Marco followed Tom's father Dave Lucitor into his mancave trying to figure out what was happening right now.
Dave stopped in front of a small wooden door covered in silver chains and snapped his fingers. At once the chains fell off and Marco saw what was probably the coolest and most literal mancave of his life. The entire room was a smooth volcanic glass cavern with nearly every type of entertainment he could think of. From foosball to ping pong even some retro arcade systems. Of course, nearly all of them were demonized in some way. Such as the old eight-bit game where spaceship flew around blasting meteoroids was now a flaming hand throwing fireballs at skulls.
"Wow this place is awesome!"
"Yeah every now and again I have to get away from the whole fire and brimstone hence the enchanted chains. But I didn't just bring you into a room a demon can't enter to show you all my games."
"Yeah I kind of figured as much."
"That's good but I really need to hammer in the situation you're in. You see Marco as the two of us know Tom can be pretty intense. Yes, she's really calmed down because of you and Star, but now that he's become a she thigs are about to get more intense."
"What do you mean?"
"Well Marco young female demon's like Tom has now become are generally desire demons or a succubus if you want to get technical."
Dave saw a look of embarrassment wash across Marco's face as his mind undoubtedly went somewhere followed by him simply muttering. "Oh…"
"Yes now normally this just means that they enjoy relationships and tend to be a bit more forceful with their desires."
"Okay not really seeing the point."
Dave sighed before continuing. "Now Tom is a different story. Being a royal her instincts are far stronger as is her magic. Sadly this means any feelings she may have are going to be extremely heightened. Much like with her anger it was from calm to inferno is seconds she could snap in a moment."
"Okay so she'll be a bit more intense?"
"Yes, but I'm talking about how she fells toward you. You are her best friend and someone she's openly talked about many times. Take it from me but when a female demon has any kind of feelings for you it's best to be careful."
Marco began to realize what Dave was saying.
"Wait, wait wait. Are you saying that she'll become attracted to me or something?"
"Most definitely. And trust me when I say when a female demon wants something from you she'll burn through anything to get it. When her mother caught me simply giving another female directions not only did she nearly kill them but quite literally had me in the palm of her hand for two straight days. Now hopefully I'm wrong and she'll get changed back before anything can come of it, but you must be careful."
"Come on sir I doubt Tom really sees me like that. I mean she's only been a girl for maybe a couple hours." But as he spoke a loud zap came from outside the door. Marco immediacy recognized it as Tom's.
"Tom that you buddy?"
After a minute of demonic cursing and a couple more zaps Tom yelled.
"Dad can you please turn off this enchantment!?"
Dave hesitated for a moment before undoing the chains. The moment they were gone Tome burst into the room locking eyes with Marco and smiling.
Marco actually gasped when he saw what Tom was wearing. His normal tattered shirt was now smaller showing her stomach and dyed black. She still had her black shorts but it now sported a small skull buckles with her tail out along with going a lack of shoes.
Marco actually felt his heart beat faster while he inwardly thought.
She… wow she looks really good.
Tom smiled as she saw Marco blush before laughing. "Wow Marco I show a little skin and you go full statue on me. Where did my brave but kicking best friend go?"
"…Huh? Oh yeah sorry about that it's just you look good, in a entirely not awkward way."
Tom smiled at seeing Marco blush as he looked away for a moment. "Yeah well mom was pretty insistent that I wear something other then my old boy clothes. You know what with them practically falling off me and all."
Marco did his best not to remember how Tom's clothes had been to big as he blinked one to many times.
"Riiight so what's up?"
"Oh well I'd thought I' d take you up on that offer of hanging out. Pretty sure I still hold the record when it comes to our little games." She smiled walking over to ping pong.
"Hey I've shorted the distance between us. Now it's only four hundred losses instead of five hundred."
"Well mister four hundred care to make it four hundred and one?"
"More like three hundred and ninety nine."
As the two wen about playing their game Dave watched forgotten form the sidelines. Watching as his son turned daughter did her best to refrain from using magic after quickly losing five points. Watching as she smiled with every taunt. But more importantly he saw how much fun the two were having as they played.
I really should keep them apart just in case but their having so much fun. Can still remember how happy tom was when Marco become their friend.
As the game neared the end point Tom spoke a spell after smacking the ball. Halfway over the net it burst into flams and she smiled knowing Marco wouldn't be able to send it back. However she gasped when Marco dug in and smacked it back over with a powerful back hand. Tom seeing this put more into the spell trying to force the ball but Marco took a deep breath before forcing everything he could and after a brief moment pushed the ball back and over net and ending the game with his win.
After the two tiny skulls said the game was over he shook his hand as the ball had slightly burned them.
"aaahhhh! I swear your fire is hotter then even Hekapoo's. And she's literally made of fire."
Tom's face went crimson as her tail swished about in pure happiness as her dad dabbed a bit of burn cream on his hand.
"Really? You think my flame is hotter?"
"Of course I do."
Dave couldn't help but chuckle as he was pretty sure Marco didn't know that complimenting a demon on their flame is one of the big five things you can tell them. After a moment Tom crossed the short distance and looked at Marco's slightly burned hand grabbing it and muttering a small spell.
Almost immediately the cream began to smoke before his burn faded.
"Thanks."
"Yeah well I kind let my best friend get hurt now can I? Now how about we head back to my room. Dad doesn't exactly like when I cream him at his own games."
"Tom I can handle losing. What I can't handle Is you excitedly burning these old systems when you win. It's not exactly easy to replace them you know."
Tom merely rolled her eyes and dragged Marco by his arm. "Come on Marco it's action movie time."
Despite the previous awkwardness once the two of them were alone in their room they grew into a comfortable mood as on Tom's massive screen their favorite action star took on a horde of ninjas using his signature moves.
For the longest while they simply sat next to each other and enjoyed the movie. That Is until they got to the end of the trilogy and their hero returned home from all his adventures to his wife and kissed her as the credits scrolled down.
For it was in this moment when Tom's demonic instincts kicked in and for the first time noticed that she and Marco were completely alone.
Tom remember what we talked about! Just sit here and enjoy his company!
But then again he did say I look good… No! Tom remember what Brian said, repress your urges and breathe.
She took a deep breath and let out a long plume of smoke making Marco worry.
"You okay Tom?"
"Yeah just doing my best to ignore my inner demons. No pun intended."
"Don't worry about it. I'm really just glad to hang out with you like this. Things have gotten kind of stressful with Star at the castle."
"Really?"
"Yeah, don't get me wrong I love helping her but I can't remember the last time I simply sat down and relaxed like this. Half the time I can't even sleep as the exact moment I fall to sleep I wake up to find Meteora staring at me from the ceiling before screeching and crawling away. Even as a baby she hates me."
"Well don't worry Marco you can sleep safe and sound here." she patted her bed and after a moment of thinking it over he hoped in.
"Maybe just a few minutes."
Mere moments after closing his eyes and began to gently snore. Seeing the sleeping and defenseless Marco once again ignited her instincts and after an internal debate stopped herself from acting and simply stared down at him much like a predatory watching their prey. She supposed that this was a good compromise between doing something and doing nothing.