Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Despite being a demon, arguably the most dangerous thing about Skeppy was the fact that he was all too fond of taking big risks when a big reward was attached.

This has driven Skeppy to do an absurd amount of risky plays, all for the sake of a good joke. Making the other demons laugh fueled him and put money in his pocket, and the more complicated the trick- the more dangerous the trick- the better. And Skeppy never backed out once he was locked onto something.

Though his newest idea had gotten him the closest to doing so. Skeppy stared at the marble building- impossibly white and filled with a light that gave him a headache. Internally, he grimaced and his legs refused to move for a second, glued to the smooth stoned path leading up to it. His plans had been dangerous before but if this one went horribly wrong, Skeppy would be smote on the spot. Permanent death had never been a possibility before, but Skeppy was too deep to back out now.

Or at least, too deep to back out and keep his pride. There was a hidden recording device attached to him already and rolling. He was doing this- he was doing this.

His efforts to psych himself up fell flat. Skeppy gulped down his fears and took slow, deliberate steps up the pristine staircase that lead to the one place that every bone in his body begged him not to go. He wasn’t used to being on holy grounds but at the very least, this was neutral ground. He wouldn’t be attacked- Skeppy knew that.

Didn’t make it any easier. Old habits die hard, especially the ones that have kept Skeppy alive up until now.

As soon as he stepped through the entrance, Skeppy’s anxieties spiked at how out of place he was. The lobby wasn’t even that crowded but Skeppy was the only demon there- hell, from what it looked like, he was the only being there without wings.

Angels were seemingly everywhere he looked, halos radiating light and feathered wings folded neatly on their backs. Never had he ever felt so aware of his horns before, small but sharply pointed and an equally pointed tail nervously swaying. The angels took notice of him immediately, a few seemingly hostile for a second before realizing he wasn’t actually doing anything and ignoring him. A few stared at him as if they expected trouble, and Skeppy was only brought out of a haze when one called out to him.

“Excuse me?” Their voice had a slight accent to it. Skeppy scanned the room, looking for the source before someone at the desk waved him over. Skeppy sucked in a deep breath before walking over, giving a small smile to what looked to be an intern. Either that or he was just one of the youngest looking angels Skeppy had ever seen.

He had neat, brown hair and green wings that reminded Skeppy more of a tropical bird than anything. The angel blinked at him, eyebrows raising. “Can I help you? You look kinda lost.”

“First time coming here.” Skeppy tried to sound as confident as possible. He had to be if he was going to pull this off. “I, uh, have an appointment actually. Reformation process one?”

Pale blue eyes lit up in a split second. “Oh! You’re Bad’s appointment! Hold on, let me see what room you’re wanted in.”

The green angel instantly started to shift through files. Skeppy was left to slowly process what he said.

“Did you just call me a bad appointment?”

The green angel paused before quickly shaking his head. “Oh, no, no, no. I said you’re Bad’s appointment. That’s his name!” He went back to looking for the file before pulling it out triumphantly. “Ha, got it!”

The green angel glanced over the documents before grimacing. “Why do they use such a horrible font… Do they really expect me to be able to read this?” The angel mumbled to himself, before pulling out one of the papers and sliding it in Skeppy’s direction. “That should have the room on it. I hope.”

Lucky for the green winged angel, it did. Skeppy asked for directions on where the room was, got a relieved sigh and an answer in return, and was on his way.

For being in a holy place, Skeppy felt more like he was descending deeper into Hell going down the road where he was going. But still, he refused to hesitate. He scanned the room numbers until he came across the right one and stepped inside.

It was not empty like he hoped, but angels were fairly well known for being ‘Fashionably early’ as they called it, so Skeppy really couldn’t be all that surprised. The angel at the desk was at his feet the second Skeppy opened the door, walking over with a friendly smile and a hand outstretched.

“Are you Skeppy?” Skeppy gave a short nod. “Ah, good! Thank you for coming, I’m Bad!”

An angel named Bad. Skeppy was trying hard not to laugh at the irony at it all. The only reason he didn’t was because the possibility of being smote was still on the line and if he was going to be smote, it was going to be over making this unsuspecting angel lose his mind, not over laughing at a name. Plus, that felt a bit too childish for Skeppy’s taste.

(Not that his taste was particularly great to begin with.)

Skeppy shook his hand but looking him over, everything about him just made Skeppy more nervous. Unlike the intern at the desk, this angel didn’t just look like a human with wings. They say the more inhuman an angel looks, the more powerful they are, and Skeppy knew from experience that this was true.

Bad had two sets of glowing, white eyes and skin the color of ash. His teeth were sharp, not jagged like a demon’s but intimidating all the same. His fingers seemed to be clawed- no, taloned was a better word for it. As Skeppy shook his hand, he had a feeling if he tried anything remotely hostile towards him, he could be torn apart in seconds.

The worst part was that the same rule of angels applied to demons too. The more inhuman, the more powerful, and Skeppy could easily pass for human if he wanted to. A hat and a big coat to hide his horns and his tail respectively would’ve done the trick- his teeth were sharp but not enough for any human to suspect otherwise without further proof. In terms of power, Skeppy was on the lower end of the spectrum while this Bad character seemed to be on the higher end of the angels.

His chance of not making it out alive had just gotten higher.

Deep breath, Skeppy. Don’t lose your head now. He silently told himself, faking a smile. Just keep on going. You got this.

As the pair took their respective seats, Skeppy’s eyes were drawn to the angel’s wings of all things. It was unlike any he had seen before- pitch black in the center but a slightly lighter shade of black around the edges. A gradient that mesmerized Skeppy for a moment before he shook himself. He didn’t want to be rude. Yet.

