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“I think a demon has slipped into Heaven.”
The first to choke on their drink is Adam followed by Lute who slammed her fists on the counter, teeth grit and eyes wide in disbelief.
“Ex-fucking-scuse me?! Not possible. Not a chance that could ever happen!”
Adam didn’t bother wiping his mouth clean in favor of laughing loudly, mocktail droplets splattering over your freshly clean bar. The mask he seemingly liked to wear around the clock was securely attached to his hip but you wished he would have kept it on. Would have saved you of wiping down the counter again.
“Yeah! I mean, come on. They can’t exactly get up here easily, smooth brain. Is all the fake booze rotting your head?”
You blink. Your friends sure were supportive. The well loved rag was put back to work as you cleaned up after them, huffing quietly.
“Then explain why I’ve been seeing demon horns in the shadows. Or how about this real nasty chill at the back of my neck when I’m walking back home? Either it’s a demon or Heaven’s got a fun little stalker skulking about.”
Tapping at the glass of her drink, Lute just looks at you. It’s clear she isn’t on board with this theory of yours but she’s at least attempting to entertain it. That’s a lot more than what could be said for Adam but you never really gave him the benefit of doubt when it came to your safety.
She shoots her boss a mild glare before speaking. “It’s probably an over friendly soul,” She reasons, shrugging. “Everyone is so chipper and you’re so..”
“Not,” Adam interrupts, blunt as ever. “You’d make a lot more friends who don’t act weird if you, y’know, tried to be fucking normal. This weird goth shit you’re into is exactly welcoming.”
“Excuse me for not wanting to be covered in neons and pastels.”
“You’re excused, babe.”
The sopping wet wrap finds a nice home square on his face. He sputters and nearly falls off his seat which gives you some warm fuzzies. Inconveniencing him was always the highlight of your day.
All your fun aside.. There was still a real problem you were facing. Your lip wobbles slightly before you slump onto the counter, elbow propping you up and your cheek smooshed to the palm of your hand.
“I wouldn’t bring it up if I didn’t go through any other option, guys.” Your voice betrays you by how quiet it is.
Your trembling body attempted to steady itself on the wood underneath you, digits smoothing over your lips, swallowing thickly as you recounted terrifying encounters night after night.
A month ago, sharp curled horns that cut through the lights at night when you went for a walk. The faux insects growing silent when the anonymous being stalked through the park, never letting you get a clear view of it. You hardly slept a wink that night.
A week ago, a window broken into at the back of your bar. It was easily replaceable but the thought of someone disrupting your peace was unnerving. Nothing was even stolen or disturbed. Just the silent knowledge that someone had broken in and skulked around your privacy.
A day ago, they made themselves known. You had woken up from a dream of Earth in the middle of the night. Going down the steps from bedroom to kitchen but in doing so you must have spooked them. The light from the hallway was enough to expose the outline of a stranger in your home. Glowing white eyes and razor sharp horns. A razor tooth smile also lit up the darkness when you made eye contact, your figure frozen in place unable to do anything but stare.
You haven’t been able to sleep since.
Frustrated tears bubble at your eyes, shuddering as you take in a harsh breath. “And that’s not even all of them. I always feel like there’s eyes on me or someone just a couple of feet behind me. I.. I’m really scared, Lute. I don’t know what to do.”
There has never been a time when you have seen fear on Lute or Adam’s face and to this day that remains the same. The expression that crossed her face in particular was difficult to make out but what you didn’t miss was the twitch upwards on her lips. It must be nerves, you reason. The topic was tricky.
She places her hands atop of yours to steady them and you stand up properly, leaning further into her space.
“I will personally make sure that whoever this monster is won’t see the light of day,” She vows to you, voice icy. “If they think they can terrorize you then they have another thing coming, winner or otherwise.”
“Obviously it’s a winner- Not a chance in Hell or Heaven it’s a demon.” Adam piped up, arms crossed over his chest.
He was a weird case. Not quite a friend but definitely too familiar to not count as one. The class clown that doesn’t take himself seriously while he simultaneously demands respect. He’s a dickhead but at least he seemed to be somewhat in tuned to the somber mood you’re in.
When your gaze is cast downwards, his golden eyes shift sharply to his lieutenant who adamantly keeps her own on your body. There’s a conversation to be had when they both leave.
Lute’s hands give yours a gentle squeeze and you manage a wobbly smile. “Thanks, Lute. I’m really happy I have you in my life. I know we don’t see eye to eye on some things but this… Fuck, this really means a lot. I owe you one.”
