” 

Bad groaned and pulled Skeppy into him. “I just can’t win with you, huh?” “Nope!” Skeppy giggled as Bad squeezed him. “Don’t break me,” he wheezed. “You’re diamond, I doubt I could break you.” “Well let’s not test it, dear god , you’re strong.” Bad laughed and released Skeppy.

--

“Two days,” Skeppy muttered, staring at his reflection. “Love, please. Calm down.” The Demon came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing his neck. “Bad,” Skeppy hissed, nudging him away with his shoulder.

“Oh, I’m sorry . I forgot I’m not allowed to kiss my fiance.” Skeppy smiled at him from in the mirror and rolled his eyes. “We’ve never actually kissed you know.” Bad raised his eyebrows. “Yeah? That’ll change the day after tomorrow.”

Skeppy glowered at him and groaned. “I can’t tell if I’m scared or nervous.” “Both, probably.” Skeppy craned his neck back to be able to kiss Bad’s cheek before he pulled free from the embrace.

“I’m going to go for a walk. Care to join me?” Bad blinked at him before smiling and nodding. “Where are we going?” They interlaced their fingers and walked down the hall, heading for the staircase. 

“Woods, into town, the beach, anywhere really.” Bad hummed. Footsteps sounded behind them and Skeppy didn’t have to turn to know who it was. He memorized those footsteps. “Hello, father.” He sighed and turned at the same time as Bad to look at his dad.

“Son. Mr. Halo.” His father greeted, his gaze flicking to their joined hands before scowling. “I need to speak to you both.” Bad’s hold tightened noticeably and a growl bubbled in his throat.

“We’re busy right now, actually.” He snapped, glaring. Skeppy’s dad narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care, I would like to speak to my son .” “I’d like to gouge out your-” Skeppy nudged him. “Enough,” he sighed, pulling Bad towards the stairs. 

“We’ll talk later.”

The pair had fun in town. Meeting merchants and visiting villagers Skeppy was acquainted with. Bad was surprised at how many friendly mobs were around. In the Nether, it was either your neighbor or something that wanted to blow you up around the corner. Sometimes both.

“Rosalie,” Skeppy hummed in greeting, passing a pretty blonde girl. The girl nodded at him before stopping and wheeling back around. “Skeppy! It’s been so long!” The girl said, resting her hand on his arm. She was a petite thing, short too. “It has,” Skeppy agreed. “This is my fiance, BadboyHalo. Bad, this is an old friend, Rosalie.” 

Bad held out a hand as the girl blinked at him. She shook it slowly. “Fiance? Wow... Since when? When is the wedding?” Skeppy laughed softly. “Since last month. The wedding’s in two days. I hope to see you there?”

“Um,” Rosalie hesitated, staring at them for a moment, “maybe…” She made an excuse and scurried off. “I think she likes you,” Bad mumbled. “Of course she does, we’re childhood friends.” Bad huffed. “No, I think she likes you.” 

Skeppy shot him a look. “ Mr. Halo , don’t tell me you’re,” he looked around as if they were being spied on, “jealous?” He whispered the last word. Bad snorted, laughing a little too loudly. “What? Me , jealous? No . Never.” 

Skeppy laughed. “Good, because even if you were,” Bad frowned, “not that you are, of course, you have nothing to worry about. In two days, I’m all yours.” He leaned into Bad’s side, grinning up at him. “You’re already all mine,” he mumbled. 

Skeppy nudged him. “Oh, really now? Possessive much?” Bad groaned, pulling Skeppy into him to hug him. Skeppy protested, saying it was weird to just hug in the middle of a path. Bad ignored him. 

“I love you, Skeppy. So much, ya know?” Skeppy smiled. “Bad, hey, look at me.” Bad lifted his head from Skeppy’s shoulder. “There you are,” Skeppy sighed, smiling fondly, “I know, okay?” Bad nodded, kissing his forehead and pulling him into another hug.

--

“Bad,” Skeppy whispered, nosing at Bad’s cheek. “ Bad !” Bad blinked his eyes open and grinned sleepily, a blush creeping onto his face at the proximity of Skeppy’s lips to his own. “Hi,” he mumbled, leaning in.

Skeppy pulled back, putting a hand on Bad’s chest to keep him away. “Ah, ah. No kissing ‘til tomorrow.” “Why?” Bad whined. “Because I said so, stupid.” Bad sighed, long and loud and overly dramatic and Skeppy realized he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with him.

Bad figured if he couldn’t kiss Skeppy’s mouth, he could kiss his neck.

