The song here is "Dark Paradise" by Lana Del Rey

Dark Paradise

Once Crowley was gone from the apartment, Nikolai looked back at Clara and was deeply worried. His Queen looked pale and weak. Her breathing was shallow and she could barely keep her eyes open.

Nikolai sat on the edge beside her and brushed the hair away from her face. Looking at her, he wished he could take the pain and suffer so she wouldn't have to. He grabbed one of the pillows and gently lifted her head, placing it underneath her head as softly as he could manage. He then pulled off his jacket and placed it over her like a blanket so he didn't have to yank one out from under her.

Ginger jumped onto the bed and curled up next to her, nuzzling her nose in Clara's neck, letting out the softest growls Nikolai ever heard from a Hellhound. Then, she opened her eyes and gave a soft smile. She lifted her eyes up to Ginger, who pulled her muzzle out and just laid still. Then, Clara looked at Nikolai, feeling his jacket on her, and tried to grin.

"Big bad Knight is a softy at heart." She mumbled weakly. Nikolai grinned and took her hand in his, holding it tightly.

"Just for you." He replied and her smile broadened, but she quickly closed her eyes and her smile vanished. She was too exhausted to maintain her smile. However, she managed to speak.

"Tell me how you became a demon." she said in a mumble. Nikolai almost didn't catch it, but he quickly made sense of it. He smiled and thought back; he had nearly forgotten those days.

"Believe it or not, but I was a scrawny little shit that no woman took seriously." He said and grinned at Clara's weak smile. "Oh yes, I know it's hard to believe, but trust me. I couldn't get a date if I had offered every coin in my possession.

"All the other assholes back in my day laughed at me and humiliated me; anything to make me look worse in front of the ladies, if it wasn't already impossible." He said and saw Clara trying to open her eyes to meet his. He stroked her cheek, as if telling her it was alright if she kept her eyes closed. After losing the struggle, she kept her eyelids closed.

"Someone suggested that I sell my soul. I was guaranteed satisfaction, so I did exactly what I was told and there was a gorgeous woman with black eyes. Despite her beauty, she was a real bitch." Nikolai said and smiled as Clara let out a very weak chuckle. "I sold my soul for good looks and once I sealed the deal, my first kiss by the way, I returned home and the next day, I was a changed man.

"I was the reincarnation of Adonis and the women left all those men for me. They adored me and there was plenty of me to go around." he said and grinned, remembering all the women he slept with. They couldn't get enough of him.

"Sounds like you haven't changed." Clara replied weakly, making him laugh.

"You're getting ahead of the story." He said in a mocked annoyance. "Well, when my time was up, it wasn't demons that killed me, but the husbands of those women. Then the Hellhounds came for me.

"Like I said earlier, Lilith wanted me dead because I was back to being a scrawny little shit. I was a weak demon and she didn't see much progress let alone potential. It was Crowley, her right hand back in the day, who told her that every demon added up and none could be wasted, especially when it took so much time to create.

"He convinced her and I later learnt that it's not such an easy task. She agreed to let him train me and he didn't hold anything back. It was literally Hell, but he made me stronger and better. He never said it, but I always felt like he was my mentor and I his protégé.

"From that moment on, I stood by his side, so to speak. It was only after he crowned himself King that he confirmed my theory: I was his protégé and he wanted me to rise above the rest as his right hand demon." Nikolai said and Clara smiled weakly.

She was silent and he wondered if his story satisfied her. He continued to hold her hand and stroked her cheek once more. When she opened her eyes, he could see there was something she wanted to say. He waited patiently as she managed to whisper words into a sentence.

"I'll never know what it's like to sell my soul and become a demon. I was born this way and so will my daughter."

Nikolai was a little surprised, but grinned and gave her hand a slight squeeze.

"Exactly." He replied and now it was her turn to be slightly surprised. "When you first stepped into Hell, the demons focused solely on your human half. But you quickly reminded them that you were born Cambion, part demon.

"Despite your human half, you're as much of a demon as the rest of us, even more than most. We were all made to be what we are, even Crowley. But you? You were born a demon, more than we can ever be. Even your daughter will be more demon than us. That is something we will never know." He said and watched as that look in her eyes vanished and as her lips twitched into a smile.

"You sure Hell has embraced me?" she asked yet again in a whisper.

"You embraced Hell, so yeah. The demons respect you." He said and remained silent for some time. "You have no idea how much I admire you. Don't tell Crowley, but you're my favorite." He added and got her to chuckle weakly again.

"So, Crowley has reason to worry." She said. Nikolai wasn't sure what she meant, until it clicked. Crowley was worried that he'd kill Clara, but what she was referring to was how Dean acted, how he wanted to fight Crowley for Hell and her.

Nikolai grinned menacingly at her and grazed her lips with his thumb.

"You bet I'd fight Crowley for you, let alone Hell, if he had done nothing for me. He'll forevermore have my loyalty and if any demon ever had the shadow of a thought of fighting him, I'd slash them to oblivion." He said and Clara's smile twitched, as if she wanted to grin. "So, no worries, Your Majesty: I'm Team Crowley." he concluded and watched her as she closed her eyes to sleep.