“So,” Bad weaved his fingers together and rested them on the desk, still smiling, “You called me about the reformation process, correct?”

“Yeah, uh,” fuck, Skeppy was starting to regret his life choices, “I just… The idea of becoming an angel has been something I’ve been obsessed with since I was a kid. I’m really glad I can be here now.”

The angel softened at that and silently, Skeppy was never more thankful for his improv skills. His words sounded so sincere too- he even began to believe himself for a second.

“I’m glad you’re here too.” The angel told him in a tone that almost made him feel bad for what he was about to put him through. Almost. “Well, it’s a bit of a long process but the first bit is pretty simple, just some questions to make sure you’re ready for it, alright? Oh, but a bit of a disclaimer, the physical process of becoming an angel can be a bit… Harsh on demons? I wouldn’t know myself but from what I’ve heard, it can be pretty painful. Are you okay with this going forward?”

“Absolutely.” Skeppy answered immediately. Not like he’d be sticking around to find out. “I can take on anything.”

Bad frowned slightly but decided not to voice whatever concerns he had. “If you’re sure.” He said simply, before looking over his sheet and picking up the pen. “Okay, so, first I need to get some personal information out of the way. Is your full name Skeppy or is that a nickname?”

“Just Skeppy.”

“Mmkay… And you’re a new wave demon, correct?”

Skeppy blinked at that. “Uh. I don’t know what that is.”

Bad twirled his pen around in his hand. “Right so, you know how the first demons were fallen angels kicked out of Heaven?”

Skeppy resisted the urge to say ‘Duh’ in response. Of course he knew that- literal children knew that. “Yeah.”

“Well, they're considered old age demons. New wave demons are demons who were born that way because their parents were demons.”

“Ohhh. Yeah, I’m a new wave then.” Skeppy paused as Bad wrote that down. “Is that important..?”

Bad nodded. “Angels who have already fallen can’t become angels again, even if they want to. It’s unfortunate but it’s not something we can change.”

Bad looked up at him again, sending him a reassuring smile. “I’m going to ask you a few standard questions, alright? Just answer honestly and don’t worry about answering them perfectly. Just speak from the heart, alright?”

Skeppy tried hard not to smirk. This was the fun part. “Of course.” He would have to answer a few seriously to reel him in but he fully intended to drive this poor, unsuspecting angel insane.

“What is the most important rule among angels?”

Skeppy paused. He legitimately had no idea. “Don’t… Fuck things up?”

“Language.” Bad chided him on second nature. “And not quite! The first and most important rule is ‘Do not raise a hand to your brethren’ or in simple terms, us angels got to stick together! Fighting another angel unprovoked and unjustly is forbidden! In fact, killing another angel will make you Fall almost immediately.”

“Huh. That makes sense.” Skeppy admitted. Bad nodded his head, smiling before moving onto the next question.

Skeppy answered them the best he could until he was sure he was ready.

“Now, angels, believe it or not, are meant to be guardians for the world below. We’re meant to keep the balance and make sure the world doesn’t tear itself apart!” Skeppy resisted the urge to make a sarcastic comment and let Bad continue. “So we’re meant to keep tabs on bad humans. Can you give me an example as to something a human could do that would warrant needed to keep an eye out on them?”

“Jaywalking.”

Bad opened and closed his mouth. “I… Jaywalking?”

“Yeah.” Skeppy immediately started to spit out whatever came to mind, trying not to laugh. “When humans jaywalk, they don’t care about anyone else but themselves. It’s the ultimate test of character.”

“I… Suppose that’s not a terrible answer.”

“What- you don’t believe me?” Skeppy rounded, trying to sound as offended as possible. “Do you know many jaywalkers I’ve seen turn into serial killers?”

The angel furrowed his brow. “How many?”

“All of them.”

“Okay, no, I wouldn’t say that.” Bad scowled in disbelief. “And- and even if that is true, jaywalking doesn’t automatically lead to being a serial killer.”

“There’s a connection- you’re just too scared to see it!” Skeppy said as seriously as possible.

Bad rubbed his eyes wearily. “I… Let’s just move onto the next question, okay?”

It took everything in him to hold back a grin. “Sounds good. Hit me, I’m going to ace this thing.”

Bad looked like he wanted to argue but was either too nice, too tired, or a mix of the two. He cleared his throat and read the next question. “What is one of the more difficult crimes to catch?”

Skeppy resisted the urge to smirk and as seriously as possible, answered “Jaywalking” again and watched the angel slowly descend into madness.

—

The interview lasted around 58 minutes in total, which was 48 minutes more than Skeppy thought he would last considering the utter nonsense he was saying.

Skeppy didn’t think about what he was saying, he just said whatever came to mind that at least somewhat made sense and went with it. If he ever fell flat, he worked in ‘Jaywalking’ again- even after the angel explicitly told him not to- and wore him thin.

Anytime Bad looked like he was about to end the interview and kick him out, Skeppy answered a question seriously and was shocked by how easy it was to reel him back in. Bad kept giving him chance after chance.

But even he had his limits. It just took Skeppy longer to reach them.

The angel’s hands slammed hard against the table and he grit his teeth in frustration. “What did I say about the jaywalking, Skeppy?”

Skeppy had his limits too. His body shook with silent laughter until he clutched his sides and fell out of his chair. He might’ve broken down laughing right then and there but something stopped him in his tracks, seizing his heart.

