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It was a day like any other day in the lives of Skeppy and BadBoyHalo, two massively different creatures that somehow managed to form a tight bond with each other.
First, we have Skeppy, an ancient diamond from the depths of the overworld. Able to shift from a tiny anthropomorphic diamond to a humanoid figure in mere seconds. He's usually in his human form, as he can create and bend diamonds to his will whilst keeping his height.
Then we have Bad, a demon who has been alive for centuries. His physique is big and resembles a cat's body, with fur, sharp retractable claws, horns and huge feathered wings. However, he also holds the capacity to walk on two legs, which is what he prefers.
He always refused to form friendships or adopt pets, as he knew he would always out-live them and suffer through their loss.
He hated the pain that it caused him, but he also hated forcing himself to be alone.
But that changed when he met Skeppy, a lonely being that was immortal like himself. He could finally share the same struggles with someone.
That was enough to turn them into best friends. Finally he had someone who wouldn't leave him due to their mortality.
Naturally, they went everywhere together, they moved in together in a cozy cabin in the woods and they even tied their souls together so that they were never apart.
Both of them were really happy.
—
Skeppy and Bad had eaten their usual breakfast, done their daily chores and gone hunting and gathering for the day as supplies were running low around their shared house.
It was all going well until they realized it had gotten darker than they would've liked.
Getting back wouldn’t be a problem since they hadn’t ventured that far from their home. However, all the mobs that kept appearing were making it harder and harder to return.
The two creatures kept fighting them off as they inched closer and closer towards their shared home.
As Skeppy slaughtered listlessly another zombie with his diamond sword, he failed to register a growing hiss behind him that was outheard by the dead’s pained whine.
“SKEPPY! LOOK OUT!” He heard Bad’s distressed call, causing him to panic. He barely had time to turn before his vision was blocked by darkness and he felt a pair of arms hold onto him tightly, shielding him from danger.
He heard the creeper’s explosion boom next to him, and a strained yelp.
“Oh my goodness- Skeppy, are you okay?” Bad asked quickly, stepping back and holding onto his best friend’s shoulders protectively. His face looked a bit pained as it looked down at him.
It was then that it registered in Skeppy's mind that it was Bad who had taken the blow.
“Am I okay- Are YOU OKAY? Holy crap dude- Your whole back took the hit!” Skeppy asked back with concern, moving to look at Bad’s injury.
“Don’t worry, I used my wings to protect us. Does it… look bad?” Bad inquired softly as he turned around and spread his wings a little bit.
He ignored the pain that the action caused him.
Skeppy squinted his eyes at the sight in front of him.
Bad’s wings were naturally black at the top as its feathers faded to a bright red and fiery orange at the bottom. He always thought they were really pretty.
Luckily, Bad was about a foot taller than Skeppy so he could see them perfectly without moving his head.
Right now, he could see that there were patches with very few feathers. Red patches.
“They don't look good to me, Bad…” The diamond hybrid replied with a worried tone, “They don't usually have this much red.”
“What? Oh my gosh- We have to get home now!” The demon exclaimed, grabbing Skeppy’s wrist and pulling him towards their house.
The duo speed-walked with urgency, moving past mobs and only attacking when necessary.
They made it home in a few, but long minutes.
“I’ll get you some healing potions,” Skeppy stated, taking off his armor, placing all his items away and running into their enchanting room which had their brewing stand.
He rummaged through the chests and pulled out some blaze powder, a nether wart, a glistering melon slice and three bottles of water.
He loaded up the blaze powder onto the brewing stand, got the water bottles in place and applied the nether wart.
The effect was instant as the nether wart dissolved into the bottles. He then placed the glistering melon on it which caused the water’s hue to shift to a bright red.
When it was done, he grabbed the 3 healing pots plus some tissues and made his way back to Bad.
The demon was sitting in a stool, testing out the movement of his wings. It seemed like he had also taken off and stored his armor and items.
“So? How does it look? I can't really tell…” Bad muttered, trying to look at his back with not much success.
Skeppy just stared.
Now that he had lighting to work with, he noticed Bad’s wings were worse than he expected. A lot of his delicate feathers were stuck to the open skin of the wings, revealing a little flesh and a lot of blood.
