Chapter Text
☼ - 5:37PM, Friday - ☼
"That was fun, wasn't it!?"
It was time for the afternoon sunset to arrive, meaning that their hangout time today has reached it's end. The house a girl by the name of Grace Fairest was standing behind had a boy in front of her. The boy named Benjamin Fairest staring at Grace continues to dye his short, fluffy hair a cerulean blue by his parent's demands. Wearing a long sleeved light grey hoodie with a red caution triangle symbol on it's center, some navy blue jeans and red sneakers along with a beanie visor hat with a pink and blue pin on it's visor and simple pastel blue bag, he took up a somewhat forced smile this time. He was afraid of returning home for today due to the fact that he knew for sure that his parents would notice that he painted again.
"I-It was, GF. Thank you for spending time with me today...!" Benjamin said, a bit of a fearful tone coming from his voice.
"Ahaha! BF, BF, you got to shrug off that nervousness of yours. How long have we been together for?" She replied, a confused tone coming out of her voice.
Grace Fairest looked rather laid back and relaxed, smiling as widely as usual. Having tied up her brown hair in a ponytail by the assistance of her pink bow, she simply wears a pink long sleeved jumper with a black top underneath and brown boots.
("It's not because of that...") "...For a pretty long time." Benjamin replied rather blankly.
"Since childhood, right?..." Grace noticed the nervous expression still on Benjamin's face, and sighed, feeling a bit more worried then usual. "Well, I'll see you next time, alright BF?"
Benjamin smiled again as he looked at Grace. "Alright. See you next time, G."
The two looking away from each other after giving a goodbye wave, Grace Fairest entered the house. Once she was gone, Benjamin's dread started to rise. ("What are they going to do once they see the sketches? If they find out I'm drawing again, who knows what they're...")
Suddenly, while Benjamin was lost in thought, he froze in place when he realized he was in an area he was unfamiliar with. Graffiti all over the walls of the alleyway, he was intrigued by the dramatic and bold colors he was looking at. Smiling at the drawings in front of him, he began to think of different sketches he could make. Ones full of more emotions, ones that looked otherworldly... As his creative side began to fire ideas into his head, he soon knocked his head into what appeared to be another figure in the alleyway, his green spray paint can flying out of his hands.
Feeling total embarrassment, Benjamin exclaimed his fear. "I-I'm so sorry!! I didn't see where I was going and I was distracted by that graffiti on the walls and-"
"...Benjamin?" The voice replied, seemingly recognizing the face he was greeted with unexpectedly.
"Huh...? W-Wait, how do you know-!?..."
Realization suddenly took Benjamin by surprise as he looked at the figure in the dark green hoodie in bewilderment. Wearing denim blue pants and black-green sneakers with black fingerless gloves and a bandana with a big white X in the middle of it, he held a gun covered in graffiti spray can paint that seemed to radiate that same warm magical orange aura from before... but most importantly, that same orange hair, most of it hidden in the hoodie.
"P-Pico!?" Benjamin said loudly. He never thought he would see him ever again after the event that occurred between them years ago.
"It really is you... Benjamin Fairest, right?" Pico replied, the shocked expression he once had soon returning to a rather neutral expression. "How have you been doing lately?"
"I've been doing... okay. H-How have you been?"
Pico glared him in the face, not believing his words. "Repeat that."
"A-Ah!! I-I'm okay!! I'm sure I am!!" Benjamin exclaimed once again, fear showing all over his face.
At that, Pico stopped, sighing. "Sorry about that, Benjamin. Didn't mean to be that way towards ya."
"I-I-It's fine..." Benjamin took a deep breath, trying to relax himself.
"Are you sure you're alright, though? You ain't lookin' too hot." Pico looked at him again, this time with concern in his tone and facial expression. He was asking that question genuinely.
"...Yeah. I'm sure. I... gotta go home now. See ya, Pico."
Without hesitation, Benjamin started to walk away, knowing that if he was late back home, he'd receive even more of a punishment. However, he was stopped by Pico. Shocked by him touching him on the shoulder, he flinched at the sudden touch. That was a spot where something not to pleasant lied hidden...
"Ah, I'm sorry about that Benjamin. I have something I wanna tell you first." Pico replied, staring at his paintbrush in the process.
"Huh...? O-Oh shoot! I'm still holding that in my hand!?" Benjamin unknowingly exclaimed that aloud, rushing to put it back into his bag until Pico stopped him.
"Hey, hey! What's the rush?... There really is something wrong, isn't there." Pico said, a serious expression coming onto his face.
"I... I rather not talk about it, please..." Benjamin mumbled, loud enough for Pico to hear it.
