-Hello, lovely readers! This is a very special addition to Hellfire. But I can't tell you why, because that would ruin the surprise! I love how much you all support this series and I can't wait to write more of it for you. Thank you! And enjoy!-

-Ruination-

Minho stood in front of the bathroom mirror and stared at his reflection nervously. His palms felt clammy and he wiped them hastily on his jacket. Then he went back to more important matters: making sure he didn't look ridiculous.

He was wearing a suit, an honest-to-God suit with a damn tie, because apparently wherever he was going required it. He never wore suits to anything like this. All of his past dates had been casual things that he could wear jeans and a T-shirt to; at most, maybe a button-down shirt or something. But this? He hadn't imagined that he'd be going on a...DATE date.

"Please, God, don't let him take me somewhere where there might be blood on the ceiling or something," he prayed under his breath. It was disturbingly likely that it might happen, considering who he was dating. After examining his spiked hair a final time, he straightened his sleeves, and slipped out the door.

Out in the hall, he glanced both ways. Then, as carefully as possible, he crept along the white wall toward the front door. It wasn't that he was sneaking out. His mother knew about his date with his...boyfriend and she supported it. It was just much simpler to skip the inevitable gushing he'd get if he ran into her. He made it safely to the front door without any incidents and exhaled a sigh of relief. Apparently, it was loud enough to be heard from upstairs.

"Minho, sweetie?" Mrs. Park's voice called down, and he froze. "Are you about to leave for your date?"

"Um. Yeah?" He edged a hand toward the doorknob. It was already evening, if he could judge correctly by the dimming light filtering through the living room curtains. He didn't want to be late.

"Have fun!" Mrs. Park's words were followed by something shifting upstairs; was she looking for something in her room? "Tell Newt I said hi!"

"I will, Mom, I gotta go!" he yelled up to her. The doorknob was in his hand. If she said one thing about pictures...

"Oooh, wait, I found my camera!"

"Whelp, he's here, too bad, I'mgoingnowbye!"Minho threw out the sentence in a rush as his mother's footsteps clacked down the hall toward the stairs. He was out the door before she even saw him. Shutting it firmly behind him, he leaned back against it with a long breath. Thank God he'd avoided THAT. The last thing he wanted was to be held up in his driveway while his mother took thirty pictures of him and his demonic boyfriend. His heart skipped a beat, as a strange feeling of electricity suddenly dominated the air around him. Speaking of which...

Glancing out at the street in front of his house, Minho felt his heartbeat stop. A sleek burgundy car waited for him at the foot of the stone walkway, gleaming impressively under the twilit sky. The tinted windows gave no hints as to the person sitting inside, but they didn't need to. Minho watched as the far door opened with a whisper of sound and a stunning demon stepped out. The door closed again as Newt rounded the hood, confident smile in place and indigo irises smoldering.

Minho's lips parted. Holy hell, he looked hot.

He'd seen Newt in a suit before, but wow. The demon walked along the stones to the porch and ascended the steps as smooth as a snake. His closeness increased the vibrations of energy tingling around them. "Minho," he greeted in his silver voice.

Minho stared. There was definitely something different about Newt tonight. He didn't look so...sharp in his features. There wasn't a hint of fang when he smiled, as though he was trying to appear more human. But he did look off-the-charts, drop-dead gorgeous. Hair like golden silk swept across his eyes and those eyes were fixed solely on Minho. Minho swallowed and realized he'd never replied. "Izikk," he stammered, then wanted to shoot himself when the energy in the air stuttered.

"Sorry!" he said quickly, noticing how Newt's gaze flickered along with the demonic power around him.

"It's fine. I knew you'd slip up, so calm down. I'm not about to strike you down with lightning." Newt spoke calmly, but his hands trembled as he placed them behind his back. His gaze roved over Minho once, from head to toe. To Minho's surprise, Newt blinked in what looked like awe. "You look incredible," the demon murmured, his poetic voice low.

Minho ducked his head bashfully. "Thanks. So do you. I—I mean, you always look incredible, but tonight, you really look...amazing," he finished in a mumble, shifting his feet.

"Huh." Newt gave a little laugh, shaking his head.

"What?" Minho asked.