He grimaced.
“Mmm not good. Here, drink this and I’ll apply the other two to your wings,” Skeppy ordered with seriousness in his voice, handing Bad a healing potion and moving towards Bad’s wings.
He held up the tissues he had brought, “I’ll need to clean up some of the blood first, by the way. Can I touch your wings?”
“Yeah, go ahead,” Bad replied, so he began. He placed the tissues on the edges of the injuries to get rid of any dripping blood, rubbing it forcefully and carefully.
Skeppy shifted the sides of the tissues to get as much blood as possible. Fortunately, Bad’s skin coagulated faster due to his demonic nature so he wouldn't need to worry about more blood seeping through.
When he was done, he uncorked one of the bottles and moved towards Bad’s left wing. He tried removing all the loose feathers before moving the liquid towards the injury.
“I’m gonna start now, okay?” Skeppy warned, and he saw Bad nod with a hum.
With that out of the way, he slowly poured the bright red liquid on top of the damaged skin, causing Bad to inhale sharply.
He saw the skin repairing itself at a quicker pace than usual, causing him to smile gently for helping his best friend.
The diamond hybrid placed small amounts of the liquid on top of the small injuries around the wing until it was fully repaired.
He noticed Bad drinking the potion as he worked along.
He repeated the same process with the other wing, removing loose feathers, applying the potion and waiting until it was fully healed.
He noticed new feathers growing rapidly on top of the bare, repaired skin.
Must be an effect of the healing potions.
“Alright Bad, that’s it,” Skeppy sighed in relief, “Try them out.”
“Alright,” Bad replied trustingly, getting off the stool.
He slowly lifted them up as they stretched as far as they could go. He flapped them a bit, then tucked them into his back.
“They feel good as new!” Bad exclaimed with a toothy grin, turning around towards Skeppy, “Thank you!”
Skeppy grinned back, sheepishly scratching the back of his head, “I guess I should also say thank you for saving me. I would literally be dead if it weren't for you.”
“Aww, you’re welcome Geppy. You know how I get when you’re in danger,” Bad beamed back, pulling his soulmate into a tight embrace.
Skeppy gladly reciprocated.
“Alright,” Bad started, pulling away, “Let’s get ready for bed now.” He ruffled Skeppy’s hair as he moved upstairs, the diamond following behind him with a small grin.
—
Skeppy was brushing his teeth in his bathroom when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.
He had already showered and had slid on a nice pair of comfortable pajamas to sleep in.
“Cfompfin!” Skeppy exclaimed, spitting the bubbled toothpaste on his sink and cleansing his mouth.
Once he was dried, he jogged towards his door and opened it, an angry BadBoyHalo waltzing inside without warning.
“SKEPPY!” Bad exclaimed with irritation, crossing his arms and standing in front of Skeppy, his wings on full display and his spaded tail flicking aggressively.
Well, at least Bad was also wearing his own pair of comfortable pajamas. Always with red and black colors. Skeppy thought they looked cute.
“Uh… yeah…? What’s up?” The diamond hybrid hesitantly replied, unsure of why his best friend was angry at him.
“Ugh don't you SEE?” Bad fumed, turning around to show his wings, “All the feathers that grew from the gashes are all crooked! Why didn't you SAY anything?”
Skeppy silently realized Bad wasn't actually mad at him, he was just being dramatic to get his point across.
“Well, I thought you didn't mind?” He inquired quietly, failing to suppress his giggly smile.
He honestly had no idea what his best friend was on about.
“DIDN’T MIND? OF COURSE I CARE ABOUT THE WAY I PRESENT MYSELF! I-” Bad sighed loudly, “Whatever- Just- Look, I can't reach the back of my wings and I need help to get them fixed, so…”
Bad had gone suddenly quiet, dropping his gaze to the ground, causing Skeppy to tilt his head in confusion.
“So?” He deadpanned, crossing his arms.
“Can you help… fix my wings?” Bad asked gently, looking back up at him with a flushed face that he tried to hide under his fist.
Okay, so he's clearly embarrassed, don't make a big deal out of it.
