Author's note: Ok, so I know I said this was going to be a one-off. But Karma had other plans, and nagged me until I kept writing. So now we're in full-blown story mode. Thanks for coming along for the ride, though your captain has no bloody idea where we're headed. We'll all find out together, hrm? This chapter does not contain lemon-y goodness, but there's a faint citrus hint in the air.
I don't own DWD, Mage, or any of the devils. I know, I'm sad about that, too.
I yawned and stretched, blinking at the evil sunlight glaring in through the window. Morning always seems to come too damned early, especially after a rough night of vampire hunting. I reached up to rub my eye, only to jerk my hand away with a girly little shriek of pain. What the - oh. Oh. Oh. Oh shit. I swallowed thickly and glanced down. Holy hell, I'm naked! Then that wasn't a dream, after all...
I looked over, but the bed was empty. I ran my uninjured hand over the sheets, but they were cold. I shouldn't have been surprised, but there was a sharp pain in my heart. Tears filled my eyes, and I tried to tell myself it was only the pain in my hand that caused them.
Serves you right, you stupid shit. Sleeping with a Goddamned devil. What the bloody hell were you thinking?! I swiped at my eyes and stomped into the bathroom. I was covered in scratches and dried blood from the damned vampire attack, and I didn't want to think what else, and was in desperate need of a shower. Maybe a long, hot shower would wash away the now-painful memories as well.
The soap and hot water combined to make my stupid vampire scratches burn like five hells, but I welcomed the pain. Anything to take my mind off what happened after the blood-suckers were dust. I washed my hair as well as possible with my left hand, and finally stepped out when the water ran cold.
I wrapped a towel around myself and half-heartedly dried my hair with another before examining the stupid scratches. Luckily, they were all very minor, and would be simply annoying by the end of the day. My hand, though, obviously required a trip to the hospital. Something was definitely broken, the knuckles were so swollen, and really interesting colors. The slightest hint of movement caused excruciating pain. Great. Wonderful. Absolutely fantastic. Ugh, could you possibly be more of a Goddamned idiot?!
I ran a brush through my damp hair and shuffled back to my bedroom to get dressed. One look at the disheveled bed, and I was in tears again. I let them fall unhindered as I grabbed random clothing from the dresser. I was struggling to dress with one stupid hand, weeping like some damned girl, when I could have sworn the room filled with the scent of thunderstorms and leather.
I shook my head roughly and continued to struggle with the stupid, evil, Goddamned pants, even as a low, keening wail fell from my lips.
"Babe, what's wrong?"
I let out a little shriek and whirled around in shock. I gasped and fell to my knees, relief overpowering my pain. He was here. He was really here! There was a quiet thump as he dropped whatever it was he held and rushed to my side. He gathered me in his arms and held me close.
"Karma, what is it? What happened?"
I tried several times to speak, but my traitorous mouth wouldn't work. I finally shook my head and threw my arms around him, clinging tightly. I buried my face against his neck and wept quietly, my body racked with shudders. His large, warm hands tenderly rubbed my back, and after a few moments, I finally managed to get my stupid tears to stop.
I sniffled and pulled back, roughly wiping my eyes with my good hand. My breath still hitched in small gasps as I looked up into his golden eyes, and I was momentarily entranced by the concern in them.
"You're here. You came back. You're really here."
"Well, yeah. Of course I'm - Wait. Is that why you were crying so hard?"
"You were gone. I woke up, and you were gone. I thought... I thought you... I, I... You were gone..."
I couldn't manage any more, but it was enough. His eyes filled with pain and guilt, and he cradled my face in his hands. His voice was low when he spoke, his words tender.
"I'm sorry, Karma. I'm so sorry. I thought you'd still be asleep, I didn't mean to be gone so long."
I shook my head lightly and leaned in, nuzzling my cheek against his. I slid my uninjured hand around the back of his neck, curling my fingers through his silky golden locks. His scent filled my lungs, making me feel calm and secure.
"Why did...where did you..."