Before you gave yourself a chance to really think it through, your wings lifted up your weight and practically shot yourself over the counter to hug her. She was rendered still as a board as your arms wrapped around her, staring dumbly at the bottles behind you with her arms frozen midair.
No one would ever see how her face very, very briefly took on an ichor flush or the smile twitching into her lips.
Adam, however, did whistle like the dog he is. “Hot. Could have done without all the mushy lovey dovey crap but this will make for some greeeeat JO fodder.”
You weakly glare at him, stifling a laugh. “You get one chance to join the hug pile before I rescind the offer entirely.”
That seemed to wake Lute out of her stupor and she immediately yanked you out of the air and onto her lap, holding you tightly and firmly away from him. “You don’t get a hug. You won’t be the one patrolling their apartment.”
“Who said I even wanted one?” Adam stuck his tongue out at her. “Yuck! If I wanted some skin on skin action then I’d get familiar with my right hand again. Sexy scary babe with ambiguous gender thing wimp hug fest isn’t that tempting, sorry.”
The pair bickered back and forth with insult after HR level remarks but they seemed to take it in stride. There was once a time that you thought you had stumbled upon a really fucked up relationship but it turned out to be some sort of fucked up work place dynamic. Guess Heaven isn’t entirely so good all around but you trusted Lute to figure her issues out.Still, it wasn’t that comforting to know that even Earth level badness still existed in paradise. Your grasp tightened on Lute at the nagging reminder of your stalker.
While you were still in a budding friendship with the woman, you believe you can rely on her. On occasion she was sort of off putting or overbearing but you believed she had a good heart. I mean, she’s an angel! Heaven born!
Another burst of spontaneity comes to you when you lift yourself up just enough to press a kiss to her cheek. Golden eyes stare at you in shock but you just laughed, flushed.
“Thank you again,” You whisper, pulling her back into a hug.
She didn’t respond back but you didn’t mind all that much. Not when her arms would curl back around you and hold you close, her nose pressed to your hair and let you find comfort in her as long as you wanted.
Maybe you could have stayed there with her all day if it hadn’t been for an obnoxious third party. Adam cleared his throat like he was trying to hack up a third lung, lips pressed into a thin line and tapping his foot.
“All this lovin’ is making Daddy bored. C’mon, we gotta roll out to the next gig.”
It was you that separated from Lute first, gently tugging her off the bar stool and onto her feet. Humans were still so much more smaller than Heavenborns and it showed with the height difference between you and Lute. Adam still towered over you both but you assumed that’s because of him being a special case.
“Text me?” You smile up at her, some apprehension at being alone once more. Your bar was the safest spot in Heaven with her presence plus Adam so with them leaving.. Argh, better not to dwell on it too much.
She nodded without hesitation. “Once I’m free we can talk. Promise. No abominations will ever lay a hand on you.”
“Aaaalright, let’s get this show on the road,” Adam ruffled your hair up way more than necessary, snickering at your groaning. “Later, groupie. Try to not look like easy prey next time and maybe you won’t have a looney knocking on your door.”
“Uh huh. Totally. Bye Adam, bye Lute.”
It was dark outside once the pair were outside the walls of your bar. Soon enough the light inside your business was turned off and Lute knew that meant you were cleaning up the back. Safe and sound. No one to bother you tonight.
The same can’t be said for herself, however. Jury is still out on whether she deserves it or not.
Walking to the exorcist building isn’t anything new but this late at night was an oddity. Adam didn’t make any moves to fly so neither did she. They walked side by side in silence, Lute’s fingers curled up tight until her nails dug into palm, eyes trained at the world in front of her.
It was Adam that first broke the silence and for once she wished it was just because he wanted to spout more bullshit.
“You gotta cut that shit out. You’re a psycho for thinking you could even keep it up for this long.”
Lute’s jaw was locked tight, refusing to acknowledge Adam as she continued walking. He scoffed.
“Just had to pick the only soul here that had half a brain, huh? Go chase after one of those dumb bunnies. I hear they’re great in bed. Heh, bet your little bartender is even better-”
“Don’t you dare talk about them like that-!”
Adam catches Lute by the wrist before her finger could get too close to his face. She rarely ever displayed such blatant disrespect before him but you were always a soft spot for her. A weakness she had allowed.
“Or what? You’ll make me your next target?” He grinned cruelly down at her before harshly throwing her arm aside.
His arms cross over his chest, sneering at his subordinate. “I nipped that shit in the bud the second I caught a whiff of your creepy obsession and now you’re giving it to them. I thought you like, liked them? Like a normal person?”