"Nothing, just..." Turning a bit pink in the face, Newt dropped his gaze away in a show of coyness. "I'm used to compliments, as I'm a demon and we're all born in perfection, but—" He broke off, bit his lip, and gave a Minho a look that nearly made his knees buckle. "Love, you're making me blush."

Minho's fingers itched to touch him. "I really wanna kiss you," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Visibly affected by this statement, Newt took a tiny step back. "Normally, I'd love to," he replied in that soft way of his. "But we have things to do and I'm already much too distracted by you." He offered Minho his hand.

Smiling a little, Minho took it. As they left the porch, he turned his hand and their fingers intertwined. The crackle in the air intensified. Puzzled, Minho glanced at Newt. The demon wasn't returning his gaze. Was he...embarrassed? He wondered as he climbed into the car and Newt shut the door behind him. The interior was supple black leather and the dashboard glowed sapphire. Minho gawked at it all as Newt opened the driver's door.

A shudder ran down his spine as the energy wrapped around him. "Is it always like this?" he asked, as Newt closed his door.

"No," Newt sighed, and ran a hand over his hair. The way he lowered his head definitely hinted at embarrassment.

"What's wrong?"

"It's you. And me. A bit of both, really."

Minho's brow furrowed. "I don't understand."

"You know my name," Newt explained simply, placing a hand on the steering wheel and looking straight ahead. "Only demons' mates know their true names and it works as a sort of call to each other. I'm...reacting to you." Oh, he was certainly blushing now.

"Can you control it?" Minho asked, face heating up as well. Mates?

Staring ahead and nowhere else, Newt frowned. His hand tightened on the steering wheel. After a moment, the weight of his power faltered and then ceased entirely. Minho blinked at the sudden loss. Then Newt glanced at him once and the sharp tinge bloomed into existence once more. It made Minho's skin tingle pleasantly and he shivered.

"I'm sorry," Newt apologized.

"No, it's okay." Minho gave the blonde a smile. "It kinda feels nice."

Newt looked like he wanted to ravish him against the passenger seat.

Minho held that intense gaze for a long moment before looking away self-consciously. "So, where are we going?"

At that, Newt's grin was back. He placed both hands on the steering wheel. "Somewhere only demons and a few lucky humans go," he answered. "Don't ask exactly where it is. You'll never find it on a human map." Without reaching for any sort of keys, he sat and let the low rumble of the engine kick into life. "They have a demon for a cook, though, so I'll have to make sure they don't attempt some sort of poisoning for you," he added casually.

Minho's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

That was all he could say, before the car thrummed like a plucked guitar string and took off. They were on their way.

-X-X-X-

He knew he was in trouble when Minho walked out the door of his house, looking positively edible in his fitted black suit. Newt barely found the strength to resist having his way with the lovely human in the backseat of his car. How could he be expected to deal with this, on top of the constant feeling of his own power tickling his senses? Damn Minho for knowing his Demon's name and damn Max for telling him. Newt wasn't sure how he was going to keep himself composed with Minho, especially considering where they were going.

The car rolled smoothly into the parking lot, stray stones crunching under the tires on the pavement. Newt glanced up at the building as he maneuvered toward a parking space. It was a restaurant, of course, painted midnight-blue and with glowing lights along the walkway outside. The black double doors beckoned enticingly toward the things that waited inside. Newt's lips lifted into a faint smile at the bold white lettering gleaming above the doors: DEVILISH. And then, in smaller lettering beneath that: BEINGS OF OTHER WORLDS WECOME; COME AT YOUR OWN RISK.

"'Come at your own risk?'" Minho read aloud, a tinge of unease in his words. "Am I gonna be safe here?"

"Trust me, Min," Newt replied, allowing the nickname to roll off of his tongue. "You'll be safe with me. Demons here are different from Max. They won't dare to try and take what has already been claimed." There was a fall of silence as he shut off the engine. The two climbed out of the car at the same time, the doors shutting behind them with an air of finality. Newt took the single moment he had while Minho walked around the hood to inhale a deep breath. His magic whispered inside of him with every step Minho took, with every slip of breath that left Minho's lips...

No, don't think about his mouth, Newt ordered himself. Then he cursed at himself when he turned and the first thing his eyes went to was the softness of Minho's lips.