He actually let out a small, rueful laugh. I was beyond shocked, and pulled back with a little gasp. The faintest blush stained his cheeks, and he grinned as he reached behind him. He handed me a bag from a trendy shop, confusing me even more.
"I, uh... I felt kind of bad about ruining your jacket."
It was such a random, bizarre idea, it caused a very unladylike snort of laughter. Just like that, the last of my grief was gone, dissolved in a sudden fit of giggles. The tears that fell now were those of mirth, and I couldn't seem to stop them anymore than I could stop the insane giggles that kept bubbling up. After a long, long moment, I finally had to resort to violence. I stuffed the side of my uninjured hand in my mouth and bit down hard.
"Ah, shit!"
"Babe, what the hell?!"
"Sorry, sorry. Got a little hysterical there. I just... You got me a new jacket?"
Another little giggle escaped, and I shook my head, wiping my stinging eyes with the back of my good hand.
"Well, yeah. I mean, it's my fault the other one was ruined. But I'm so not taking the blame for the rest of that outfit."
His lips curved in a sly grin, and I felt heat crawl up my cheeks. I leaned in and kissed him softly, marveling once again at how soft his lips were. A low growl issued from his throat, and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. I snuggled close as his fingertips lightly trailed along my back. My bare back. The hell?! With a confused yelp, I jerked backward and looked down.
"Holy shit!"
"Did you forget you were only half dressed, Babe?"
He snickered, then burst into full-fledged laughter. I knew I was blushing furiously, and I grabbed the jacket from the bag and clutched it to my bare chest. In my haste to give myself an illusion of modesty, I forgot about my stupid broken hand. As my fingers twitched against the fabric, I let out an extremely girly squeal.
"Shit! Shit shit shit! Goddamnit to seven bloody hells!"
My eyes filled with tears again, and the pain was so excruciating, I thought I was going to pass out for a moment. Thankfully, I didn't embarrass myself that much, at least. Mage's laughter cut off abruptly, and he very carefully took my hand in his. His beautiful melted-gold eyes filled with pain when he saw the swollen, discolored knuckles.
"Damn... Babe, did I do this?"
"No! No. Not exactly..."
"What? What do you mean?"
"I punched you, remember? It was my own fault, but your face really did break my hand after all."
"Aw, Babe..."
Without another word, he picked me up and set me gently on the bed. Before I could even think of what to say, he had plucked my clothes from the dresser and was beside me, tenderly helping me dress. I couldn't help the small tremors that even the most innocent touches brought on, but he had turned into a perfect gentleman.
Once I was fully dressed, he picked me up again, cradling me against his broad chest like I was small and delicate and precious. I wanted to stay in his arms, he was so warm, and his thunderstorm scent was so soothing. But I poked him in the shoulder with my uninjured hand.
"I can walk, you know. My hand's broken, not my legs."
"Hush, woman."
"Hey! Don't tell me to hush, Blondie!"
"I'm carrying you. Deal with it, woman."
I was going to argue more, but then his lips found mine, and my mind quite happily went blank. The kiss was soft and tender, and over far too soon. When I opened my eyes - and when the hell had I closed them? - we were no longer in my apartment. I jerked in shock, and his arms tightened around me just a little.
"What the hell? Where the hell are we? Damn you and your distracting lips!"
Mage smirked at me, and I was sorely tempted to punch him. The thought must have been obvious on my face, because he burst into laughter. Yup, so going to punch him once my stupid hand heals.
"I'm so punching you when my stupid damned hand heals."
"Which is exactly why we're here, Babe."
"What? Where are - Son of a bitch. You actually brought me to a damned hospital?"
"Well, yeah. Your hand's not gonna heal on its own."
I growled quietly, but couldn't argue. Sometimes being mostly-human sucks. Some beings are able to regenerate and heal almost instantly. But not humans, oh no. We're forced to heal at an agonizingly slow rate that's almost not worth it at times.
After an obscenely long time at the stupid bloody hospital, we were finally back at my apartment. My stupid damned hand was indeed broken. Or rather, three of my knuckles were broken. No wonder it hurt so Goddamned bad.