"I see..." Staring at his paintbrush again, Pico smiled. "Hey. Come over here tomorrow at the same time, alright? 5PM."
"Huh...? You want me to..."
"Yeah, of course I do. We seem to share similar interests."
At that... Benjamin smiled, but he couldn't help the nervous feeling he had. What if he couldn't come over? "I'm... not sure if I'll really be able to show up, Pico..."
"Somethin' going on tomorrow?"
"N-No... Just..."
"Oh... I see." Pico said, his expression turning serious.
"Pico...? Are you-"
"Well, wanna exchange addresses then? We never got to do that in school, and because of that, we never got to hang out together." With the way Pico looked, it felt like it wasn't a choice.
"O-Oh... S-Sure...?"
As Benjamin wrote down his address, he felt dread rise up. ("Why did I say yes!? If my parents find out I gave my address to him, they'll... they'll...!")
Soon enough, he realized he finished writing the address and was just staring at the paper. When he realized this, he immediately gave the paper to Pico.
"T-There... Though, please don't visit during the day..."
Pico's expression soon turned back to normal, looking face to face at BF. "Benjamin... Okay. Take care out there, alright? I'll hopefully see ya soon."
"...See you, Pico." Benjamin soon turned away from Pico, and began walking to his house again, Pico's address in his bag.
☼ - 6:03PM, Friday - ☼
("Fuck fuck fuck... I'm 3 minutes late...!")
The sunset soon letting the moon take it's place for the rest of the night, Benjamin Fairest finally arrived home. The home where Father Fairest and Mother Mairest resided in. Although his parents are known for being famous musicians and demons, they had a rather simple house. Taking a deep breath in, he opened the door.
"Sport! There you are. What was the hold-up this time for?"
His father, Father Fairest, looked him right in the eyes with the same grin as ever. He was still in his human form, which was rather strange. Having navy blue hair, a salmon-colored button up shirt with blue jeans and a black belt along with those yellow glaring pupils, Mother Mairest was no where to be seen... this unnerved Benjamin a bit, but he continued to look at his father.
"S-Sorry for the delay. GF wanted to talk for a bit longer before we decided to head of..."
"...Hm. What did you two talk about?"
("I messed up...") Benjamin knew he never said 'sorry for the delay' in such a manner. It was a quick tell that he was lying again this time around, and with that glare it was more then obvious that Father Fairest knew something else was up.
"W-We were talking about the next hangout area... and where we wanted to go next time... and-"
All of a sudden, he felt the aura of his mother behind him... searching into his bag. His nerves prevented him from speaking anymore as she pulled out two pieces of paper.
Having long light blue navy hair, she didn't seem to show her demon form yet as well to Benjamin. Wearing a light salmon dress with a yellow collar, yellow cuffs and a matching bow around her waist along with yellow heels, she soon spoke in a faked curious voice.
"What's this, dear? Seems you got an address on your hands. Along with... a sketch..." The final part of her sentence changed to a rather angry tone. At those mentions she made, he knew his act was officially up.
"...An address? How strange, Benjamin. Mind telling us whose address it is?"
"..." Dead silence filled the room. He didn't want to speak, and at that, his father stood up.
"Keeping more secrets from us now, huh? Well, I'm sure you know what comes next." Father Fairest showed his anger through another fake smile as he walked over to Benjamin, his cigarette smoke filling the room. Before Benjamin knew it... the room faded to black again thanks to Mother Mairest's magic, just like it did everyday.
"S-Stop this... Please...!" Fear flooded Benjamin's voice as he could smell the smoke growing larger... and going around his neck. Flinching, he knew what was coming next. The burning feeling fully impacted his neck as he screamed, the cuts that were originally once healing now opening up, now shedding blood as the fire magic of his cigarette got more intense. Soon, it stopped, and Father Fairest's demon form was right behind Benjamin, now grabbing onto his shoulders.
His skin now a coal black with redish-orange flames coming out of his arms and mouth along with pointy, obsidian colored demon horns coming out of his head, his hands were claws as they played delicately with Benjamin's shoulders. Tippy tapping at them, he showed a sinister smile.
"This is what you get for disobeying us yet again, Benjamin Fairest."
☾ - 8:20PM, Friday - ☽
"It should be right here. Benjamin's house."
As the moonlight of the crescent moon hit the ground of the Earth today, stars shone brightly in the sky as Pico arrived to Benjamin Fairest's house. Sighing, he saw that all the lights in the house were off. It seems that he had to try and find Benjamin's room by peaking in.
