Matthew and Alfred lived in the same orphanage.
Matthew had been there since he was very little. His parents had died in a freak car accident that was blamed in demons. When he first read about how demons had killed his parents, he had sworn to become stronger, despite his timid personality.
Alfred was Matthew's foil. He was loud, obnoxious, and strong. Very strong. He had come to the orphanage when he was seven, and still wasn't used to it, even after three years. When he heard about Matthew's plan to become stronger, he had immediately approved, and helped whenever he could.
That was, until Alfred was adopted by a single man.
The man was nice and wealthy, buying what Alfred wanted, but making him earn it by being nice. He showered Alfred in kindness, slightly spoiling him. Alfred liked the man. He was nice and sweet.
That was, until one day he had come back home sad after learning Matthew had been adopted by two men named Francis and Arthur. The instant he walked in the door, the man trapped him in his room and violently beat him.
Everything was pain then. Little food, beatings, no outside time. Not even school. His adopted father had lied, saying that he was going to be homeschooled. One time, he raped Alfred, a practice that became part of his daily routine.
Two years of raping and beating and starvation, and Alfred had enough. Using his incredible strength, he punched the man right in the face.
Enraged, the man beat Alfred, hard, until a bright flash of light interrupted him.
There was a stranger nearby. He looked inhuman. He was too tall, too pale, hair too white, eyes too purple. His scarf flowed in midair, as if lifted by the air.
His 'father' started shaking. "A... Demon...?"
Alfred froze. A demon?
The demon looked at Alfred's 'father' with indescribable fury in his eyes. "What are you doing?"
"I-I"
Wham! The man Alfred so loathed was thrown against the wall with massive force. He was dead the instant he hit the wall, which started crumbling and breaking from the body thrown into it.
The demon turned to Alfred, its eyes softening. It crouched down, and held Alfred's wrist gently.
"Are you okay?" It asked with sudden sweetness.
Alfred shook in fear. "Who are you?"
"I am the demon you created out of your foul emotions," It responded.
Alfred froze in shock, pondering the choices for a few minutes, then relaxed and let the demon patch him up.
"Thank you," he said.
The demon just lifted him into his bed and tucked him in.
"Wait," Alfred rasped. The demon froze.
"Da?"
He was confused for a second, but responded, "Don't leave."
"Okay."
And so the demon stayed.
It stayed by his side for years, taking on the name Ivan Braginsky. It hid its status as a demon and took Alfred under his custody.
All was well.
"What if you get caught by the Paranormal Investigators?" Alfred would often say.
"I will be fine," the Russian demon would reply.
And it never did get caught.
Alfred was beet red when he saw the demon come out of the shower.
"Da?" Ivan looked confused.
Alfred buried his face into his comic book. "Nothing."
Ivan looked skeptical, but shrugged it off and went to the closet.
The demon heard muffled cries coming from Alfred's bed, and walked over.
Alfred was curled up in the fetal position, face screwed tightly, tears streaming down his face. Without a word, the demon crawled into his bed and hugged Alfred to his chest.
The human calmed down almost immediately.
"You're at the top of your classes, Alfred. Very good," the demon said when he looked at Alfred's report card.
Alfred brightened up like the sun.
Ivan blushed the tiniest bit.
Alfred came home from school one day to see Paranormal Investigators surrounding his burning house.
There was blood and bodied everywhere, falling wood planks and ashes, melted snow, and scarp icicles everywhere.
Alfred knew. This was the work of Ivan.
They had found out.
He ran towards the house, but was stopped by an investigator.
"You'd better stay back, kid," the investigator said. "There's a rogue demon in there."
"I don't care!" Alfred wrenched himself from the investigator's grip and ran in the house.
"Hey! Kid!"
He heard it. The feral screams and the gunshots.
He ran to see an investigator fighting a bloodied and wounded Ivan.
"Ivan!" Alfred ran over to the demon.
"Stay back!" The voice...it was vaguely familiar. "That's a demon!"
"I don't care!" Alfred yelled back.
"We're gonna have to kill you too, demon sympathizer!" The investigator yelled.
Alfred ignored him and turned to Ivan. "Ivan, Ivan, are you okay?!"
"Al...Fred..." Ivan choked out. "Run... He's going to... Shoot you..."
"Don't you die on me!" Alfred yelled, tears leaking in his eyes.
He heard a gun cock.
"Ivan.." Alfred was interrupted by a sensation on his lips.
A kiss.
Alfred was frozen crying.
"I..." He started, but was interrupted again.
This time by a gunshot.
Ivan was in front of him, a bullet hole right where his heart should have been. His white hair stained red, his pale cheeks marred by tears.
"Ivan!" Alfred screamed, crawling. "Ivan, Ivan!"
"Ivan, no! Ivan, please!"
"I.. Love you..." The demon choked out.
And, in a flash of light, he was gone.
"You bastard!" Alfred ran at the man. "What did he do to you?!"
"He is a demon, demons must be killed." The investigator said. "I thought you knew better, Alfred."
Alfred froze, horrified. "Matthew...?"
Matthew didn't respond, he just handcuffed Alfred and knocked him out.
Today was the day.
The day he was going to be executed.
He said nothing as he was lead through the prison and out into the public.
There was a huge crowd gathered. Investigators, police, government officials, and civilians.
He felt himself guided up in the platform as the President spoke. Not that Alfred listened, he was too busy thinking about how he could reunite with Ivan.
"Any last words?" The voice that was once innocent spoke, and a gun was pointed at his head.
"Thank you," Alfred said. "I can be with Ivan now."
Matthew stiffened.
"You were always the nicest in the orphanage, Matthew."
There was a gunshot and blackness overtook him.
Fin.