Mage insisted on carrying me back the same way as before, but I wouldn't let him distract me with kisses this time. I probably should have, because the whole disappearing trick nearly made me vomit. He sat on my couch, cradling me in his arms, and I snuggled close, nuzzling against his neck. My hand barely hurt anymore, thanks to the awesome painkillers they gave me at the hospital.
I ran my good hand through his hair, reveling in his warmth and tender embrace. I knew I should probably get up and eat something, but right at that moment, all I wanted was to stay curled up in his arms. My beloved devil had come back, he had stayed with me. Everything else could wait.
The painkillers were making me tired, and I struggled to stay awake. I trailed my fingertips down his arm until I could interlace my fingers with his, and I was thrilled when he brought my hand to his lips. I couldn't help the little blush that crept up my cheeks at the sweet gesture. I cuddled closer and pressed a soft kiss to the side of his neck. A small, satisfied hum sounded low in his throat, and I sighed quietly, curling my free arm around him, carefully settling my injured hand on his shoulder.
"Mage?"
"Yeah Babe?"
"This is totally crazy, right? I mean, what the hell are we doing?"
He huffed out a little snort of laughter, then gave my hand a gentle squeeze, tracing a light scar with his thumb. He sighed softly and rested his head against mine.
"I know. I have no idea what's going on here. I would swear this is some trick or spell of some sort, but you said you don't have magic. And I believe you."
"I know, right? When I first woke up, I thought the whole thing was a dream. Well, until I looked down and noticed I wasn't wearing any pajamas."
He started laughing again, and I blushed hotly, glad my face was hidden from his sight. His laugh was infuriating, but mesmerizing at the same time. I would love to hear it when he wasn't laughing at me.
"Hey, don't laugh. That's like, so rude."
Oh great, that just tickled him further. His laughter ratcheted up a notch, and he gave my hand another little squeeze. Probably thought he was being cute. I rolled my eyes and bit his neck sharply. Instead of the unmanly squeal of pain I was expecting, he issued a low, throaty growl that made my skin break out in goosebumps.
"Mm, do that again."
Yeah, right. I snorted and pulled away, shifting to sit beside him instead. I took his hand in mine again and finally looked up into his golden eyes. Oops. So pretty... Wait, what was I gonna say? Shit. I blinked and shook my head to clear it.
"Maybe later. I mean it though, what's going on here? I just... It's insane, it's impossible, it's...way too fast... But...but... I, I, um... I think..."
Something soft came into his eyes, and he smiled lightly, reaching up to cradle my cheek with his free hand. When he spoke, his voice was tender.
"I know, Babe, I know. Me too."
"What? Really?"
"Well yeah, of course. Hey, hey, don't cry, Babe. Is it your hand?"
I sniffled and shook my head as a few tears made their way down my cheeks. I leaned in and rested my forehead against his, closing my eyes with a little sigh.
"Happy tears this time, Blondie."
He made a relieved sound, and his lips found mine. He kissed me softly, tenderly. I let go of his hand to run my fingers through his hair, shifting closer. His lips were so soft, so perfect, I was completely lost. His hand trailed down my cheek to slide around the back of my neck, his fingers curling through my hair.
After a long moment that ended far too soon, he pulled away just enough to look into my eyes. That golden fire was back, burning brightly, and I trembled involuntarily. His lips curved up in a grin that was hungry and almost feral. He looked at me like he wanted to devour me, and I don't mean my soul. I swallowed thickly, lost in the raging fire in his eyes. I knew I was blushing again, but I was too mesmerized to care. His eyes burned into me, scorching me. I was drowning in the molten gold, and I reveled in it.
Unfortunately, my stomach decided that now was the perfect time to remind me that it was empty. Ugh, shut up. Damned stomach. I groaned quietly and reluctantly sat up with a little frown.
"Aw, what's the matter, Babe?"
"Just my stupid stomach. I haven't eaten anything since before I went out last night."
