Warnings: Loose mentions of religion are made throughout the story. Nothing too bad though, but it's called for because of the plot.
Disclaimer: I don't claim any following mentioned characters or brands.
"You're up early," greeted Nick when he spotted the middle Jonas hop down the last of the stairs, appearing aggravated and flushed. He didn't receive a response and proceeded to munch on his bowl of dry Lucky Charm cereal.
Kevin glanced at Joe as he began to pour milk in his own bowl filled with CoCo Puffs, informing curtly, "Joe thought there was a girl in his room today ready to proclaim her undying love for him. Fortunately, it wasn't true. We couldn't possibly allow his ego to get any bigger, it'll definitely burst."
"I didn't say she wanted me!" snarled Joe before snatching Kevin's bowl away and claimed it as his own. "I think she hates me, actually. She's pretty good at insulting me."
"Then she's definitely my kind of girl." smirked Kevin.
There was a perturbed expression on Nick's face, his eyes shifting from his cereal to his older brother. "So you're telling me that Kevin's right. That you think there's a girl in your room."
"No," Joe answered before adding hastily to dim the relief in Nick's eyes, "she followed me downstairs."
Whilst the siblings' conversation Lilly walked nearby, disappointed she hadn't obtained the ability to fly but figured since she was a near she-devil, she didn't deserve wings or an opportunity to whine about it for that matter. She sighed at the determination in Joe's eyes and at the concern in the ones belonging to his brothers. They definitely didn't believe a word he had claimed to be the truth. Though she didn't think that was hard, considering how farfetched his statements deemed themselves to be.
"You really think they're going to believe you?" she inquired evenly from the sidelines. "They might be your brothers but this is a bit obscure."
Joe glanced at Lilly's direction, narrowing his eyes in irritation. Kevin and Nick followed their brother's glare and found nothing that resembled a girl or anything out of order. Nick was the first to return his gaze onto Joe, frowning as he reasoned, "you're probably tired, Joe. After recording and promoting. Plus, you tend to be an insomniac so I think sleep is your best option to rid your. . . er, girl problems."
"Nick's right," agreed Kevin, gathering the last of Joe's attention towards them. "After you eat my cereal I think you should head upstairs and sleep in for the rest of the day. Mom and dad will understand."
"Guys, sleep isn't my problem," Joe assured firmly though he could tell his brothers' expressions had to strongly disagree with him and he begrudgingly gave in. "Whatever."
He then pushed the bowl aside with his spoon now swimming amidst the milk and cereal and stormed his way up the stairs. Lilly quickly followed the angered vocalist and felt herself get a rise out of his brothers' reactions to his apparent insanity. She knew she shouldn't feel this satisfied but there was no denying that it felt nice to stomp on his oversized ego.
When Lilly brought herself to look Joe squarely in the face she found frustration and loath in his inky eyes. "Thanks to you," he began bitterly, "my brothers think I'm mental! And you know what? I'm beginning to think I am too!"
"You think you're mental?" mused the blonde.
"Well, maybe I'm, like, a schizo or something – you know, like that guy in A Beautiful Mind." Joe continued. "'Cause apparently I can't see dead people and that's the only other option I can think of."
"I don't think schizophrenics can feel their hallucinations," she offered.
"Why would you say that?" Lilly rolled her eyes before smacking her palm against the back of his head. "Hey ow!"
"You so know you had that coming."
"That hurt like a bitch! Damn, you've got one hell of an arm." grumbled Joe, a sour expression painting itself across his face as he cradled his throbbing head.
"Again with your swearing," she sighed disapprovingly. "You've gotta keep that in check. But, then again, seeing as you're not going to Heaven, I guess that's not really a problem now is it?"
"You know, I liked it an awfully lot better when you resorted to hitting me," he countered, "thankfully you can't talk and hit me at the same ti – ow! What kind of guardian angel are you?!"
"The effective kind," answered Lilly, smiling pleasantly at his scowling form. "See, you cut back on your swearing."
Joe promptly glared at the blonde. "You seriously have problems."
"Well, I'm not the one going to Hell, now am I?" she retorted sharply. "I don't see how I'm the one who has problems. I suggest you make some life changes now or you're destined to burn in the ninth circle."
"Oh, so there's no way to redeem myself?" Joe questioned, cocking a heavy eyebrow as his hand fell from his head to the side of his body.