Something clattered to the ground. Bad suddenly stopped scolding him. Skeppy’s pocket felt lighter than before.

“Is that,” Bad said slowly, voice hardening. “A recording device?”

Skeppy scrambled to scoop it up off the ground but didn’t bother to stuff it back in his pocket. The jig had gone on long enough, he would have to make his escape.

“Well- it’s been fun, y’know? But uh, I gotta go. Think I left the stove running in my apartment.” Skeppy saluted goodbye and lunged for the door. He was so close to freedom- he just needed to get out of this room and this holier than thou building-

But a hand curled around his wrist. Sharp fingers that could flex and draw blood rested on Skeppy’s wrist and he froze, slowly turning back.

His eyes were met with furious, glowing, white ones.

“Skeppy,” Bad repeated again, voice icier than it had been the entire interview. “Was this all a joke?”

“Uh- maybe?”

Bad’s grip tightened- thankfully he didn’t dig his talons in- and his voice shook. “Did you just spend an hour tormenting me?”

Oh, Skeppy thought distantly, unable to respond, so this is how I get smote.

“I- you-” Bad gritted his teeth. “Of course- of course. I’m just a- a joke to everyone- even demons! I work so hard and for what- for what? I took so many notes during this interview, I gave you chance after chance when I should’ve- I should’ve stopped ages ago but you-!”

Truthfully, Skeppy doesn’t know what stops him. In the middle of Bad’s rant, whether he knows it or not, he starts to glow with a radiant power that Skeppy knows all too well. One that Skeppy is certain will kill him- because it wouldn’t be hard anyways. All he would have to do is let go for just a second and Skeppy would vaporize on the spot. Become nothing but a pile of ashes.

But Bad meets Skeppy’s gaze, frozen as he waits for the strike to come, and he falters.

Bad drew his hand away like Skeppy had been the one grabbing him and his breath hitched. It took Skeppy all of two seconds to gather himself before he yanked the door open and took off down the hallway and to the nearest exit.

Skeppy glanced back, expecting Bad to be chasing after him. He doesn't even see Bad leave the room. Skeppy decides not to test his luck and takes the first exit out.

His heart doesn't stop racing until he’s home again, back against the wall and still catching his breath.

What the hell just happened? Skeppy asks himself over and over again, staring down at his recording device with wide eyes and finally clicks it off.

—

Skeppy’s little interview, as it turned out, became quite the hit with the other demons. The audio spread like wildfire and Skeppy was rewarded with praise, popularity, and enough money to last the month, maybe longer.

It was pretty good, Skeppy had to admit, though he was still shocked how he got away with it, as was everyone else. Skeppy cut out the ending before he shared it- he didn’t really know this ‘Bad’ guy but listening to his little rant again… Skeppy felt kinda sorry for him and didn’t want to share something so personal to the world. It was the least he could do.

Even so, with how popular it had gotten, a number of demons requested a follow up- to get into contact with the same angel again and see how far he could push his limits.

An idea that Skeppy almost vetoed immediately until he remembered how forgiving the angel had been. How easily he could’ve smote him, destroyed the audio, and have it all be done with, but didn’t.

Skeppy thought about it for a long time and after enough prodding by the other demons, he came to a decision.

He wanted to talk to Bad again. Not necessarily for a follow up or anything he would record but he just wanted to talk to him again, maybe try and slip in an light apology in case he made a dangerous enemy.

Skeppy could at least call the guy and see what happens. No harm in that, right?

—

“-I’m just saying that if the human who summoned my help was annoying enough, maybe I’d give them a little smiting to shut them up!”

“A- a little smiting? Skeppy, I don’t think you understand the fact that humans are a lot more vulnerable than us! ‘A little smiting’ will kill them!”

“They’ll get better.”

“Oh my goodness- Skeppy! Humans don’t regenerate- they die for good! How do you not-”

The audio stopped finally with a click. Bad tried not to audibly sigh with relief or sink into his chair. It was embarrassing enough to hear it, he didn’t want to sit there for much longer. Not to mention, he was pretty sure they stopped before the worst of it and that would’ve probably made Bad Fall on the spot from embarrassment and shame.

Bad shifted in his chair, feeling the judging eyes of four different angels on him. Three of which were either his superior or just as high of a rank, all sitting at a half circle desk in front of him. The fourth, who sat in a chair up against the wall near Bad, was supposed to be on his side- supposed to be moral support- but, well… He had never been good at that anyways. Bad knew he was the one who took the whole incident the worst after all.

“I believe that is enough evidence on it’s own.” The first angel said- his name was Emmanuel, if Bad remembered correctly. His head superior, the one person he dreaded the most to find out about the ‘Interview’ that had taken place. But, of course it had to get popular and ended up attracting his attention. Bad wasn’t lucky enough to get away with it- he never had been.

“BadBoyHalo.” Emmanuel said, catching his attention with a seize of panic. “Look me in the eye when I am speaking to you.”

Bad nodded quickly, swallowing the bile in his throat and met his gaze carefully. He resisted the urge to fidget, fully knowing his superior would not take it well. His head was already on the chopping block, he didn’t need any more scrutiny than he was already getting.

“Do you understand how serious this is?” Emmanuel said slowly, eyes narrowing. Bad sucked in a breath and nodded quickly.

“I- I think so.” Emmanuel’s gaze hardened and Bad quickly corrected himself. “Yes, I understand completely.”