“My self-control is not the strongest at the moment,” Skeppy mumbled, gripping Bad’s shoulders. Bad didn’t reply, he was too busy making sure he didn’t leave a hickey the day before they were to wed.

“Bad,” Skeppy said, growing more and more breathless by the minute. “Okay,” Bad sighed, pulling away with a wolfish grin. “I’ll stop.” Skeppy almost didn’t want him to, but, somehow, he knew better.

“I can not wait for tomorrow night,” he gave a lascivious smile as Bad’s eyes narrowed at him. “Language.” “Oh com'on-” A knock interrupted them and Skeppy sighed. “Yeah?” He called as he crawled off Bad.

The door swung open and there stood Skeppy’s dad. “Oh,” Bad growled, “it’s just you.” Skeppy shot him a look and he closed his mouth. “You never came to talk to me yesterday.”

Skeppy turned back to look at his dad. “Oh, uh, yeah. We just got distracted.” He knew it sounded suggestive, but he had already said it and he knew his father didn’t like excessive talking so he didn’t try to back peddle. Skeppy’s dad closed his eyes briefly, before sighing. “I need to talk to you.” “You can do it here,” Bad said immediately. 

“Alone.” 

Bad snorted, wrapping his arms protectively around Skeppy’s waist. “You’re hilarious.” The elder sighed again and stepped fully into the room, closing the door and crossing his arms.

“This may come as a surprise,” he started, “but the reason we rushed you to get married,” his eyes drifted to Bad before flicking back to Skeppy, “and the reason we’ve, your mother and I, been pressuring you into being a presentable king is, is because… well I’m dying.”

Skeppy went stiff in Bad’s arms and he blinked. “Wh… what..?” “I have cancer.” Skeppy slumped back into Bad. Yeah, sure, he hated his dad but that didn’t mean he wanted him dead. Especially like this.

“How,” Skeppy blew out a breath, “how long?” “I’ve known for about half a year now. They say I have two years, about.” Skeppy rubbed his face with his hands and shook his head. 

“Why are you telling me this the day before my wedding? Do you know what this could’ve ruined? Dad, I’m sorry, I am, but you-- you can’t drop that on me. You’ve done a lot of stuff to me and I’m sorry to you as a person, but as your son, I can’t say I care.”

Skeppy’s dad faltered, staring at him. Skeppy knew that look. He dreaded that look. He had nightmares about that look for years. That look was rage. Rage that could only be taken out by a good beating.

“You- how dare you speak to me like that?!” Skeppy’s dad nearly screamed and Skeppy flinched at the volume of his voice. His dad started to step forward and the hold on his waist grew noticeably tighter.

“If you try anything I swear to you, on my life, that cancer won’t be the only thing killing you.” Bad’s voice was scary, dangerous, and it was white-hot rage poured with every word, dripping venom, and possessiveness.

Skeppy’s dad stuttered a few times, going red in the face, not even purple, and turned. He slammed the door harshly on his way out and distant yells could be heard shortly after.

“Well,” Skeppy whispered minutes later, “that was… something.”

Bad huffed and let his hold go slack. “He’s such a-- I don’t even know the word.” “Asshole.” Bad laughed a little and nodded. “Language.” Skeppy elbowed him lightly. 

“We should… sleep I guess. Won’t get to see each other for the first half of the day tomorrow.” Bad sighed and fell back against the bed, taking Skeppy with him. “Are you sure you can sleep after finding out your dad is dying?”

Skeppy stayed silent for a bit. “I don’t know. I guess I’m kinda relieved… I feel bad for him, and my mom, but I don’t know. We were never close. It’s more like I’m gaining peace instead of losing a father.” Bad nodded. “Yeah, I agree. Do you think he’ll show up tomorrow?”

Skeppy groaned. “I hope not. I can’t stand looking at him, especially on my wedding day.” “We’ll have someone make sure he doesn’t come. I’m sure he won’t, but just in case.”

Skeppy nodded and laid back all the way, pulling the covers over the both of them and playing with Bad’s hair. “Goodnight, Skeppy. I love you.” “G’night Bad.”

--

When Skeppy blinked his eyes open, it was still dark outside. It was warm in his bed, as it had been for the past few weeks. He felt a soft sheen of sweat on the inside of his calves and on the back of his neck. There was a dark figure standing a few feet in front of him and he suddenly remembered why he had woken up.

“Sir,” a maid repeated. “We must hurry to prepare you.” He nodded sluggishly at her. Slowly, he wiggled out of Bad’s hold on him and slid off the side of the bed. The two walked out of the room quietly, trying to not wake the Demon.

