Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The moon rose shining light into an apartment’s windows as the person within drew a circle around a star. Lit candles made the atmosphere even more eerie as the man left to grab a small steak knife from within his kitchen. He looked at the book that he carried around and gave a small chuckle, grabbing a wine glass from nearby, “This is the dumbest shit that I’ve ever done and I ain’t even drunk or high for this mess, but whatever.”

He grabbed a knife from a drawer and held his hand over the wine glass. The man groaned as he brought the sharp point of the knife close to his skin, biting his lip in readiness. He hissed through his teeth as the jagged blade stuck into his skin and he felt the warmth of his blood run down his palm, dripping into the wine glass. He moved the knife away, almost practically tossing it as he squeezed his throbbing, burning wound to allow more blood to go into the glass.

After a few more seconds, he moved his hand away and quickly grabbed a paper towel to wrap up his cut, cursing underneath his breath at the burning pain. The man wished that he had a first aid kit or even just a band aid nearby. He was too used to getting his bruises or marks cleaned up at the studio or by his friends. 

After placing so many paper towels on his hand that he’s on the tree’s FBI Most Wanted list, he brought the wine glass filled with a swallow of blood into the center of the pentagram. He mumbled to himself, “What you’re doin’ is really fuckin’ stupid, Anthony, but it seemed like a funny idea, so fuck it.”

The man, Anthony, took the book from the kitchen counter and walked back over to the pentagram, making sure that he had marked everything accordingly to what he saw in the picture. He gave a small shrug as he sat down in front of the pentagram, looked over the odd language in the book, and read the words aloud. ….And nothing happened.

Anthony looked around for the slightest of changes. You know, the usual schtick: Burnt out candles, open windows, random wind, or blood dripping down walls. Anything like that. He tried reading the words again and...again...not even the smallest of change. He sighed as he tossed the book over his shoulder, muttering in dissatisfaction, “I bet if I was high or trippin’ on acid I would see some crazy shit. Welp, the landlord's gonna be pissed!”

The man brushed back his poofy hair with his non-wounded hand and turned to go to bed. However, the moment he took a step he heard someone clear their throat. Anthony quickly whipped around to see a brownish-greyed skinned man wearing the most amount of red that he had ever seen on a person, while also having red hair that seemed to be shaped like ears...somehow. The man spoke, sounding as if he was speaking through some shitty receiver, “My apologies for the lack of fanfare and overall spooks, I had just finished making dinner before getting so rudely interrupted! Didn’t wish to cause any damage to the roast, so I decided to drop in. Although, the look of surprise never gets old~”

Anthony noticed the golden sharp teeth of the man and wondered how he was able to speak without biting off his tongue. Not only that, but he wondered if he secretly did take some ecstasy or slammed down a bottle of cough syrup. He looked around and asked, “Um, are ya-”

“The demon that you called? Well, I’m certainly not the mailman,” The demon chuckled. He watched the, unbelievably tall, man stand up and walk up to the wine glass, picking it up and swirling the thick liquid within as if it were actually wine. Anthony wasn’t sure what he expected the demon to do with the blood, but still seeing him drink it down caused the human to shiver. He started, “Uh, I’m-”

“Anthony Dust, 28, bit of a drug and alcohol addiction, sex worker, and you may want to watch some of those freckles on that easily tearable skin of yours. I am Alastor,” the demon spoke as he gave a polite bow. Anthony blinked at him in shock and questioned, “Uh, how do you-”

“Your blood tells me all that I need to know about you. Although, I will say that it wasn’t much, most people would give a whole pint to me.”

“Are ya evah gonna let me fin-”

Al interrupted with a grin, “Probably not! Now,” he summoned a microphone cane, spinning it around between his fingers, and finished, “what have you summoned me for~?”

The demon’s eyes glowed a slight crimson as his grin grew in excitement of what the mortal may bring or tell him. Anthony stared up at the tall demon and then made a noise at remembering what he called him for. He quickly ran into his bedroom, disappeared for a few seconds, and then came running out with a sparking, smoking radio. He placed it on a table nearby and slightly moved away from the radio, staring up at a confused Alastor, who was still smiling. The demon blinked and started, “Uh...what i-”

Anthony explained, “You’re the radio demon, right? So, like, can ya fix my radio? I don’t really got the money to buy a new one or get it fixed or...I don’t know, throw it inna river and risk pollutin’ it.”