"Well, no," she lied. "That's why I think you should give up your soul now, considering if you're going to continue living like this you'll be doomed to someplace in Hell no matter what you do to try to find salvation. In other words, you're going to Hell whether you like it or not."
The raven-haired boy smirked bitterly in response. "Some kind of guardian angel I have. I hope you're not getting assigned to anyone else after this."
"If I do hopefully it won't be another arrogant boy who thinks the world is at his disposal," Lilly snapped in return.
"God, how long am I going to have to put up with you?" he groaned.
"Don't change the subject," she hissed. "You know you're as imperious as I said you were. Obviously something went wrong with you since your brothers seem level headed and have their feet on the ground."
"I didn't change," insisted Joe, although he was never quite able hold their eye contact; his gaze faltering the slightest. "I didn't and I don't need some prude angel to tell me otherwise."
"Well my sources say you did," Lilly countered. "So I'd consider this a warning, Jonas. Rather, a stamp of fate. You know where you're going already and still you refuse to come to terms with it. Pride is a sin, you know."
"Listen, will you just cut the religious crap?!" he interrupted sharply. "I've got enough on my plate as it is and now I have some stupid invisible girl who claims to be an 'angel' following me around making me look insane! So I'd really just like for you to shut up for just a few minutes so I can think, unless I have no authority to do that either and it'll just result in me burning in Hell or whatever." The sarcasm laced within his tone had visibly cut Lilly across, rendering her wordless. No one had ever managed to silence her with such ease. Ever.
Impressive.
"I just want to help you," sighed Lilly. Help you and steal that precious soul of yours. "Obviously you're in deep and your ego is paying the price. I think it's time for a reality check."
"Says the so called 'guardian angel'," Joe mocked bitterly in return. He then lifted an arm and brought his hand to rub the nape of his neck before announcing, "but I suppose since you're sticking around I'm setting some ground rules."
"Ground rules?" she arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah," he nodded, "you know, the basics. Don't follow me into the bathroom –"
"Don't even bet on that!" she hissed as a light red tint adorned her cheeks and she hastily shook her head to rid the thought only to see vague images of a shirtless Joe. . . Oh god. No. No. No. Bad Lilly.
He shrugged. "Just making sure, alright? Anyways, no peeping. I've got enough girls as it is trying to rip my clothes off. What? I'm serious, okay? Next is when I'm trying to write a song I expect whatsoever no interruptions."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," she rolled her eyes. "No interrupting the rockstar –"
"Try to keep your insults to the minimum when we're around the family – I don't take kindly to them and I'll probably try to say something back and, obviously since I'm insane and can only see you, my family will also believe I'm a lunatic and probably lock me up for a bit or get a therapist, either one." Joe paused momentarily before a disgusted expression etched across his face. "And I really don't want to give Nick and Kev the opportunity to call me insane. So no more episodes like this morning, alright?"
Lilly frowned. "I understand you think these are 'ground rules' but they're more so your ground rules and I don't get anything in return. There's really no reason to comply to them."
"Ugh, alright, what do you want then?"
"Well, for one thing, you could cut back on your cussing," it was his turn to roll his eyes, however, nodded stiffly in agreement. "Treat me with respect 'cause I certainly don't have a choice to hang around you or not and you better listen to me when I talk."
When the blonde glanced at Joe she surprisingly found a smirk tugging his lips upward and he stared at her through a curtain of his hair. Her stomach dropped. What the hell was he thinking? "You definitely drive a hard bargain," his smirk widened, "and I don't think I've met anyone so demanding since, I suppose, myself."
"Hey I am nothing like you –"
"–anyways, deal." She clamped her mouth shut, gazing at him through suspicious eyes. He held out his hand and she suddenly pictured the man she met prior to this whole Jonas ordeal and how red, grubby, and unearthly his hands were. Fortunately, Joe's was quite the opposite. Fresh, normal colored, and alive. She hesitantly shook his offered hand with hers, heat radiating between their grasp, and she peered up at him with uncertainty.
"But do keep in mind, you're allowed to do anything in order to obtain the assigned soul. Lie, deceit, nothing is wrong my books. Do what you can."
Joe Jonas, consider your soul sold.
Author's Notes: Yeah, I know this update has been long wait but I kinda got stuck at a few parts. Oh and to clear up any confusion, Lilly feigns to be Joe's guardian angel, therefore, tells him to give up his soul because he's doomed to down under (and that's not Australia if you know what I mean). But anyways, yeah, reviews would be awesome and help me update sooner :)