“Sure, man. Just tell me how and I’ll do it,” Skeppy answered lightly, causing Bad to sigh in relief.
“Okay… Well first, we need to sit down somewhere. I do not want to stand up the whole time for this,” Bad started, “Is your bed okay? I can sit in front of you.”
“Yeah!” Skeppy snickered, “It’ll be like a braid train!-” He gasped, “Oh my god! You should totally let me braid your hair!”
“Nope- Out of the question! Now here,” Bad finished as he sat down on the blue bed, sitting criss-cross applesauce.
Skeppy followed, placing himself behind Bad with all of his comfortable pillows.
“Okayy! So how do I do it, BadBoy?”
“Well- First of all, could you- like um,” His wings inverted into themselves a little, “Could you kinda like… run your hands through them? I- I just need to get used to the feeling first…”
Okay, so this actually sounds kinda serious. Just don't make Bad uncomfortable and do what he says. He can do that.
“Alright… that I can do,” Skeppy stated, moving his hands to hover over Bad’s wings, “I’m gonna do it now, okay?”
“Mhm,” Bad hummed back, crossing his arms into himself.
Hesitantly, Skeppy placed his tanned hands on Bad’s wings, and slowly began brushing them around the large area, digging his fingers into the feathers
Instantly, Bad’s brain short-circuited.
His mind seemed to stop working as it could only chant "Skeppy Skeppy Skeppy" repeatedly as the diamond ran his hands through his wings.
Why was this suddenly happening? Look, demons are strange beings.
They’re natural hybrids of different animals like bats, goats, lambs- you name it.
It all depends on the demon’s biology, genetics and ancestry.
Bad is also a mix of many animal characteristics, from physical to physiological. He has bird wings, small gayal horns and a big part of his instincts are based off of a cat’s.
Bad knows he’s more feline than avian, but he can just feel how his internalized bird brain is melting at having his wings being petted by Skeppy.
Meanwhile, the diamond hybrid was beyond ecstatic at the current situation. It had never crossed his mind how soft Bad’s feathers actually were.
Sure, there had been times when he got to feel them when they got wrapped around him on rare occasions, but this was the first time he properly got to touch them.
Bad’s wings felt like the coziest pillows on his hands. Like petting a dog’s fluffy fur, but even better.
He almost lost himself before quickly remembering the task at hand.
“Uh- Is that okay?” The diamond hybrid asked softly, stopping his hands from moving but leaving them lightly on top of Bad.
“Yeah, that should- um, do it…” Bad murmured back, covering his heated face in his hands.
Skeppy felt how Bad’s long tail began slowly wrapping around him, securing itself on his waist.
“Okay, so how do I deal with the crooked feathers?”
“Oh- Uh… First I’ll need to-” Bad cut himself off by ruffling and puffing up his feathers.
Skeppy stared in silent awe.
“Okay, so you’ll need to go over the ones that just came out from the injuries and- actually, do you even have claws for this?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Well, to preen- I mean, tidy feathers, you need something like a beak or claws to really get in there, y’know?”
“Ohh, well I can use my powers to give myself diamond claws… Would that work?”
“Yeah, I think it will.”
“Alright.”
Skeppy pulled his hands back and focused his magic onto the tips of his fingers. Steadily, he started feeling his nails being covered by sharp, thin pieces of diamond, resembling prosthetic nails.
“Okay, I got them.”
“Great. So, do you notice how all the other feathers look a little circular but the ones from the patches look more messy?”
Squinting his eyes, Skeppy did perceive that all the other feathers’ barbs were neatly laid out and formed a circular edge at the end, but how the newer feathers’ barbs were divided and disorganized.
“Yeap, why?”
“Well, you need to get the messy feathers to look like the neat feathers by, y’know, running through them with your claws.”
“Okay… so, like this?”
The diamond chose a small patch of feathers and ran his hand through them to get them to settle down.
He grabbed a feather with his makeshift claws, squeezed the feather between his nails and pulled it along to straighten it.
It seemed to work, he just needed to do it a few more times.
“Like that?” Skeppy asked, looking up to see Bad’s reaction if he turned.