Mage just shook his head at me and tugged me to my feet.
"Alright, walk me through this cooking thing."
"What? No way. I'm so not letting you near an open flame, you'll burn the whole damned building down. I'll get my own food, Blondie."
He chuckled, and I stuck my tongue out at him. I took his hand and pulled him toward the kitchen, then had a thought. Hrm...
"Huh. That's something I never thought about before. Do you even eat human food?"
"Only to keep up appearances. It's not necessary. A few souls once in a while is plenty."
"Oh, yeah. That reminds me. Any idea who that dude was last night? This isn't gonna work if you eat my neighbors."
He burst into laughter, and I couldn't help the broad smile that formed. I was right, his laughter was lovely when it wasn't directed at me. After a minute, he shrugged.
"I don't think he was from this building. He was trying to mug some old lady on the corner, had a gun and everything."
"Jeez, what a shit-head. Good thing you got rid of him, then."
I wandered back and forth in the kitchen, muttering to myself, trying to decide what to eat. I knew I needed protein, and I finally just decided on an omlet. I was dicing up some peppers when the atmosphere in the room changed. I looked up, and there was suddenly a strange man standing beside my devil.
Without thinking, I flung the kitchen knife at the intruder, who squealed and dodged it. I missed by less than half an inch, and growled in frustration.
"What the hell?!"
Just this once, I ignored Mage and grabbed another knife, striding over to the redhead who had randomly appeared in my home.
"Who are you, and what in seven bloody hells are you doing here?!"
"My, my. What a violent little butterfly. Why don't you put that little knife down, my dear?"
He took a step toward me and held out a rose, his honey-colored eyes glowing. I rolled my eyes at him and pointed the knife at his throat.
"Listen, Red. I don't know who the hell you are, or what the hell you think you're doing in my home. But if you don't want to die a slow and excruciating death, get the bloody hell out right this Goddamned second."
Before he could make a smartassed reply, Mage's hand landed gently on mine, nudging the point of the knife down.
"It's ok, I know this moron. Urie, what the hell, man?"
"Wait, what? Damnit, so I can't kill him?"
"Sorry, Babe."
He chuckled softly and nudged me back toward the counter. I went back to dicing my peppers, but kept an eye on the new one. Mage dragged him away and they had a hushed discussion while I cooked and ate my omlet. But the time they were finished talking, my devil looked rather pissed off.
"Ok, so can I kill him now?"
"Oh, you don't want to kill me, darling butterfly. You're far too pretty for such violence."
The Red one reached for my uninjured hand, and I hissed at him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, then tried to capture my gaze. Ok, enough of this shit. His eyes glowed with power, but it was pointless, thanks to my angelic immunity. He grabbed my hand before I could pull away, and was raising it to his lips. Before he could manage it, I had taken my fork and pinned his hand to the counter. He let out a rather girly shriek and yanked the flatware out his hand. His eyes were glowing again, but this was pure and simple rage.
"Don't ever touch me without permission, Red. You're just damned lucky it was a fork. Next time, I'll use this."
I pulled a silver dagger from the cutlery drawer and stabbed the counter just an inch from the small puddle of devil blood. The blessed runes and symbols glinted in the light, and he let out a little gasp of shock. Mage, on the other hand, snickered and shook his head.
"Damn, Babe. How many of those do you have stashed around here?"
I bared my teeth at him in a feral grin, glad to hear the teasing note instead of the anger I'd expected. I gave a little shrug.
"Oh, a few... Here and there..."
"Hmm... Anyway. It's your own fault, Urie, so quit bitching. I told you not to mess with my girl. Even with a broken hand, she'll kick your ass."
I couldn't help the almost shy smile that cropped up when he said "my girl" so casually. It was so cute!
"Mage, I'm assuming this...person is a friend of yours? What does he want?"
"You know, you could ask me yourself instead of stabbing me."
I turned to the newcomer just long enough to hiss at him. I looked at my devil expectantly.
"This human of yours is extremely rude, Mage."