“You are in a position of authority, BadBoyHalo.” Emmanuel said. “And if you cannot handle it-”

“I can.” Bad said quickly and almost immediately flinched. Why did you interrupt him? That never ends well, why did you-

“This faux interview proves otherwise.” His tone was icier than it had been. You angered him. You should’ve been more careful. “And your actions have consequences.”

“I- I know.” Bad gulped silently, nodding along. He had gotten the calls- hundreds of demons asking about the reformation process- none of them genuine, all of them prank calls who kept talking nonsense about ‘Jaywalking’.

“If you know this,” Emmanuel’s eyes narrowed. “Do you still honestly believe that you deserve the position that you’re in?”

The air from Bad’s lungs were stolen from him. He opened his mouth but no words would come out. All of their eyes were on him- like vultures waiting to tear him apart-

“Emmanuel, come now.” A new voice spoke out and Bad tried not to weep with relief. The one angel not a part of the Council that called him here finally stood up, making his way over to where Bad was in the middle and put his taloned hands on Bad’s shoulders.

They squeezed just a little bit too tight- Bad might’ve winced had he not been trying to keep it together- but he didn’t protest. They were swooping in to help, he had no right to protest.

“You know as well as I that demons will always be… Punks, for lack of a better word.” The angel said. “Bad here might’ve made one, little mistake and all the demons tried to jump on it but we all know that we are stronger than a couple of prank calls, aren’t we?”

Bad felt a twinge of jealousy at how visibly swayed Emmanuel seemed to be by his words. He was always better at these sorts of things. Able to sweep problems away and convince people that a deep cut was nothing but a scratch to his reputation. All he ever had to do was smile and talk and talk and talk until the problem went away.

And that’s exactly what he did. He kept speaking until Bad was released with a warning and the council disbanded. The three angels in charge all left quickly, leaving Bad with the one that had come to his rescue.

Bad swallowed and muttered a quiet ‘Thanks.’ He got a low groan in response.

“Don’t fucking mention it.”

“Language.” Bad replied on second nature, then winced before it came.

“Don’t language me.” He scowled, wings ruffled up. “I just saved your ass- like always. Gods, did you have to flap your mouth like a fucking fish? Defend yourself- he was tarnishing your reputation, you’re just going to take that?”

“I…” Bad didn’t meet the dark eyes boring into him. “He- he wasn’t wrong…”

“Lord almighty.” He punched the bridge of his nose. “How the fuck are we related when you’re such a pushover?”

It was a rhetorical question, of course, but Bad still had to bite back an blunt reply. Then he only felt worse that he was only proving his brother right.

“Listen, when someone talks shit you, just talk circles around them until they concede.”

“I, uh…” It shouldn’t have been so hard to talk to him but it was. It was uneven ground threatening to break open and swallow him whole at the wrong moment. “I don’t know how to do that, Good.”

“Then learn.” He rolled his eyes like it was obvious. “If I can learn it, so can you. Otherwise I’m just going to have to come to your rescue every goddamn time you fuck up.”

“Right.” Bad’s wings drooped. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop- stop apologizing.” He groaned again. “It undermines your authority for one and for another, obviously I don’t care. You think I haven’t fucked up like this? I’ve done worse, but you know what? I pushed through it and came out on top.”

He jabbed a finger into Bad’s chest, pitch black eyes narrowing. “You will get out on top. Nobody and nothing is going to get in your way, capeesh?”

Bad nodded tentatively. The other angel relaxed, though only slightly. “Great. I got things to take care of now but you owe me for this.”

“Right.” Another debt onto the ever growing pile. Bad doubted he would ever be out of debt. “Thanks again.”

“Whatever. Like I wasn’t going to come to my brother’s hearing.” The pair exited the building and Bad watched white wings expand to their full length, ready to take off. “Keep your head down, don’t get into trouble. See ya, BadBoyHalo.”

“Bye, GoodBoyHalo.” Bad echoed and watched as his brother took off in a flurry of feathers. He let out an inaudible sigh and headed straight for home.

Bad needed a long rest or he was certain his feathers would fall out from stress alone.

He dreaded going back to work tomorrow but it wasn’t like he could escape it.

—

Skeppy stared at the number he had to call for one, two, three minutes too long before he psyched himself up to press it. It shouldn’t have taken him so long- there was no risk to phone calls- but his nerves refused to fade.

He didn’t press it to his ear until it started ringing. Then, when it picked up, he sucked in a breath and let out a steady, “Hey, is this the reformation process desk?”

“It is.” A deep, scratchy voice answered. Skeppy felt his blood run cold at the sound of it. This doesn’t sound like the other guy.

“I- uh.” Skeppy searched for the right thing to say and fell flat, eventually settling for, “Any chance you could patch me through to a guy named Bad?”

“...You’re one of those prank callers, aren’t you?” The angel on the other line growled. “You are not welcome here.”

“Wait, listen-”

“Your voice sounds familiar too.” They said, and Skeppy was left breathless again. “Have you called before? Did you really think you would get away with it again?”

“I just want to speak to-”

“BadBoyHalo is no longer receiving calls.” They snarled.

Skeppy was stunned by that. Guilt ate at his chest until he blurted out, “Is it because of me?”

The angel stopped at that, uttering a simple, “What?”

“I’ve never gotten anyone fired before, it would suck if I… He didn’t get fired, right?”

“You- hold on-” The voice wavered. They cleared their throat, coughing for a minute before they spoke again in a very familiar voice. “Skeppy?"

“I- yeah.” Skeppy’s head spun. He knew that voice. “Wait, Bad?”

“Uh. Hi.” Bad said hesitantly from the other line. His voice was guarded but not quite hostile. “...What do you want?”