Alastor blinked at him more and said, “Uh...no, I- no. No, I don’t...I’m not called  that because I fixed radios, you moron!”

The mortal stared at him with his mouth agape and shouted, “What the hell! Why are ya called “The Radio Demon” then!? I ain’t got anythin’ else that needs fixin’! What am I supposed ta do with this thing!?”

Anthony gestured to the now flaming radio behind him, not even noticing that it was on fire. Alastor’s eyes widened, as well as his smile, and he got out from the makeshift pentagram, going over to the radio. He snapped his fingers and a bucket of water appeared over it, splashing the radio’s flames. The human got shocked at seeing him leave the pentagram and questioned, “How the fuck didja get outta there!?”

Alastor swiftly turned to him and snapped, “Because that’s not even a proper pentagram, most would use their own blood or even something mixed with holy water! What was that? Some chalk and whatever else you used!? I’m surprised it even worked!”

The fluffy haired man scoffed as he muttered, “Merda ingrata. Non c'è bisogno di essere così fottutamente maleducato. Yes, I used chalk and tape. I’m sorry that I didn’t fucking go to my local pharmacy ta get some goddamn holy wa-”

He trailed off at seeing the demon’s eyes turn into radio dials as he practically towered over him, making Anthony shrink underneath his gaze and stop talking. Alastor took a deep breath and rubbed his temples. He growled, “Could you just make a deal with me so I can leave this sheer stupidity?”

Anthony rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around and saw a few dishes that were peeking out of the sink. He suggested, “Uh, you can clean some dishes.”

Al’s eye twitched as he snarled, “Are you serious? Is that it? No one you want killed? Nothin-”

A hard knock came on a wall nearby as a voice barked, “Hey, shut the fuck up, damn faggot!”

The demon’s eyes glowed as he snapped his fingers in that direction. A few seconds of silence came before the blood-curdling screams came from the neighbor, including visceral cracking sounds and what sounded like begging. The shrieking became more gurgled after a while before it finally became silent. 

Alastor’s eyes turned back to normal and he seemed to get small dark circles underneath his eyelids. He looked down at Anthony,who stared up at him with eyes as wide as dinner plates, with a tired grin and sighed, “I’m going to go eat your neighbor. We will talk about this more.”

He then suddenly disappeared and Antony was quick to lock the door, trying to pretend this didn’t just happen and ignore the terrifying growling and nauseating wet tearing sounds happening next door.

Chapter Text

Anthony snored as he lied on his air mattress bed, cuddling cutely with a rifle and had the door open a smidge. His alarm clock went off on his nightstand, causing him to quickly sit up and hold up his rifle at the door. He gave fast and heavy breaths, while his eyes darted back-and-forth in panic. When Anthony saw nothing, he let out a breath and turned to turn off the alarm.

The boy brushed his hair back and hopped out of bed, still clutching the rifle in his hand. Anthony walked out of the bedroom and looked around the place. He first touched the radio and a spark immediately popped out, but the radio was bone-dry, despite that...red, antler-having weirdo splashing water, as well as the floor. Anthony mumbled, “Well, that’s...freaky, but nothin’ too bad.”

The man walked around his apartment more, stepping around the makeshift pentagram that had burnt out candles around it, and went towards the kitchen. Anthony caught sight of the dried up blood on the knife that lied in the exact spot as it was before on the counter. Other than the knife, nothing else had changed. Once he was done looking around the small place, he sighed loudly, “Oh thank fuck it was jus’ a damn dream! Holy fuck! Maybe it’s time to not take ecstasy from Craigslist.”

Anthony tossed the rifle onto the couch and groaned as he stretched out his limbs, listening to his bones pop. He scratched the back of his neck and sighed, walking back to the pentagram,  “Alright, time ta get this place cleaned up before-”

Before he could finish, the door to his apartment slammed open, causing the doorknob to make a dent in the wall. However, Anthony was more worried about that radio man that stood in the doorway, exclaiming, “Well that was the most disappointing meal I had in my life and death! Hahaha! It was picking at the scraps on bones that scavengers leave behind, not to mention the greasy taste. Seriously, Anthony, you need meatier neighbors, if you want me to keep- oh…”

Alastor trailed off when he saw Anthony holding a rifle up to him on the couch and the mortal warned, “Back off, pezzo di merda, unless ya want your brains decoratin’ my walls!”

