IMPORTANT FOREWORD

English isn't my native language, which made it pretty difficult for me to write this story. Therefore I want to thank my editor Sousuke Tenki for helping me.

This is a modern AU, which follows the life of Astrid, who gets visited from a demon every time something really bad happens to her. Therefore most chapters are a mixture of hurt/comfort and details about living as a demon, which are necessary for the plot in later chapters.

The stuff about heaven, hell, demons, angels, etc. isn't supposed to match with the bible, nor does it represent my personal belief.

This story is first and foremost a romance (Hiccstrid), which gets pretty cheesy at some points, so be prepared. The rating is T for mild swearing, violence and really mild lemons.

At the beginning of every chapter will be a short summary.

SUMMARY OF THIS CHAPTER

Astrids mother dies because of an car accident and the demon takes Astrid to heaven to let the girl speak with her for one last time.

Chapter 1 - Mother

Astrid never felt lonely. Since she was a little girl, she always had this feeling that someone was looking out for her. When she was six years old, her mother told her about guardian angels and how everyone was supposed to have one. From that day forward, Astrid imagined the presence she felt were the protective wings of her personal angel wrapping around her when she was alone. Even though most children concluded that magical things like angels didn't exist when they grew older, Astrid didn't belong to this group because she could always feel that there was someone with her, but she never would have thought she would actually meet her companion one day.

Astrid was 12 years old when her mother died in a car accident.

She cried the whole day till deep into the night and when she finally stopped she was utterly exhausted. She lay in her bed, closing her swollen red eyes and hoping sleep would take her, but the pain in her chest was just too great. Each beat of pain consuming more of her being, seemingly going on towards the end of her existence where nothing was left besides the cold feeling of loss. Her mother was gone and she would never see her again. With every minute that passed this sentence became truer for Astrid. She was twelve years old and lost the person she loved the most in the world.

It was in this moment of despair, when the presence accompanying her for her whole life grew stronger than any previous moment in her life.

"Astrid?" An unknown voice asked softly.

Astrid immediately opened her eyes and let out a yelp of surprise. There, in her room, in the dead of the night stood a foreign scrawny, little boy with auburn hair and forest green eyes. His appearance made her guess he was her age and he didn't seem dangerous, but his unexpected, and silent arrival was enough to freak her out.

"W-who are you?! What are you doing in my room?!" She yelled in panic.

"You know who I am. You feel me beside you all day," he answered calmly.

Astrid's eyes went wide, realizing what his words meant.

'This couldn't be true, could it?' she pondered hastily. "You... you are my guardian angel?" She asked with shock clear in her voice.

He gave her a small, toothy smile. "I'm your guardian, but I'm not an angel," he answered.

This caused Astrid to frown in confusion, making the young boy sigh. "Please don't freak out... There is just no easy way to say this therefore I will make this short; I'm a demon."

"What?!" She screamed, flinching away from him.

"Calm down please! I'm not here to hurt you! I'm here to help!"

"And pigs might fly! Get away from me, you monster!"

"Astrid, I can take you to your mother!"

This caused the young girl to shut up, but changed her expression to utter horror.

"No! No, not what you think!" The demon responded quickly, realizing the implications of what he spoke prior. "She isn't in hell! I just want to take you for a short time to heaven and bring you back here."

Astrid paused to catch her breath and to process what he told her. Afterwards, she immediately narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"

"Who said there is a catch?" Answered the demon with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, come on! You are a demon! What do you want? My soul? You will never get that!" She spat angrily.

"Do you even know what a demon does?"

"You mean besides bargaining for souls of innocent people?"

"Hardy harr, harr, but no. We make sure that evil souls go to hell and don't escape – nothing more. We don't torture anyone and we don't trick innocent people," the demon explained.

"And I should believe you because you make yourself look like a wimp?" She asked sarcastically. These words caused the demon to flinch, making the little girl continue questioning, "What? Are you telling me you are actually looking like this?"

She snorted, while thinking, 'A demon looking like a toothpick? If something like this would be in the bible, no one would have ever feared Satan.'

"No, I don't," he answered, his voice laced with tones of irritation. "But at some point, I did. There was a time when I was human too."