“Wait, wait- was that you the whole time?” Skeppy asked, baffled.

“I- maybe- but what are you-”

“But your voice was so low!”

“I’m good at doing voices- stop avoiding the question!”

“I just-” What did Skeppy want again? “I just wanted to talk!”

Bad stifled a laugh but it sounded far more bitter to ease the tension. “Uh-huh. You wanted to talk. Okay, sure.”

“I’m being honest here!”

“Yeah, well, you wanting to ‘Talk’ is just as dangerous as anything else.” He paused before his voice hardened. “I don’t think you understand what your little ‘Interview’ did to me. My superiors were not happy.”

“Bad, listen-”

“No.”

Skeppy sputtered at the harsh reply. “Bad-”

“I said no! I’m not- I can’t do this again. Not when-...”

Bad didn’t finish his sentence, trailing over before huffing. “Don’t call me again.” Bad said, then promptly hung up.

Skeppy stood there for a long moment, still holding the phone up to his ear. He let himself think for one minute, then five, before he got an idea.

A very, very bad idea.

But Skeppy was just impulsive enough and feeling just guilty enough to go through with it. He slipped his phone into his pocket, grabbed the keys to his apartment, and was out the door in seconds before he could talk himself out of it.

—

Skeppy stared up at the marble building filled with a bright light that gave him a headache for the second time and thought to himself, man, this is a shit idea.

Didn’t stop him from backing down however. Skeppy marched right up to the main entrance and pushed his way in, desperately hoping no one would recognize him.

His interview had only been audio- maybe he could slip by without anyone noticing?

“Hey, wait a second!” A voice called out instantly and Skeppy froze. He glanced over, locking eyes with the- oh shit, same intern as before.

Skeppy made a beeline for the desk, smiling nervously and glancing around to make sure nobody else recognized him. He got a few looks but none of the same recognition he got from the kid angel in front of him. Said angel was gawking at him, like he couldn’t believe he was seeing him again and Skeppy couldn’t find it in him to blame him.

“Listen, kid-”

“No! Don’t you ‘Listen kid’ me! What the hell are you doing here?”

“Not so loud!” Skeppy grimaced, not liking one of the looks another angel gave him. Reluctantly, the green angel lowered his voice but didn’t seem any less irritated.

“What are you doing here?” He asked again, eyes narrowed and wary.

“I wanna talk to Bad- uh, BadBoyHalo? I think that’s what his full name was.”

“No offense, but that is that is the worst person you could talk to.” The green angel told him as-a-matter-of-factly. “Actually, I don’t have any obligation to be nice to you so full offense, it’s a terrible idea.”

“Yeah, I- I know. But uh…” Skeppy furrowed his eyebrows. “What’s your name?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because I feel weird just saying ‘Kid.’”

The angel considered that. “Tubbo.”

“Right- Tubbo, I know it’s a bad idea but-”

“It’s a horrible idea!”

“But- if he really hates me that much, he can just like, smite me and never see me again, right?”

Tubbo squinted at him. “...You are a very strange man, you know that?”

“Is that an ‘Okay’ then?” Skeppy asked hopefully. Tubbo groaned, which he took as as good as he was gonna get and grinned. “Is he in the same office as before?”

“I think he passed by about ten minutes ago to get his lunch down that hall- wait-”

Tubbo pointed in the right direction and immediately seemed to regret it as Skeppy didn’t wait another moment. He called after him but didn’t seem comfortable enough to leave his place from behind the desk and didn’t follow, leaving Skeppy to his own devices.

Skeppy didn’t get very far. He nearly ran directly into the familiar angel with dark wings who quickly apologized before blinking in shock at who he was seeing. “Skeppy?”

“Hey.” Skeppy said as casually as he could manage. It took him a minute to realize he had no idea what to say. “You told me not to call so… I didn’t!”

Bad stared at him before he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Skeppy.”

“Just give me five minutes of your time.” Skeppy gave the best smile he could manage.

“You already took an hour’s worth of my time and suddenly you think you can ask for another five minutes?” Bad countered. Skeppy couldn’t help but wince.

“Got me there.” He admitted. “But- listen-”

“No, you listen.” Bad told him sharply. His feathers ruffled out. “That little interview of yours somehow caught the attention of my superior, Skeppy. Do you know what it was like to have to listen to that interview when three people who hold my life in their hands are in the same room?”

“...That bad, huh?”

“It was mortifying.” Bad told him, fighting a grimace on his face but he was far too expressive to hide it. “And I nearly lost my job- much less scraped by with whatever reputation I have left.”

“That- that sounds horrible and I’m sorry.” Skeppy told him. “That’s what I wanted to say! I’m sorry!”

Bad scoffed at him. “You’re sorry? Really? You think I believe that you’re sorry after what you put me through? You think you can just- just-!”

“Bad.”

A third voice cut both of them off. Bad turned, still relied up but seemingly comfortable with who just walked in on the conversation. Skeppy however, found himself tensing up.

The angel that approached was taller than both of them and had two sets of wings, both being shades of gray. His eyes were deep green and while they could’ve passed as human-like otherwise, there was an aura of power to them that instantly made Skeppy freeze in place.

Truthfully, Skeppy didn’t know enough about the whole ‘Angel hierarchy’, nor did he care enough to learn, but he knew in the split second he looked at this angel that they were a Guardian, no doubt about it. Different than Bad but just as powerful.

“Friend of yours?” The guardian asked, watching Skeppy carefully. He so badly wanted to run but didn’t think he could if he tried. “Or is he bothering you?”