Ok, that did it. I yanked the blessed dagger out of the counter and leapt over it, knocking Urie to the floor and pinning his skinny arms down with my knees. I held the dagger to his throat, pressing just enough for him to feel it, but not enough to cut him. Yet.
"You barged into my home, uninvited and unwanted. You tried to assault me. I was defending myself, you self-centered son of a whore. You're Goddamned lucky that Mage stopped me the first time. But if you so much as say one more word without my consent, this blessed dagger can be clear through to your Goddamned spine before you can even blink."
For the first time, fear came into his eyes. They were wide and slightly impressed, and he blinked twice, but wisely stayed silent.
"Now, I'm going to get up. You will not move until I tell you. I'll move the dagger, and you nod if you understand and agree."
I pulled the blade away from his neck just enough for him to swallow experimentally. His eyes darted from me to Mage and back, then he nodded slowly. I leapt to my feet and rushed to Mage's side before telling Red he could stand. He did so, cautiously, straightening slowly and smoothing out the wrinkles in his fancy suit. He looked like he was going to say something, but the glare I shot him worked, and he closed his mouth tightly.
Mage gingerly took the dagger from my hand and tucked it into his belt, then wrapped his arms lightly around me from behind, letting me keep my eyes on Urie. I was momentarily distracted anyway, and leaned back, calmed by the warmth of my devil against my back.
"He's just here to deliver a message, Babe. Our friend Rem is King now, and he wants to see me. Like, immediately."
"What? Why? Is something wrong?"
"Not that I know of, but it's something important. He wouldn't have had Urie track me down if it was something that could wait."
I ignored Urie at that point and turned to face Mage. I laid my good hand on his cheek, frightened all of a sudden. I couldn't help the frantic tone in my voice, but I didn't care.
"You're leaving?"
"I have to go, Babe. I could blow off my friend, but not my King."
His eyes locked on mine, and I knew the fear and desperation were obvious in mine, but I couldn't hide them. My hand slid down to his chest and I clung to his shirt, scared to let go for even a moment. He brought one hand up to tenderly wipe away the few tears that had escaped, curling his other arm around my waist and holding me close. Without looking away, he cleared his throat and spoke, but not to me.
"Urie, move your ass. Go tell Rem I'll be there in ten minutes. Just do it!"
After a moment, Mage picked me up and cradled me in his arms, just as he had to and from the hospital. But we didn't leave my apartment, he simply held me tightly in his arms. I clung to him as tightly as I could. We stayed that way for a few minutes, then he carefully set me on my feet and spoke very seriously.
"How many weapons can you strap on in the next five minutes?"
My jaw dropped. His question made no sense for a moment, and when it sank in, I was beyond shocked. Then elated. I gasped, then bared my teeth in another feral grin. I crushed my lips to his for one fiery second, then ran off to collect as many blades as I could carry.
Because of my stupid broken hand, getting armed was more difficult than I'd anticipated. But my devil was more than happy to help. He buckled straps, slid my belt through the stupid belt loops, he even tucked a few extra surprises in hidden places. Including a rather sharp little scalpel that was carefully tucked into my brace. He even adjusted my sword sheath for a left-handed draw. Such a thoughtful devil.
When I couldn't possibly carry another weapon, Mage pulled me close. I slipped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes. I couldn't let either of us be distracted, but I wasn't about to revisit the disappearing trick. There was a gust of wind, and then it was over.
"We're here, open your eyes, Babe."
I complied, glancing around at our new surroundings. We were in the demon world, standing outside a huge, forboding castle. There was something sinister in the air, but there was also...a strange feeling of emptiness. It was as if the entire underworld was waiting for something.
"Keep your eyes peeled, and stay close."
"Don't worry, I will. There's something seriously tweaked about this place, something feels...off."
Mage walked in like he owned the place, and I stayed just a step behind. My eyes darted all around, but the castle seemed almost to be abandoned. We didn't see a single living creature. I started to feel like we were walking through a horror movie. The castle was beautiful, but held such a cold aura. Like the very bricks were sad.