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Lance stared at his DDD, the chat he had with Barbatos was up. He frowned as he texted the demon.
Lance: Do I make you feel unloved?
He put the DDD to the side and curled in on himself. He tried to keep his breathing steady. The urge to scream, cry, and just close in on himself was strong. Lance rocked back and forth on his bed as he tried to rationalize and fight his way through his anxiety.
“Lance,” Barbatos’s voice sounded in the room suddenly. The portal he stepped through closed behind him. He quickly made his way over and sat on the bed. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Lance looked up at the demon and bit his lip. He looked away with guilt tearing him apart. “I just…” Barbatos took one of Lance’s hands and pried it from the fist it was in. He gave it an encouraging squeeze for the human to continue. “There was a post saying that men can’t love and it got me upset. And if I said anything, they’d just say I wasn’t a real man and there was no winning. And it reminded me of my ex and…”
Barbatos frowned and quickly pulled Lance towards him. “They were wrong in so many ways. I have never felt as loved before as I feel loved by you, Little Lamb. And I love you, so much. Please, do not pay heed to what they said. It was without a doubt false. You and I are both proof that what they said was a lie.”
Lance threw his arms around Barbatos. The demon fell back in shock but laughed as Lance’s body laid on top of him, clinging onto him desperately. “Thank you, Little Bat. I’m sorry if you were busy.”
“Not at all. Even if I were, I could easily just create more time.” Barbatos moved some strands of hair away so he could properly see Lance’s face. “Are you alright?”
Lance nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m okay. I…” Lance took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I’ve just been thinking about becoming immortal and it’s a big decision, so I’ve been stressed.”
Barbatos paused. “Oh?” His tone was soft and quiet, he didn’t want to push too far. Yet, he desperately wanted to know what was running through Lance’s head. “It is a big decision.”
“I talked to Solomon about it. I had to make sure I still wouldn’t die from my body giving out.”
“What did he say?”
“He said it was unlikely,” Lance muttered. “There’s not exactly a lot of people that have become immortal, so we can be certain. But he’s survived a lot, so chances are good I wouldn’t die.”
Barbatos tightened his grip on Lance. “That’s good to hear.”
Lance hummed in agreement. “I didn’t want to get your hopes up when it still wouldn’t stop anything.” Barbatos remained silent. Lance looked up at him to see the demon’s eyes clenched shut. “Barbatos?” Lance sat up. “Are you okay?”
Barbatos took a moment to respond as he focused on his breathing. “Yes, I’m sorry.” His eyes opened. “I don’t like thinking about losing you, even hypothetically.” He ran his hands over the curve of Lance’s back and up through his hair, he tried to memorize every detail, just in case. “However, should you choose to not become immortal, that is perfectly fine as well.”
“What do you want?” Lance asked.
“What I want shouldn’t dictate your decision.”
“Barbatos, I need to know what you want. I know what I want, but only if you want the same thing.”
Barbatos’s hand moved to Lance’s face. His cheek brushed against the human’s cheek. His eyes started to glow with his greed. His horns and tail quickly manifested. “I want you to be with me forever.”
Lance smiled softly as he gazed into the demon’s eyes. “Would forever be long enough for you?”
"No,” he responded immediately, the glowing grew brighter.
“Would it be okay to start there, at least?” Barbatos closed his eyes and nodded. Lance leaned forward and pressed his lips against the demon’s cheek. “Then, let’s start with forever.”
“Does that mean…?”
“That I’ll become immortal? Yes.”
Barbato’s hand found its way to the back of Lance’s head and pulled the human closer. He crashed his lips against Lance’s, desperately trying to convey everything he felt at that moment. “You’ll be with me forever?” he gasped out as he pulled away. His eyes searched Lance’s eyes for any hesitation.
“Yes,” Lance whispered to him with his eyes closed. “I love you and want to be with you for as long as I possibly can.” His eyes fluttered open and he frowned. “You’re crying, Little Bat.”
Barbatos shifted so that Lance was now on his back on the bed while Barbatos laid with his head resting against his chest, listening to every beat of his heart. “I’m happy. This has been plaguing me for so long, that now that you’ve made your decision, I feel as though I can finally breathe.”