“I’m fine.” Bad said dismissively, huffing. “It’s just Skeppy.”

The guardian’s gaze darkened. “From the interview? That Skeppy?”

Skeppy’s felt the blood drain out of his face and that must’ve been enough. The guardian’s wings fluffed out, spreading to their full length and the world around them seemed to get darker. His eyes shined impossibly bright and impossibly green, and for one moment, Skeppy so badly wanted to move but couldn’t. He was physically frozen in place, unable to move, unable to breathe, unable to escape. The only thing he could do was stare into those glowing, green eyes and hope that they wouldn’t be the last thing that he saw.

Bad nudged the other angel, sighing to himself and the trance was broken. “Philza, knock it off. He’s honestly harmless, he’s just a muffinhead.”

And just like that, the power dropped and Skeppy could breathe again. He nearly toppled over but didn’t take his eyes of Philza, thought didn’t meet his eyes.

“You sure, mate?” Philza said, almost casually but not quite. “If he’s bothering you-”

“I can handle myself.” Bad cut him off. “Thanks but I’ll be alright.”

That seemed to be enough. Philza dipped his head and moved past them as if nothing happened. Skeppy waited until he was sure he was gone to bend over and wheeze for a breath.

Bad seemed to startle at his sudden movement, then frowned. “Are you okay? I know Philza’s kinda intense sometimes but-”

“Kinda?” Skeppy repeated in a strangled voice. “Holy shit- I thought I was about to die!”

“What? No!” Bad seemed baffled by the idea. “I'm not happy with you but I don’t want you dead! Do- do you need to sit down?”

Skeppy tried to answer and play it off but it came out far breather than he liked so he ended up nodding instead. Bad scanned the hallway before guiding him into an empty office, sitting him down, and taking a seat across from him.

“Are you okay?” Bad repeats again, eyebrows furrowing with concern. Skeppy gives a shaky nod, which doesn’t seem to convince him much. “You probably shouldn’t stay much longer- there’s a lot of more threatening angels then just Philza.”

“Do you-” Skeppy gets out between breaths. “Are we cool now?”

Bad didn’t answer. Skeppy dipped his head. “I’m sorry- I mean it!”

“Why are you apologizing so much?” Bad asks at last. His eyes show a mixture of curiosity and distrust behind them. Because of that, Skeppy answers honestly.

“I don’t know- because you were nice? Because I’ve never gotten anybody fired from their job before and I was worried when I got you in trouble? Because I was expecting some- some asshole angel who would smite me on the spot and you looked more freaked out than I was when you realized you could’ve killed me without trying? Because you’re still nice to me?” Skeppy throws his arms up in the air and lets them flop to his sides. “Take your pick, they’re all true.”

Bad blinked. “Huh. Was not expecting that.”

It’s risky to make a joke about it but Skeppy takes the first chance to clear the tension. “You weren’t expecting how the interview went either. I’m full of surprises.”

Bad stifles a chuckle and rolls his eyes. Skeppy takes it as a win.

“You can say that again. Wasn’t expecting you to barge in here.” Bad admits. “I wasn’t kidding earlier though, you might want to leave soon. If one of my superiors finds you, I really don’t think I can stop them like I did for Philza.”

“Right.” Skeppy stands up, a weight lifted off his chest. “We’re cool then?” Bad nods. “Perfect. If it’s any help, I’ll try to get the other demons to stop prank calling you but uh… My influence only goes so deep.”

Bad waves him off. “I appreciate the thought, didn’t think you’d offer. Goodbye, Skeppy. No offense, but I kinda hope you don’t come back here.”

Skeppy laughs. “I don’t blame you. Goodbye, BadBoyHalo.”

Skeppy leaves the marble building for what he hopes to be the last time. His head is a lot clearer than before, despite the scare earlier, so he calls it good and retreats back to his apartment.

—

Most demons reside in Hell or its surrounding territories. Most demons walk on fire and brimstone regularly, sometimes with a hellhound at their heels and a weapon strapped somewhere on their body. Most demons avoid living around mortals.

Skeppy is not most demons.

Skeppy has a nice apartment in a town populated mostly by humans, with a few other demons and mystical beings. He might have a career in entertaining other demons in order to get enough money to get by but most of his interactions are with humans.

It’s never been hard to blend in with them. Skeppy struggles with glamours but luckily, he doesn’t really need one. He can tuck his tail away, slap on a blue beanie and nobody will blink twice. Skeppy is just another face in the crowd- just another human, even if he isn’t really one.

And to be quite frank, he likes it that way. He’s fine with other demons but a lot of them can be intense- especially the ones who form clans in order to protect themselves, preaching about how demons are meant to be strong- preaching about ‘Survival of the Fittest’ even if they don’t know what they’re talking about. Skeppy avoids those ones like the plague.

Skeppy doesn’t need to be a strong demon, he just wants to survive. He keeps his relations with the demons purely for his own safety. He needs to stay on their good side or they might try and pull something, though recently a lot of them don’t like how he’s been telling them to knock it off with the calls. The dirty looks makes him uneasy and eternally grateful that he doesn’t live near any of them.

Humans are easier. Some of them can be difficult but usually, they’re far too worried about how others perceive them that Skeppy doesn’t see the difficult ones as much. Unlike demons- or angels for that matter- they don’t have as much of a need to prove that they’re good enough. Humans were made as a blank slate, able to do anything they wanted.

Skeppy envies that. He wishes he could get away from it all but he doubts he could. There’s always been something that sucked him in.