Dammit, Minho was smirking and it was DELICIOUS. "What do you mean by 'claimed,' exactly?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "Are you saying you own me?"

Newt offered a mock-careless smile and arched a brow. "I hope you don't mind," he replied. "I just adore showing you off, pretty thing."

The reaction was just what he wanted: a shy blush rising in Minho's face and the lowering of his dark-velvet eyes. Oh, how Newt ached to make an absolute mess of him. "Should we go inside?" Minho asked, glancing up through his lashes. His voice was low and husky at the edges, hinting that he was thinking of something else. He seemed to gather his courage, then added, "before I try to put you against the car in the parking lot?"

Newt's lips parted in shock. Cocky human...He should know better than to toy with Newt in such a way. Taking a slow step forward, Newt reached up and took the back of Minho's neck. His foot had landed purposefully between Minho's feet, thigh pressing in between Minho's, and a raw noise escaped the human. "Don't play games with me, Minho," Newt warned softly, stretching up to touch their lips together.

He licked Minho's bottom lip and Minho hummed like he'd been wanting this all day. His hands were already on Newt's sides, warming his skin through his suit. Newt tangled his fingers in the black hair at the back of Minho's head and reveled in its softness. The fingers of one of Minho's hands curled in the hem of his suit jacket, a silent statement: I want this off and everything beneath it too. Newt's power doubled inside of him and made him breathless. His tongue grazed Minho's and the human let out a beautiful, breaking moan.

That was when Newt pulled away, biting down on his lip when he saw how disheveled Minho looked from one kiss. While the demon appeared unfazed on the outside, Minho was breathing raggedly, eyes glazed over. His hand was still on Newt's side. Newt smirked a bit and glanced down pointedly.

"S—sorry," Minho stammered, snatching his hand away and running it over his hair.

"No need to apologize," Newt murmured as he straightened his jacket. "I can't say I don't enjoy it when you lose your mind with me."

Minho gave a little laugh. "It's happening a lot more often now," he admitted with a sheepish glance at his shoes.

Newt's black heart melted. Darling boy... He mentally shook himself to be rid of these thoughts and slipped his hand into Minho's. A spark of giddy flames leaped up his arm when Minho enlaced their fingers again. As they headed toward the building, Newt snuck a glance at Minho from under his golden lashes. The human was going to be popular at this place, with his jagged hair and broad shoulders (not to mention the rest of his body that drove Newt mad just thinking about). Newt smiled to himself. How lucky he was to have an exquisite human like this with him.

Now he just had to make sure that the demons here wouldn't try to steal Minho away him.

Though it won't be easy for them, he thought, seeing as he's completely enthralled with me.

The pair reached the double doors and Newt pushed them open. They emerged into Devilish, and were immediately hit with soaring jazz notes from a trumpet and saxophone. "Wow," Minho mumbled, gazing around in awe at the dark walls and haphazardly-placed tables. Demons liked things like that: chaotic and misplaced. Candles hung in glass orbs from the ceiling, giving off flickering blue flames. The entire building was filled with the sound of the band playing at the back and the silken conversation of demons.

Newt swept a glance around the interior. His kind was everywhere. All of them were dressed elegantly, but with a dangerous edge to their fanged smiles that hinted at what they were. Several tables contained only demons, wearing black clothing from head to foot and speaking in low tones to each other. Others had brought their pets with them: humans. Newt swallowed the urge to sneer at a few of the couples.

Some of the humans were, quite frankly, terrified. They sat with wide eyes and shadows in their faces next to their demon owners. They were thin and though they dressed formally, there were scars from old wounds upon their skin. These were the humans that had been plucked from their lives like selected fruit from a tree, meant only to be enjoyed by a demon and tossed away when they were done. They rarely escaped the experience with their souls.

There were very few humans that seemed content, laughing and smiling at each other. Newt recognized that expression; these were humans treated as equals by their demons. Just now, he spotted a black-haired demon leaning over to whisper in a woman's ear, the smile they shared as soft as a married couple's.

Then there were the...annoying pets, after only demons' power, sex, and blood. They were draping themselves over their owners and the owners couldn't seem to care less, judging by the laughter that rose from certain tables.