"And how did you end up as a demon?"

He shrugged. "I made a deal."

"Like the one you want to make with me? Forget it!"

"I already told you, I won't ask for you to become like this," the boy responded, waving his hands over the front of him. "I just want an apology in return."

"An apology?" She inquired bewilderedly. "For calling you a wimp?"

"No, I want an apology for something you will do in the future. I will ask for it, when it is time."

"You can look into the future?"

"Basically, time doesn't hold the same meaning, if you are a demon. Anyway, do we have a deal?" He proposed, stretching his left hand out. She frowned.

"I asked you only for an apology, how much harm could one cause?"

Astrid had to admit, he had a point there. With great reluctance, she shook his hand and suddenly fell unconscious.

When she awoke again, she wasn't in her room anymore. It was a wide-open space flooded with bright light that appeared to come from everywhere. Astrid squinted and tried to make out her surroundings, but the only thing that didn't blind her was the demon beside her. The light seemed to completely ignore him.

"It's too bright, I can't see anything," she complained.

"Welcome to the club," he grumbled. "You aren't dead and I'm a demon. We don't belong in heaven and therefore we don't get to see it."

Astrid felt betrayed. This was all she got? A blinding light? "And how am I supposed to find my mother, when I can't see shit?!" She asked angrily.

The demon opened his mouth to answer, but paused when he heard another voice.

"Stop swearing, young girl!" Astrid turned around to face the direction the voice came from. There stood – clearly for her eyes to see – her mother wearing a bright smile.

"Mom!" Astrid exclaimed, running to the older woman and enveloping her in a bone crushing hug. The demon watched them from afar, but didn't make a move to walk over. The girl was already crying and her mother tried to comfort her.

He couldn't make out single words, but he could still sense what they were saying. Her mother told Astrid that she was fine, that heaven was a great place and that Astrid would see her again one day and until then, she would always watch over her and her father. The crying girl complained that it wasn't enough. She wanted her mother back, but the older woman answered only with a sad, understanding smile and told her that she loved her.

The rest of the time Astrid was held by her mother, who whispered reassurances in her ear and rubbed her back gently. At some point, both felt that their time together was almost over.

"Astrid, I have to tell you something," her mother began. "Do you know that your companion there is a demon?"

Astrid tried to wipe away her last tears and nodded. "He said demons aren't as bad as everybody thinks."

'God, this sounds so stupid,' she thought. He told her he was nice and suddenly he was trustworthy? What next? Following strangers home for candy?

"Hey, it's alright. Demons aren't evil," her mother seemed to sense what she thought. "But they have to wear a heavy burden. They have a very important job, but a very hard one as well. Therefore, many of them try to recruit people to become one of them." The older woman felt Astrid stiffen in her arms and she knew that her daughter understood what she meant. "Remember this and be careful."

Astrid opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. "It is time to go," the demon said and her mother ended their embrace.

"No!" Astrid yelled. "Please, no! Let me stay longer!" She begged.

"It's okay," her mother said. "I love you." And with these words, Astrid's world turned black once again. Shortly thereafter, she awoke back in her room.

"Are you alright?" A concerned voice asked and Astrid stood up to face the demon. A part of her wanted to scream at him for not giving her more time, but something deep inside of her told her that he did the right thing.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered and surprisingly it was true. The darkness that seemed to consume her when she thought about her mother's death wasn't there anymore. It felt oddly peaceful. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"You're welcome," the demon answered with a smile.

"So, what's your name?" Astrid asked after a moment of silence.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," he answered, brandishing a big grin.

"Are all demons this annoying?" She asked irritated.

"Only yours."

"Mine?"

"Yes, or do you think I will stop looking out for you only because you saw me?" He gave a small laugh. "Nope, not getting rid of me."

"Fantastic," she deadpanned, thanking the heavens silently. Demon or not, he did something beautiful for her tonight.

At that the demon, laughed out loud, causing Astrid laugh too. His laugh didn't sound scary or mean. It sounded kind of goofy and dorky and was somehow adorable. After a minute both calmed down.

"You will see me again, if you need me," he said in a serious yet friendly tone before vanishing into thin air before her eyes.