Nonetheless, Skeppy shakes it off. He grabs his wallet, keys, and hat before heading out for groceries. He’s been meaning to go out but keeps finding himself sidetracked and ends up ordering food instead. Now, with his disguise in place, Skeppy leaves his building and begins walking through the small town, headed straight for the shops.

The atmosphere is different than usual. Not tense thankfully, Skeppy didn’t think there was any danger lurking around the corner, but electric. A crowd gathers around the local church, chattering excitedly, and the streets are relatively empty. Something’s happened- something new- but Skeppy hasn’t the slightest idea of what.

He approaches the crowd looking for answers, catching glimpses of conversations here and there that help him piece it together that something unexpected has happened. That they want to… Meet someone? Someone they’ve never met before and wasn’t sure if they were real? Skeppy doesn’t know what to make of it. His best guess is that a demigod showed up. He highly doubts an actual god would stick around.

A quick scan of the crowd finally shows him a familiar face guarding the entrance. Volunteers for the church are guarding the door, saying they can’t let people inside yet, but one happens to be a good friend. Skeppy approaches him and the second he sees him, he sneaks Skeppy inside and the pair disappear down the corridor.

“You would not believe the day I’ve had.” He groans once him and Skeppy are away from prying eyes. His glamour drops, revealing a set of long, twisty horns, similar to that of an addax, and a tail bearing the shape of a spade. He’s one of the few fellow demons hiding away within the town and a part of the short list of people Skeppy trusts not to screw him over.

“What the hell is going on, Velvet?” Skeppy asks, eyebrows furrowing.

Red Velvet crosses his arms as he speaks. “Some angel accidentally revealed himself to the public and now they’re going nuts talking about miracles and such. You know humans, they love this sorta shit. He’s in one of the back rooms right now. Surprised he hasn’t bolted yet, I would’ve.”

“What?” Skeppy gawks. “You’re fucking with me- you have to be! What’s an angel doing here?”

“Gods know. Making my life hell for one.” Velvet snips. “I think he was trying to perform a small miracle or something and something went wrong. I highly doubt he wants to be here, he’s so tense I could snap him like a twig. Don’t think he even realized what I am.”

“Jeez.” Skeppy winced. “Glad it’s not me.”

“You and me both.” Velvet paused. “If you could find a way to smuggle him out of here, that would be great. Otherwise I doubt anyone’s gonna let him leave.”

Skeppy hesitated but agreed. As much as he didn’t want to deal with angels, there was far more to fear by him sticking around rather than working with him. This was Skeppy’s home and the last thing he wanted to do was have an unknown angel invade his space.

Velvet gave him directions before hiding himself in the glamour again, making the only thing stand out about him being his bright, red hair and matching eyes. Skeppy waved as he left him to return to his post and silently navigated the church, passing murals of various deities as he did but paid little attention to them. He was nearly spotted by another volunteer but managed to slip away, pulling his beanie down a little further in an effort to disguise himself.

Surprisingly, the room wasn’t guarded when he got there, though there were a few more people down the hall talking amongst themselves. They didn’t notice him slip inside and close the door soundlessly, and seemingly, the angel didn’t either.

Said angel had his hands in his hair and gripped it with such an intensity that Skeppy would’ve thought he was going to pull it out. He was talking to himself too, not loud enough to be heard from outside but Skeppy could make it out now that he entered.

“They’re gonna kill me for this- oh my goodness, they’re going to demote me for this. How did this happen, why-” He cut himself off with a low whine, hands moving to cover his face to wallow.

Skeppy however, was so caught up in the overwhelming sense of familiarity he got from the angel that he completely forgot to warn him that he wasn’t alone before speaking up.

“Wow, Bad. You fucked up, huh?”

Bad tensed and whirled around in a flurry of feathers. He gaped at Skeppy when he saw him and sputtered. “Skeppy? How- why- what are you doing here?”

“I live here, thank you very much.” Skeppy told him bluntly. “What are you doing here and why the fuck are you not wearing a glamour? You realize most of these people have never seen an angel before, right? You’re causing havoc.”

Bad shrunk, wings folding behind his back. “I’m- I’m sorry.” He said sincerely. He shifted in place and suddenly looked even more uncomfortable than before. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, I- I’ve had a long day- not that that’s an excuse and-”

Skeppy cut him off with a dismissive gesture. “Dude, chill. You’re gonna lose all your feathers talking like that. Take a deep breath, you’re fine.”

Bad nodded and obeyed without question. Skeppy had no doubt that if he could, Bad would’ve chosen to melt on the spot right then and there. He tried not to wince sympathetically, clearly the guy was going through it.

“I have so many questions but we’re kinda short on time. You want out of here, right?” Bad nodded, almost eagerly. “Great, I’m gonna sneak you out. It’s not gonna be easy since you’re kinda…” Skeppy gestured to all of him. Unlike Skeppy, he couldn’t pass as human without some sort of glamour. “So just follow my lead and don’t ask questions, just do what I say.”

Bad nodded again and Skeppy scouted out the hall. While nobody was looking, he quickly took Bad’s hand and silently started to run, escaping into another hall. It wasn’t an easy journey outside and Skeppy had to stuff Bad in a closet at one point to avoid getting caught but roughly ten minutes later, Bad was out and looking just about dead on his feet.

“Thanks, Skeppy.” Bad breathed, back pressed against the church walls and wincing when he put too much pressure on his wings. Inside, Skeppy could hear some sort of commotion going on and could only guess what it meant.

“I think they found out you’re gone.” Skeppy said. “You better get going, wouldn’t want to get caught again.”