Newt briefly tried to judge which category Minho fell into. The image of the black-haired demon and woman rose to mind. Newt paused. Did he really think of Minho as a human pet? Most pets weren't marked with Circles, after all...

"Can I help you?" The smooth voice broke into his thoughts.

Newt turned to a dusky-skinned man in a black suit, who was watching him expectantly. His eyes were black as coal and judging by his perfectly sculpted features, he wasn't human. His hands were held behind his back. "Newt," he said, eyebrows flicking up in recognition. "Welcome back. You haven't been in Devilish for a while. How have you been?"

"Fine," Newt answered with a slight smile. "I've been busy lately, but I decided it was time for a visit."

"Wonderful." The demon's gaze flitted to Minho, gleaming when he sensed the pulsing of Newt's power thrumming around the human. "Would you like a table for you and your pet?"

Beside him, Minho's body went rigid and he snatched his hand from Newt's. Missing the warmth, Newt fought the urge to growl in anger. "He's not my pet," he replied.

The man's lips parted in confusion. Then his eyes grew round. "O—Oh—My apologies," he stammered, dipping his head once. "I didn't realize that you think of him as... Well, I assumed incorrectly."

"You assumed what any demon would," Newt assured him, hiding the annoyance sparking in him; he didn't want Minho to be put off by this place.

"Maybe so, but I shouldn't have." The man smiled again, this one much warmer and with no fang visible. "I'll find you two a table farther away from the...others." He glanced pointedly across the room. A girl in a scrap of a dress was perching herself on a demon's lap, practically purring into his ear. Casting a glance heavenward (as though he'd receive any help from there), the man beckoned for the two to follow him.

They weaved between tables in the dim room, Newt staying behind Minho in a gesture of both politeness and protectiveness. As they passed, a few gazes were caught by Minho's strong form and held for several moments. He was such an untainted human, except for the sting of Newt's power they no doubt felt on him. Newt grimaced. The use of his true name had accidentally marked Minho as his. Every demon here had to know it and it was made all the more intriguing by Minho's appearance; he was claimed by Newt, yet he bore no scars or sins from the demon.

They're all going to think I've gone soft, Newt thought in despair.

"Here we are," the dark-skinned man said, gesturing to a table near the center of the room. "Please let me know if they become too loud for you." He bobbed his head toward the rowdy humans once again, before slipping away like water droplets down a leaf.

"This place is..." Minho began hesitantly, as he sat down across from Newt.

"Terrifying, I know," Newt finished for him.

Minho gave him a small smile. "I was going to say beautiful, in a dark sort of way."

Newt allowed a smirk to tease his lips. "Didn't you know? All demons are like that."

Minho's gaze slid away then, toward the band at the back. Their instruments glinted in the blue glow of the candles. Newt waited for whatever was coming next, posture relaxed. Under the table, his hand was in a fist. "Did he really think I was your pet?" Minho asked at last. His voice was small and when his gaze shifted back to Newt, there was something almost hurt there.

Newt took a breath. "Most demons see humans as property," he explained. "It was normal for him to think that."

"But is that what you think?"

Glancing away, Newt looked at the floor. "No," he confessed.

To his relief, Minho's shoulders relaxed from their tense state. "Then what am I?" he asked.

"Well," Newt replied awkwardly, a blush threatening to rise in his face, "you don't ask to give me blood or...sex, and you know my Demon's name. I suppose most demons would...assume I've taken a mate." At this, he dropped all covers of usual confidence and stared at the sleek ebony tabletop.

There was a period of silence. Awkwardly, Minho muttered, "wouldn't we, um, have had to, you know, do more than just kissing if we're...mates?"

"No, demon's mates are chosen for other reasons," Newt answered at once. He lifted his gaze to Minho's face and saw the surprise flickering across his features. "Mostly for compatibility, beauty, or attraction." He coughed into his hand. "Love."

Silence again. Then, in a voice so low, it sent a shiver through Newt's entire being, Minho asked, "Newt, are you in love with me?"

Newt shook his head. But what he said was, "I don't know." Damn it all, he was supposed to be a demon. What was happening to everything he'd been before?

Minho Park would be his ruination.

-END OF PART ONE-