“Mhm, just like that…” He replied quietly, his tail giving Skeppy a small, affectionate squeeze.
—
Steadily, Skeppy went through all of Bad’s messy feathers, straightening them out until they looked perfect.
He lost himself easily in the action, as it gave him something for his hands to do while his mind wandered off.
However, his mind quickly came back when he heard… cooing?
Bad… was cooing.
Skeppy instantly pulled up a hand to his face to cover his widening grin.
Oh my GOD! Bad can coo? That's so cute!
“Um, Bad?” Skeppy asked softly, his smile audible in his voice, “Is everything alright?”
“Hmm?” The sleepy demon replied with a dumbfounded tone, his head on his hands.
“Well- Uh, I couldn't help but notice that little sound you’re making?”
“Huh? Euhh- Oh!- Oh my GOSH-” Bad exclaimed with an embarrassed voice, moving away from Skeppy’s hands and covering his face despite the diamond not even being able to see it.
His cooing stopped instantly.
“...Why were you?-”
“Oh my goodness- Skeppy, please ignore that just happened, I-”
“Hold on-”
“That wasn't meant to occur so could we please just pretend that this never-”
“Bad, calm down!” Skeppy urged with gentleness. He wanted to rub his friend’s shoulders to comfort him, but he couldn't reach them so he began petting the demon’s wings reassuringly.
“Just calm down. Stop freaking out, dude…”
“Oh my goodness- You are not helping right now Sgeppy,” Bad replied with a low voice, crossing his arms.
“Whatever, just… Look, we can't just… pretend that never happened, okay?- I’ve never, seen this side of you before and… if you trust me enough to bind our souls together, then you shouldn't feel embarrassed about this.”
Bad sighed loudly, folding instantly.
“So answer me, were you just cooing right now?”
“...Yes, Skeppy, I was…” Bad answered, looking down.
“Can I know why? I didn't even know you could do that.”
“I just…” Bad shifted uncomfortably on his spot. He sighed, “Do you promise to not make fun of me?”
“Of course,” Skeppy replied, sounding both serious and genuine.
“...It just felt so nice to have you preen my wings- It was so so nice- I know I sound weird- It's a bird thing but oh my gosh…”
After a moment, he continued, “...I just couldn't help it. The cooing…”
Skeppy sat dumbfounded at the new information he was given.
“So… you liked it so much that you just started… cooing?”
“...Yeah?”
Why is that making him smile so much?
“Well-”
“If you’re already done and if you want to- of course- could you do my entire wings?- Y’know they also need cleaning ‘cuz it's been so long and-”
Bad’s rant was cut off by Skeppy, “Yes, Bad. I’ll do it.”
“Wait- Really?” The demon inquired quietly, failing to sound less excited than he actually was.
“Yes, dude. You freak out too much,” Skeppy finished, moving his hands to preen the edge of Bad’s now-flared wings.
Bad’s breath hitched.
“Muffins- Warn me before you do that!” He breathed, attempting to sound frustrated but ending up sounding flustered.
Skeppy rolled his eyes with a smile.
—
God knows what time it was when Skeppy finally finished.
Y’know, it hadn't really crossed his mind how LARGE Bad’s wings were, because going through every single feather took a while.
At least he got to learn new BadBoyHalo facts.
Like how preening his wings leaves him cooing loudly in a very sleepy state.
And how his tail would wrap around him more and more as time went by.
When Skeppy was done, he pulled away and exclaimed, “Alright, Bad. That’s it.”
There was no response as the coos faded away.
“Bad?”
He tried to get off the bed to look at Bad in the face, but the demon’s tail wouldn't let him.
“Uh- Bad?”
Bad slowly turned around, closing his wings behind him, slipping his tail back from around him and looked at him.
Skeppy noticed something different in Bad’s eyes.
They looked… blank?
Bad, overwhelmed with affection, suddenly grabbed him, pulled him into his arms and placed him on his lap, purring loudly at him with a smile.
Uhhh… what?
“Bad?” He asked, feeling his face warm up.
Bad mumbled with a husky voice, “Mmm… Mine, Sgeppy…”
Skeppy’s eyes widened in shock.