Once safely out in the hallways, they grinned in victory at each other. She offered her arm to him and he took it. They ran down the halls and staircase, and Skeppy was glad he was able to have such a good relationship with the workers in his home. 

Once they were downstairs, the maid handed him his coat, which was hanging on a post nearby. He slid it on and frowned when she went to open the door for him. “Wait,” he said, and she froze. “Sir?” “Where’s your coat?” She seemed confused for a moment.

“I do not have one, sire.” 

He frowned deeper, tugging off his coat. “Oh, no, sir. There’s no need–” “I insist.” He draped it over her slender shoulders and she smiled gratefully at him. “You’re too kind.” He smiled at her and she opened the door. The cold air washed over him and he shivered. “Let’s hurry,” she whispered, rubbing up and down her arms and he nodded.

When they finally reached the small building where he would get ready for his wedding, the sun was starting to peek over the hills. He wanted to admire the view, but it was just too cold and they had no time to spare.

He stepped into the building, holding the door open for his maid, and let the warm air soak back into his skin. “Son,” his mother’s shrill voice cut through the air. “Hi, mother.” “Let’s get you ready.” She took him by the arm into a smaller room where there were multiple people chatting amongst themselves. A few straightened up when they saw him but the rest who knew him for a while stayed relaxed. 

“So, what should we do first?” His mother asked, glancing at the people in the room. One stepped up. “I think his outfit, miss.” His mother agreed immediately and nearly shoved Skeppy towards them. 

He caught himself and threw her a look over his shoulder. She pretended not to notice.

The rest of the day was spent poking and prodding. They put him in his outfit first, which got uncomfortable after the first hour. Next was his makeup. He tried to shoo away their brushes multiple times. They ended up compromising by focusing on his eyes and lips. 

He reluctantly let them dot fake gems onto his cheeks. He didn’t really see the point in that. He already had his natural ones dusting his cheeks. “Not visible enough,” someone had said in explanation and he huffed. 

After that, was his hair. They left it relatively the same, just curled the top a bit and fluffed it out. It was mostly a waiting game after that. He went over his vows for a bit and his mother had him go over his dancing for a while.

It was exhausting, but he enjoyed it. 

His mood lightened tremendously when Bad’s mom walked (more so ducked) through the doorway. “Hello, Skeppy.” “Mrs. Halo! Hi!” He wanted to hug her but wasn’t sure if that would be appropriate so he didn’t. 

She was eyeing him and he fidgeted nervously. “Sorry,” she blurted, realizing it was rude to stare, “you just look amazing.” He blushed. “Th-” “Oh, doesn’t he!” He flinched at his mom’s loud volume. She pinched his cheek and he ducked away from her. “Mom,” he said in annoyance. “Oh, son, please. I’m just excited!” 

“Son?” Mrs. Halo questioned. “Yes?” His mother answered, looking at her confused. He wanted to facepalm. “Mother,” he said, “it’s just not very common for parents to be so formal with their children in their kingdom.”

He knew, because Bad had the same reaction.

“Oh,” his mom said. She seemed to think about it for a while, because she was quieter than usual for the rest of the hour. Skeppy caught up with Bad’s mom and asked if she had gone to see Bad. She had.

They were in the middle of a conversation about cake flavors when an alarm went off. Skeppy jumped and his mother squealed. “It’s time!” His heart jumped. “Now? But- but I thought-” 

“It’s six-thirty, Gem. Be excited!” “I am, just nervous.” She squeezed his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, he stepped outside. 

The sun was beginning to set and he realized their wedding would be during a sunset. Cliche, but cute. There was a carriage waiting for them just outside of the building and his mother climbed in first, he followed and Bad’s mother came in last. She had to keep her head down the entire ride, but seemed used to it. Skeppy still felt kind of embarrassed that they didn’t have anything more accommodating for her.

When the venue came into view, he shot up, nearly crawling over his mother to look out the little square window. There, in the distance standing in front of a large crowd, was a tall silhouette. “There’s Bad,” Skeppy said under his breath. 

The next few minutes were horrible. Skeppy bounced his knee and talked himself through breathing exercises. Everyone was going to be looking at him as he walked down the aisle. He felt bad for Bad, having to stand up there in front of everyone, a bunch of people he didn’t know who were probably eyeing him like he was a toy.

When the carriage jolted to a stop, Skeppy had to restrain himself from jumping out. “Since your father won’t be attending, we,“ his mom gestured between herself and Bad’s mother, “decided that it should be your choice who you want to walk you down. If you want anyone to at all, that is.”