Bad didn’t respond verbally, only nodding again but his movements seemed jerkier. Sloppy. So unlike the angel with a stick up his ass that he had grown familiar with.

“You good?” Skeppy raised an eyebrow. He got another nod but somehow, was even less convinced than before. “If you need a minute to breathe, you can.”

“Don’t want to get caught again.” Bad told him, practically wheezing out the words. It was the last straw, hardening Skeppy’s resolve.

“You could crash at my place. The couch is comfy- I might have an air mattress somewhere if you need.”

Bad tried to decline but whatever adrenaline was keeping him going must’ve worn off because his hands were shaking when he tried to wave Skeppy off. Skeppy narrowed his eyes, grabbing Bad’s arm and getting a noise of protest before firmly, but gently, starting to guide him away from the church and closer towards where he lived.

“I really don’t trust you to fly, dude. You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

Bad made another low, humming noise but didn’t pull back from Skeppy. He let him lead, the pair taking a path away from prying eyes and slowly made their way over to Skeppy’s apartment.

They managed to make it without much of a hitch, and the second Bad took a moment to lay on the couch as Skeppy locked up, he was out like a light.

Skeppy tried not to snort at the fact, though he doubted that would wake him up. The building could probably explode and Bad would still be sleeping, dead to the world. Skeppy dumped a couple of blankets on Bad before realizing he had never gotten his groceries. He cursed, quickly scribbling down a note in case Bad woke up and headed out again.

Skeppy came back with four bags and dumped them on the counter. Bad hadn’t so much as stirred. Skeppy would’ve actually thought he was dead had it not been for the steady string of breaths coming from the man.

Skeppy made himself dinner- popping a few frozen goods in the oven and calling it good- and Bad slept through the whole thing. Skeppy made extra for him that went untouched but shrugged it off, storing it in the fridge and eventually turning in for the night.

He still had questions but Bad could answer them when he wasn’t passed out on his couch and looking significantly worse for wear than when Skeppy had last seen him.

—

Skeppy was up before Bad was- which was impressive to say the least. He appeared to at least shifted a little in his sleep but the angel didn’t get up until a little after noon, which considering he had to have slept for more than twelve hours, was kinda concerning.

His eyes blinked slowly and Bad pushed himself up into a sitting up position. His processing must’ve been at a snail’s pace because he scanned the room with blank eyes, trying to remember where he was before landing on Skeppy, awkwardly sitting in one of the armchairs and trying to think of something to say.

“...Skeppy?” Bad’s eyebrows furrowed together. “What are you-... Where am I?”

“My apartment.” Skeppy sipped his coffee quietly. “You passed out here, remember?”

“I… Did?” Bad’s brow furrowed in thought and although it came to him slowly, it came to him eventually. He groaned, head in his hands. “Right. Oh goodness, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s fine.” Skeppy waved him off immediately. “You weren’t looking so good and you've been nice to me so- I dunno, figured I kinda owed you. Plus the humans in this town were kinda freaking out at your presence. The other demons too.”

“It shouldn’t have happened.” Bad shakes his head, looking anywhere but his eyes. “I don’t even know how it happened- I- I’ve never dropped a glamour before and not in public like that and- I’m sorry if I inconvenienced you, I know that’s no excuse but-”

“Whoa.” Skeppy said, backpedaling. “Dude, chill, it was an honest mistake, you were probably just exhausted.”

“But- it shouldn’t have happened.” Bad repeats timidly.

“Everyone fucks up sometimes, it’s really not a big deal.” Skeppy’s tail flicks. “But uh, how did it happen anyways? You strike me as infuriatingly careful, how’d you lose your glamour?”

“I… I’ve had to work a lot recently to make up for a few things. I didn’t realize how low I was on energy until my glamour dropped.” He confesses, still refusing to meet Skeppy’s gaze. “Thank you for letting me stay and rest, it means a lot.”

Skeppy shrugged his shoulders. “Least I could do.” He stated simply but knitted his brows at him even so. “You good though? Velvet was right, you look like you could snap in half from stress alone.”

“I…” Bad chuckled weakly. His eyes finally lift up off the ground. “I’ve been a bit stressed, yes.”

“A bit?”

“...I may be sugarcoating it a little.”

“No kidding. But uh,” Skeppy internally debated it in his head before he pushed forward with it, “If you ever need a place to hide out for a bit- my place isn’t big but it’s pretty safe. There’s a couple of demons around these parts but as long as they know you’re with me, they probably won’t mind.”

Bad’s eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

Skeppy nodded. “I wanna make up for the whole interview thing.”

“Skeppy, you already apologized, you don’t have to-”

“-But I want to.”

“I really don’t think it’s necessary-”

“-Bad, just think about it. It’s an offer, you don’t have to actually take it.”

Bad hesitated but nodded at last. Skeppy smiled at him and he returned it, still worn out but sincere nonetheless.

“I should get going.” Bad told him, carefully getting up. Skeppy frowned at him, eyeing him skeptically.

“You sure? You’re still kinda…” Skeppy gestured wordlessly but Bad shook his head.

“I’m not in tip top shape, yeah, but I’ve been away for too long without checking in. If I stay much longer, I might draw someone’s attention, assuming I haven’t already. But, again, thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

Skeppy tried to seem nonchalant but he kept grinning. “No big deal.” He told him.

Skeppy waved off Bad as he left, reminding him to put on a glamour as he did. Even when the angel was gone, Skeppy couldn’t brush off the feeling that it wasn’t the last time he would be seeing him.

Not even close.