Okay, so, Bad has called him his before but…
Oh my god what has he done to BadBoyHalo?
“Bad?” He asked again, moving his face away since Bad had started nuzzling his head with his nose.
“Mrrrp?” He inquired back, switching back and forth between sniffing and snuggling into his hair.
Skeppy’s face was NOT red from it.
“Uh- What are you doing?” He asked, trying to wiggle away from Bad’s hold but failing miserably.
“Mrrp!” He beamed in return, holding him closer.
“That doesn't tell me anything, Bad…” Skeppy deadpanned in return.
Bad pulled back, causing Skeppy to look up at him.
He seemed to be deep in concentration.
“...Me…Show… Thanks.”
Skeppy tilted his head, “Thanks? Thanks for what?”
Bad smiled, “For… preening!”
The demon, eager to reciprocate Skeppy preening his wings, suddenly decided to groom his soulmate’s hair.
When Skeppy felt Bad lick his hair, he freaked out and automatically shifted into his smaller, diamond form.
He shrunk to the size of a potion bottle and covered his soft skin with a firm coat of diamond.
“Eugh! BAD- Why would you DO that??” He glared up at Bad from the demon’s lap.
Bad looked upset at his now-crystalized hair, but smiled back at getting to have small Skeppy.
He picked the diamond up easily on his palms and pulled him up to his face with his cute little smile.
“Small…” He mumbled happily, “So… small!”
Bad held him gently to his chest, cradling him.
Skeppy blinked.
What the fuck is going on right now?
Why is his best friend even acting like this right now?
Is Bad trolling him or something?
Skeppy looked up to find Bad staring fondly back at him.
He quickly looked away.
He doesn't think Bad is trolling him.
Maybe he accidentally triggered Bad’s… instinctive mode? He knows Bad is part cat and he did try and lick his hair so… maybe?
Skeppy pushed his thoughts away when he felt Bad pulling him up to be face-to-face.
Oh so gently, Bad began to brush his nose against the diamond, eyes closed and sniffing softly whilst purring.
If Skeppy could blush, he'd be red by now.
“Bad- I-” He was cut off when Bad opened his mouth and grabbed the back of his shirt with his teeth to hoist him into the air.
Skeppy knew he would survive if he were to fall due to his diamond skin, but that didn't stop him from internally freaking out.
“Bad- Bad- What are you doing?” His pleas were ignored as Bad got off the bed, stood up on all fours like a cat and began walking towards his room.
“Bad- Why are we?-” Bad hopped on his bed, still on all fours, spinned around while clawing at the comforter and curled into a ball, letting Skeppy go but keeping him really close.
Like, close enough he was pressed against his cheek as he let out softs huffs from his tiny snout.
Skeppy sighed.
Great, now how is he going to get out of here?
“Baddd?” He dragged out the name, “I want to go to my room!”
Bad whined sadly, “But… Soul, mate…”
The demon pulled him so they could be in front of each other.
“Me… want, rest… with soulmate,” he murmured with a pout, staring deep into his pitch black eyes.
Skeppy instantly looked away, AGAIN.
Ugh- Why must he be such a SOFTIE FOR BAD?
He groaned, hiding the non-existent blush on his cheeks.
Bad really pulled on Skeppy’s heartstrings.
“Fine- Whatever! Look- Let’s make a deal,” the diamond started, causing Bad to instantly pay attention to him.
“We can do whatever you want in here for a bit, and THEN I’ll go to my room. Deal?”
Bad nodded, placing him down on the mattress and moving away from him.
“Uh, Bad?” Skeppy asked with a confused expression, looking up at the demon who was now staring down at him with a polite smile.
“Shift,” Was all he said, causing Skeppy’s eyes to widen in realization.
He knows where this is going.
After a moment of hesitation, he began transforming, his diamond skin being pulled back to reveal human skin and his previous height changing to his normal.
“There…” He exhaled, causing Bad to beam, his tail swishing from side to side.
The demon tugged Skeppy back into his arms and placed him so his back was against his chest.
He began sniffing the diamond’s hair, and again, licking his hair and skull.
Skeppy suppressed the initial shiver.