He smiled at her. “Why not both?” They looked surprised, pleasantly, and agreed. 

Walking up to the start of the carpet was nerve-wracking, a few people seeing them and standing up out of instinct. Of course, seeing others stand, everyone began to, causing people to notice his presence. 

Hesitantly, he lifted his gaze. He immediately lost his breath. Bad was so handsome. His outfit did show a bit of skin, thank god for that. His pants went all the way to his ankles, but his shirt was cut right in the middle of his ribs and it didn’t have sleeves. It was the same material as skeppy’s skirt.

He took a deep breath when they made eye contact. Bad was blushing, something seen very rarely. Skeppy locked arms with his mother and Bad’s and once the piano, playing a slightly altered version of the classic wedding song, picked up, they started walking.

Each step felt like he had fifty-pound weights tied to his feet and he knew he would always remember walking down, in front of his people, towards his soon-to-be husband

His eyes stayed locked on Bad, grinning wide the entire time. When they reached Bad, and the priest, Skeppy hugged his mom. She sniffled and pulled away, wiping a tear from her cheek. She turned and sat in the first seat of the left row where Skeppy’s people were seated.

Skeppy hesitated when he turned back to face Bad’s mom, having never had an interaction like this with her. Luckily for him, she smiled kindly and pulled him in. It reminded him of hugging an adult as a child because of her height. Bad’s mother felt like summer afternoons.

She squeezed him around his shoulders before pulling away. She reached over with her long arms and squeezed her son’s hand. She sat on the right side with Bad’s people.

He stepped forward, grinning at Bad as he positioned himself in front of him. Bad’s height was a sort of disadvantage, sadly. But Skeppy could see clearly that Bad’s hands were shaking. 

It was like an unspoken rule to not touch until you are pronounced wed, but he couldn’t help it. He reached out and held Bad’s hands in his own, rubbing them with his thumbs in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. 

Bad’s lip quivered and Skeppy noticed a twinkle of light on the waterline of Bad’s eyes. “Are you crying?” Skeppy whispered, not wanting to embarrass him. Bad laughed, pulling his hands away to wipe at his eyes. “A little bit, yes.” A few people in the crowd cooed at them and Skeppy blushed.

Bad looked at the priest, an older man, obviously aged. He cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved,” he bellowed, and Skeppy cringed because it was all so cliche and surreal. He had seen it in movies and read about it but it was like an out-of-body experience hearing it for himself, knowing it was meant for him and Bad.

“We are gathered here today, to celebrate the union of two kingdoms, two young souls, joining as one in the unity of marriage. There is nothing sweeter life can give you than love. Skeppy,” he said, and Skeppy was glad that he skipped the long part (Bad probably asked him to, he thought), “do you take Bad to be your husband? To honor him and love him, to be there for him through sickness and health, through the good and bad, as long as you both shall live?”

“I, Skeppy,” he took a deep breath, fighting down the sudden swell of emotions, “take you, Bad, to be my beloved husband. I promise to be true to you in good times, and bad. To be there for you during sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you for all of my days.” He felt a tear run down his face and Bad thumbed it away, though he had his own.

“Do you, Bad, take Skeppy to be your husband? To honor him and love him, to be there for him through sickness and health, through the good and bad, as long as you both shall live?” 

“I,” Bad’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat, giving Skeppy an embarrassed smile when Skeppy laughed affectionately, “I, Bad, take you, Skeppy, to be my husband. I vow to be faithful and true to you, during good times and bad. I promise to be there for you during sickness, and in health. I love you, and I will continue to love you and honor you for every day of my life, and even after that.” 

“Skeppy, do you accept this man?” “I do.” “Bad, do you accept this man?” “I do.” The priest gave a firm nod and waited a beat, before smiling wide, “Then I now pronounce you one. You may kiss.” Bad was already leaning in before he finished.

Bad pulled Skeppy to him, letting him stand on his shoes like they had joked that time. Slowly, they slotted their lips together, and, as cliche as it sounded, Skeppy felt like the world was complete. All those times they had to substitute with forehead touches, and kisses on the cheeks were nothing to the feeling of Bad’s mouth on his.

He put his hand on the back of Bad’s head and pulled him closer. The roar of the crowd broke him from his trance. He pulled away, though it pained him to do so. Bad frowned. “Couldn’t let it go too far, didn’t want you to end up fucking me in the middle of-” “Shut up and kiss me.” So he did. “I love you,” he whispered against Bad’s lips.

“I love you.”