Part of his mind and powers were always focused on Todd. On making sure he wasn't in any danger. It happened often.

The universe as a whole seemed as equally drawn in by Todd. Everything evil and terrible could sense just how good he was and wanted it for themselves. To corrupt him, to destroy him, to take him for themselves.

And it happened again today.

Pepito felt the spike in fear, panic, pain that was his friend's emotions. It sparked his dormant rage and he was by the human's side in an instant, teleporting across the city to the restaurant Todd worked at.

Todd was on the floor, a hand grasping his face.

"What the fuck?!" An unfamiliar voice yelled in response.

Pepito tore his gaze from his friend. A mess of a man stood there, face a mask of shock. His shaking left hand held a gun and was pointing it.

Everyone else in the little fast food joint was on the floor, cowering. "Who the fuck are you?! Where did you come from?!" The man yelled,spitting too much.

Pepito bottled his rage for a second, kneeling beside the human.

"Mi amor." He breathed, gently pulling at Todd's hand.

Todd who was staring up at him, watery brown eyes. Tears ran down his face from the pain, from fear. It tore at him, twisting his guts. "Let me see."

A gash. It split across his cheek, blood flowing freely. It was alien and wasn't supposed to be was wrong on his face.

A darkness clawed at Pepito's insides. His nostrils flared, smoke curling between them.

"I-It's...it's not so b-bad, Pepito. It's fine." Todd stuttered. With a extremely steady hand, the Antichrist, ran his finger across the gash, skin mending, blood clearing, bruising gone. Healing was always strange, always a bit more of an effort since it was so unnatural for someone with dark powers to use them for...good.

"T-Thanks, Pepito...please, please don't-" He went silent, the thought of pleading for his attacker's life gone, as the dark prince ran a thumb across his cheek, as if checking that it was truly healed.

Then he stood and turned towards the human with the gun. He was screaming something at Pepito, still waving that gun around, threatening people. It didn't matter.

Blood rushed in his ears, the darkness rose up in him and curled around his heart. The powers he knew he was capable of, his birthright. The powers that could and would bring about the end of the world someday.

But, for now they rose up from his every blood cell to protect the boy he was in love with.

Pepito often looked human enough for Todd to forget what he truly was.

It was easy enough to forget the things that made him inhuman, the eyes, the horns...when he was smiling and telling stories, when he was jogging his leg to a song.

But, at times like these...it was impossible not to see that Pepito was the son of the Devil, a demon. Black smoke swirled around him, his face was hollow and full of rage that radiated off of him in waves of heat. Pepito's wrath was unbearable.

Todd closed his eyes against it, knowing what came next. He was too far gone to plead with him. His attacker had drawn blood. That had sealed his fate.

The gunman's screams were cut short. He gurgled instead, unable to breathe. The people still left in the restaurant, shrieked and if they were smart, they would run outside.

Todd covered his ears but it wasn't enough to block out the sound of breaking bones. He was probably going to get fired, he thought distantly.

Pepito didn't feel calm, even after his friend's assailant was nothing but organs and blood on the floor. He wanted to kill him over and over again.

It was over too soon and had the pathetic bastard even learned his lesson? Pepito wanted to make sure that in every life that the attacker had he would know only fear and pain. He knew the man was going to hell and he would make it his personal mission to find him there and torture him until all he knew was agony and the words 'I'm Sorry.'

Pepito wanted to tear his eyes from his sockets and feed them to him, he wanted to-

He felt arms wrap around his middle. Familiar arms, cool and too thin. Todd's arms.

Just the name was enough to have the monsters in him retreating. He breathed deeply, calming himself. His anger scared Todd. He didn't want to scare Todd. Pepito wanted to be his safety, to make sure nothing scared him again. The Antichrist turned slowly in the human's arms, looking down at him. Brown eyes stared up at him, sad and afraid. He knew Todd was sad for his attacker. Sad knowing he had brought him to his death.

"Are you alright, mi Amado?" Pepito's voice was hoarse.

"I-I...I'm fine. Can uh...can we get out of here? Please?" Todd asked, desperation in his words. He hated blood.

Pepito teleported them to his house.