Bad quickly focused on the affectionate action, happily rearranging Skeppy’s strands of hair to fit his own criteria.
He would first need to get all his hair wet, however.
On the other hand, Skeppy couldn't even understand how he was feeling anymore.
He didn't know why Bad was acting like this.
He didn't know how this ended up happening.
He didn't know when Bad would snap out of it.
However, there was something he did know that he would never admit to anyone.
Being completely honest, he liked Bad grooming his hair.
Something about the feeling of being held and his hair being handled by something sand-papery felt really nice.
It cooled off his skull and it helped him relax.
He closed his eyes, and pulled himself further into Bad’s embrace.
Bad purred in response.
“Wow, Bad. You're kinda good at this…” Skeppy mumbled, causing Bad to hum enthusiastically.
Skeppy allowed himself to enjoy this little moment, but not enough to fall asleep.
He still wanted Bad to hold up his side of the deal, because he had a slight feeling Bad would pretend not to remember if he fell asleep.
After a good while of moving around strands of hair here and there, Bad finally determined that Skeppy’s hair was good enough.
He wanted his muffin to stay here longer, but he didn't want to upset the diamond.
Hesitantly, he nudged Skeppy, causing him to open his eyes and look up at him with a sleepy gaze.
“You're done?” He asked softly, suppressing a yawn.
Bad nodded, slowly letting go of him. The diamond hybrid moved away and turned around to face him.
Skeppy smiled while rubbing at one of his eyes, “Thanks, Bad. Guess I’ll see you tomorrow…”
Bad quickly opened his arms, hoping to get one last hug and maaaybe convince his muffin to stay.
The diamond rolled his eyes with a smile, crawling over and hugging him one more time.
Bad whined sadly, purring loudly and hugging him close.
Skeppy pulled away to look at Bad in the eyes. He cupped the demon’s face on his hands.
“Don't worry, Bad,” he started, “It’ll only be for the night and tomorrow, we'll get to be together again.”
Bad sighed defeatedly, but nodded understandingly.
“Alright, good night, Bad,” Skeppy murmured, pulling away from the demon to get off the bed.
“Good night… Geppy,” Bad replied back, moving to lie down under his bedsheets.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Skeppy reassured as he walked towards the door, looking back at his demon.
Bad nodded and gave him a small wave.
Skeppy closed the door behind him, walked through the hallway and towards his room.
He landed face-first into his mattress.
He doesn't even want to think about what the hell just happened.
So naturally, he got under his comforter, moved into a comfortable position and proceeded to fall asleep in record time.
—
It was well into the night when Skeppy was woken by a soft sound coming from his bedroom door.
The diamond shifted, automatically paying attention to the noises that forced him awake.
Soft scratching.
His eyebrows furrowed.
What could be scratching his door at night?
In a second, the memories from yesterday of his demon best friend flooded into his mind.
Bad has never scratched doors, he always knocks but he wouldn't be surprised if Bad just wasn't back into his normal self yet and using a more animalistic strategy.
With a sigh, Skeppy pulled his comforter off his body, landed on the floor with a thud and made his way towards the door.
He opened the door with half-lidded eyes, “Yes, Bad?”
He looked down to find his best friend seated on the ground on all fours, looking up at him with a frown.
“I… missed you…” He replied with a low voice, moving to wrap his friend up in his arms, “...I couldn't… sleep.”
Skeppy felt a smile creeping on his face as he hugged back, running his hands through Bad’s soft hair.
Bad purred loudly in response, burying his face on his chest.
Skeppy pondered a question he wanted to ask the demon, deciding he was in favor of it since he knew it would happen either way.
“Do you wanna stay in my room? For the night?” He inquired softly. He felt Bad nod into his shirt in response.
Hesitantly, Bad let go to allow Skeppy to move.
The demon followed behind him as he got on his bed and moved aside to make space for him.
Bad jumped on the bed and steadily, they began adjusting themselves.
Skeppy ended up on top of Bad, the side of his head pressed against the crook of Bad’s neck.
The demon wrapped his arms and tail around his muffin, continuing his affectionate purring.
They both closed their eyes.
It was quite nice to hear purrs to sleep, Skeppy noted before falling asleep once again.