Activating the orange aura from his gun, he ran to the side of the house as he climbed up the wall of the house as if he was walking on it. Peaking through the windows, he soon located what appeared to be Benjamin's room in the house... but what he saw in there sent a chill down his spine. Benjamin was crying silently on his bed, both of his papers burnt to a crisp on his table as he felt the blood from his burn marks spill once more, covering more of his bed sheets. Each pain the marks gave sent him into a shock, and each time it did hurt, he clenched his head in fear.
At that, Pico knew what to do. Opening the window of the house silently, Benjamin jumped up from the bed, his tears visibly showing right in Pico's area.
"P-Pico...!? W-What are you doing here, get out now!!" He said in the quietest voice he could, looking terrified.
"Benjamin. We are leaving. Now."
"W...Wha...t... Leaving...?" His fearful expression grew more, now full of confusion... until he realized. "P-Pico, you don't have to-"
"I need to get you out of here, Benjamin. It's not safe in here."
"But... my parents... they might..."
At that, Pico got closer to Benjamin, and grabbed his hand. "They might what?"
"They might... hurt you...! And once they know you're here, they'll..."
"Quiet already. You know who you're talking to, right?" Pico showed a faint smile.
At that, Benjamin's fearful expression faded a bit. "...Pico... the one who saved us back then at school."
At that response, Pico at first showed a sad expression on his face from remembering the event, but it soon turned into a bright smile full of confidence. "That's right. Now come on, B. Let's go. I'll keep you safe from them. Promise."
"You...!"
Benjamin's face lit up. He knew he could trust Pico, and the fact that he wanted to help him... brought a genuine smile to his face for the first time in a while. At that, he got up from his bed, grabbing his bag and putting it on his bag.
"...Okay, Pico!"
"Heh, alright, hold tig-"
Suddenly, the room got darker. At that, Benjamin knew who was doing that... "PICO! WE NEED TO RUN-"
A gunshot. An orange aura surrounded the bullet contained inside as it reached the enemy behind them... soon revealed to be Mother Mairest.
"Y-YOU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY SON!?-" When she tried to raise her voice, the bullet effected her, soon sending her down. It was Pico's signature paralyzing bullet, preventing her from moving for a few seconds.
"COME ON, BENJAMIN!"
"W-WOAH, HOLD ON-!"
Suddenly grabbing Benjamin's hand, Pico shot a bullet through the window, breaking it as they fell down to the grass in the yard below. Rolling down to the ground to prevent them from getting hurt from the fall, Pico grabbed Benjamin's hand more firmly as Pico jumped over the fence blocking their way. As they ran, Benjamin felt like screaming, but the fear clouding his voice didn't allow him to. It was a painful 5 minutes of nothing but running, but they soon found the same alleyway...
☾ - 8:34PM, Friday - ☽
"...Here we are... huff..." Pico took in some deep breaths as he looked around. "The coast is clear. I don't see your lame parents anywhere." Pico said quietly, soon turning to Benjamin, who was completely out of breath.
"T-Thank.... goodness... whew..." Benjamin said shakily, his whole body feeling like it was in a sea full of sharks. Once he caught control over his body and could finally breathe normally, he stared at Pico, who was turning off the orange aura his strange gun provided.
"You... still have that same gun." Benjamin said, staring at the strange black and orange gun he was wielding.
"Yeah. I keep it at me at all times." Pico replied, soon staring back at Benjamin. "Are ya worried about me, B?"
"B-B-B!? N-No, I'm not... worried..." Benjamin soon realized he was a bit flustered at the sudden nickname and question, and at that, Pico gave a slight chuckle.
"Relax, Benjamin." Pico put away his gun in his pant pocket. "You're kinda cute when you get embarrassed like that."
"Mm..." Benjamin's previously blushing face returned to a neutral expression, at which Pico sighed.
"We'll stay here for tonight, then we'll find another place that's better for us to hide in tomorrow. Is that alright with you, Benjamin?"
"Yeah... It's alright." Benjamin replied, pulling out his paintbrush. Soon enough, he began suddenly painting in the air, seemingly envisioning something in the air. As the black paint on it dried up in the sky, soon enough something formed out of it...
"Here, a black blanket that we both can share. If I waste any more paint, I won't have enough for tomorrow." Benjamin showed off the solid black blanket, which looked fuzzy and warm.
Looking surprised at first at the blanket made from ink, he soon approached the blanket, sitting down as he got comfy inside. "Alright Benjamin, let's end the night here." Sleeping right next to Benjamin, Benjamin was a bit nervous at the sudden close contact, but it was Pico. He didn't mind it that much at the end of the day...
Because he knew that Pico would keep him safe.