Work Text:
The youth pastor never expected to be face to face with the devil himself. Despite having admittedly grown a soft spot for a coffee addicted imp he still thought maybe, just maybe, he’d see the pearly gates to heaven.
The office had been silent- er as silent as it can be with the souls of the damned outside his window. Damien didn’t seem to care, but considering his status as now “king of hell” that isn’t shocking.
Craig couldn’t take the… ambient noise thus after taking a shaky breath he spoke up, “Was I supposed to be in hell?”
Damien looked up from his desk at the pastor, he could feel the demon’s red eyes piercing into his soul. “You’re here aren’t you?”
Craig shook his head, “I know, but I didn’t die did I? I remember…” His face scrunched in confusion, trying to recall the last time he was on the surface. “I got dropped here through one of those stray portals you all talk about.”
“Fate is fate.” Damien laughed. “Does it matter how you got here? Pretty sure your boyfriend would damn you here anyhow.”
Imp Tweek had been idly ruffling through the papers Disarray handed him to organize, until Damien caught his attention. “Gah- What?! I would never!”
Damien tilted his head, guessing from his expression, that gave him an idea. He stood up from his desk, his gaze returning to the pastor sitting across from him. “Can you follow me real quick?”
Craig quirked his brow, “…Why?”
Damien stepped around the desk, leaning over to whisper to the pastor. His words made Craig’s still living heart skip a beat, “I could pull some strings for you.”
Craig knew this was a trick. He knew better, absolutely, yet still he joined Damien on this… tour? Around hell? He wasn’t sure of the point of this. And yet here he was listening to the devil’s son ramble about his home.
Damien was about to start on yet another tangent when the pastor decided to cut in. “You… said you could get me into heaven?” He said, doubt ever clear despite his flat tone of voice.
Damien chuckled, “I never said that. I said I could get you to the surface. Same difference.”
The pastor, for the first time since he got here, looked Damien in the eye. His expression clearly became frustrated, “How is that the same thing?!”
Damien smiled, it was.. softer than Craig expected. It felt almost genuine? That fact concerned him more than Damien’s razor sharp teeth.
“If you were per say, here wrongly, wouldn’t another chance up above be your ticket to heaven? I can give you a one way trip to the surface.”
Craig, squinted at the demon, feeling this was too good to be true. “…You can do that?”
“No shit.” He chuckled, “I fuck with mortal’s all the time. It wouldn’t be a challenge in the slightest.” Damien elbowed him, making the pastor flinch. “And I’m the ruler of hell, who is going to argue with me?”
“…Fair point.” Craig went silent thinking it over, he held the cross pendant he wore in his palm. “Is there a catch?”
“You don’t trust me.” The demon chuckled, “Sharp one you are, but I genuinely don’t need much. I just want an update on the surface.”
He sighed, then glanced at the ceiling, “Kenneth hasn’t seen much since I sent him up.”
“…Kenny? He was here??”
Damien glanced back to the pastor, nodding slowly “Mhm, he stops by… frequently. You think you’re my only visitor?”
Craig, tilted his head once again clearly confused, “Is this common?”
“In a way.” He replied quickly, hand waving the topic, then turning to properly face the pastor. Craig stopped in his tracks, his grip on the cross growing tighter.
Damien extends his hand to the other, “Is that a deal?”
Craig knew this was a horrible idea, and yet, he found himself shaking the devil’s hand.
Immediately, his other hand began to burn, the cross now searing its impression into his skin. He would’ve screamed if it weren’t for Damien suddenly plunging a pitchfork into his abdomen.
The literal hellish pain was blinding, but it only lasted a moment. He leaned forward slightly holding onto Damien’s shoulders for support.
The devil looked him in the eye, with a wide toothed grin, “Say hi to the priest Maxi for me, would you?”
Before he could reply, Craig’s vision went black.
He didn’t properly process what Damien had said, until he came to lying in front of a church. Sitting up he felt… something gushing under his hand.
The sight he saw when he lifted his hand off of his abdomen would’ve made him faint, if he hadn’t already met the devil earlier. 3 holes in a horizontal line (assumingly from the pitchfork) remained.
Craig wasn’t sure what to make of it, he didn’t want to think of the repercussions right now. He sighed as he slowly stood up and resigned himself to, for now, be the devil’s newest pawn.