“I do like them.”
“A little too much! Fucking stalking them?! You’re making the rest of us look bad, you crazy bitch.”
Lute growled deep in her throat, wings rising and fluffing up as her irritation grew. “It’s not like I’m hurting them!”
“Not physically at least.” Adam rolled his eyes. “Look, you don’t know shit about shit when it comes to humans. They don’t exactly like being treated as prey when they’re supposed to be safe.”
She shifted her weight from foot to foot. Ashamed doesn’t even begin to describe how she feels but she refuses to let it consume her, not in front of him.
“They’re tough. They can handle it.”
“Until they break down and come crawling to you for protection. Heh, I bet that’s what you wanted, huh? To play the hero and comfort them?”
She goes silent.
Adam stares at her for a moment or two before bursting into laughter, hand smacking his forehead and tearing up from just how hard he’s laughing. All she can do is scowl and avert her gaze.
“I-Is that really it?! You’re fucking demented! That’s some Jeffrey Dauhmer shit and you call yourself an angel?!”
“It’s not-”
“Oh please, don’t be stupid. We both know you’re smarter than this so don’t play dumb. It doesn’t look cute on you.” The first man doesn’t look disappointed in her but pleased definitely isn’t part of the roster either.
Disgusted? Annoyed? Flabbergasted? Something along those lines that she couldn’t quite make up. It must be a human thing.
She has some sense to look embarrassed, gritting her teeth and balling up her fists in this fit of shame.
He rolled his eyes at her, perpetual hunched body now hovering over her. “I don’t care what sort of freaky deaky shit you get up to when you’re not skewering demons or hollering at exorcists. Not my problem — What is my problem is when one of the residents think someone is fucking stalking them.”
“I’m not stalking!” She shouts back at him to no real reaction. “I’m protecting! They’re starting to get too content here, too comfortable.”
“Uh, yeah, dummy. That’s like, the entire point of Heaven. There isn’t any danger so they can relax. The only real harm here is you, pussy cat.”
A hiss slipped past her lips at the mere implication of his words. She glowered at him, heart beating far too quickly in her chest. “I would never hurt them, Adam.”
Adam’s lips curled into a nasty smirk, poking at her chest. “Right. Don’t pretend like it hasn’t crossed your mind. Scary sword, scary helmet definitely isn’t sus at all. Try keeping it off next time you go on another little ‘date’ with them. Clearly it isn’t concealing you as much as you think it is.”
She knew he could be callous and crude but this? This felt taunting. He wanted to get a rise out of her and she knew this intimately but she eats straight out of his hand without second thought. Lute had never wanted to wipe that smug smirk off his face more than she does right now.
This was one of the things that kept that nagging worm of toxicity firmly lodged in her brain. How he could so easily possess her without anything physical, to strike fear and desire into the very marrow of her bones, flooding her ichor rich veins with his sinful grace. Her cheeks grew flushed, biting her tongue.
Her heart may be beginning to mold itself around yours but there would always be a part of her that has a piece of her stitched to Adam’s.
“Buuuut y’know what? Girls just wanna have fun! Who am I to deny you of your sick, gross, sexy fun?? Y’know, other than the obvious.” He cackled as he circled around her until he stood behind her figure, imposing with his stature.
His hands would rest on her shoulders and yank her head to face the direction of your bar. Lute obediently, dumbly, followed his order.
“That little doll in there? That’s all yours, babes.”
“… What are you- But you were just reprimanding me-”
“Shut up, Lute.” He snapped, eyes rolling. “You’re kinda getting too intense after I stomped out your obsession over me and while Daddy finds it hot, daddy also thinks you gotta chillax. Put that energy into some dumb winner. Looks like you were thinking the same, too. Heh, I knew I made the right choice in having you be my second in command.
Soo… Have at ‘em. No death, don’t go fuckin’ around with things you shouldn’t, and don’t get caught.”
His hands leave her figure, Lute stumbling slightly like a puppet released from its strings. She covered her mouth, trying to smooth out the manic smile trying to form on her lips, shoulders trembling.
“Is that an order, sir?”
Lute turns her head slightly to catch a glimpse of him, barely contained kinetic energy bouncing around from limb to limb. Adam tilted his head as he examined her before a sleazy smirk took shape.
“That’s an order, Lieutenant.”
If Adam said anything after that then Lute didn’t have a clue. All that remained of her presence was called feathers of her wings after she shot up into the air, wings flapping in the wind with your bar and home being her final destination.