The demon blinked at him, tilting his head and making a weird static sound. Al took a step forward, grabbed the barrel of the gun, and bent it upwards effortlessly, causing Anthony to have all kinds of heart attacks at the moment. The radio demon just went on merrily, “Anyway, before you so rudely interrupted m-”

Anthony rudely interrupted, “Look, man, I don’ even taste good, I think. Jus’ try any of the neighbors, some of them even have kids and they’re walking sugar and sodium factories! Eat them or drink their blood or suck their organs out of their body like Freddy Krueger, just leav-”

A zipper formed on Anthony’s mouth and zipped his lips shut, making him somewhat panic. Alastor rubbed his temple and grumbled, “You mortals are so irritating to listen to, I swear! As much as I would love to paint this whole entire filthy apartment with your equally disgusting blood, I will not do that yet! I’m just simply here to work out the arrangement of our deal, okay. Not for anything else!”

Anthony unzipped his lip and asked, “So, why dontcha jus’ leave!? There’s a whole world of humans jus’ ripe for the pic-” he got stopped again by the zipper, while the radio demon clarified, “I do not fix radios and I don’t only eat people, for fucks sake! Also…I cannot exactly leave too far. Let’s just leave it at that. So, make a deal with me, a real one, so I can go back home!”

Anthony groaned, unzipping his mouth and running a hand through his hair, “Look, I jus’ really needed ta get my radio fixed, that’s it!”

“Go buy a new one!”

“.....No,” Anthony simply said. Alastor’s eye twitched as he suddenly towered over the mortal, while his eyes turned to dials and his antlers grew out. It seemed like it got darker behind him as if he attracted darkness, causing Anthony to sink down into the couch cushions as if he was hoping to disappear into the fabric. Ruins started floating around Al’s head before he finally deflated and he mumbled, “Oh...forget it. I can’t believe that you, of all the morons in the living world, would be the one to summon me, especially for something so trivial.”

The human thought for a few seconds and then grinned as he lied across the couch in a sensual way, making sure to move his shirt up to show his stomach as well as a few healing bruises on his torso. He grinned, “Well, I can entice ya inta a bit of sin, if ya want~ Just need ta help me undress~”

Alastor blinked down at him and questioned, “How is helping you undress a sin? If anything that’s a good thing.”

Anthony blinked at him and sat up, staring at the demon and wondering how dim that man seemed to be. He was about to be clearer, but then he heard his phone jingle in his bedroom, making him groan. He stood up and then glanced at Al, commanding, “Don’t ya dare move.”

Alastor raised an eyebrow and questioned, “Where would I even go?”

Anthony rolled his eyes at Alastor and went into his bedroom, taking the phone off of the charger. He saw the message the moment that he clicked it on, seeing it from “V”.

V: Tony baby, I got a small question for you: Where. Are. You?

A sudden wave of nausea hit the boy as he hugged himself with one of his arms and then quickly grabbed a bag from his closet, while running towards the bathroom to freshen up a bit. He wasn’t even supposed to be working today and no one sent him a message about coming in, especially this early!

Anthony went running out of his bedroom and he barely saw when Alastor was changing up his furniture to be a bit more lavish. Al looked shocked at seeing the mortal run past him, grabbing some crackers, and then went running out the door. He tilted his head, making an odd static sound, and then shrugged his shoulder. The moron was probably just late for work, and he seemed like the kind of idiot to do that. Although, despite thinking that, the demon felt a little sick.

Anthony came back into the hotel around 7pm, wearing sunglasses, and saw that his landlord had left an ice-pack on the table. He peeked into her office and saw her just typing away on her computer. He felt the ice pack and noticed that it was somewhat cool, which was good enough. The boy let out a long sigh, took off his sunglasses, and placed the pack on his black eye.

When he was about to go upstairs, the landlord spoke to him, “By the way, I like the renovations that you made to your apartment, just tell me next time when I make my rounds. Also, tell your neighbor on your left that he needs to get his mail.”

Anthony barely registered her words and felt his heart drop at renovations, making him wonder what fresh hell the man brought to his room. As he was running to the elevator, he shouted to the landlady, “Roger is dead by the way!”

The landlady stopped typing for a few seconds…..and then went back to working, mumbling, “Meh. He was a jackass anyway”

Anthony immediately opened up his door to his apartment and saw slight changes done. First of all, it was much cleaner and the smell of stale sex was out of the air. The boy walked across the shiny, hardwood floors that used to be stained carpet, and stared up in awe at the new grey, wooden-looking entertainment wall that was just a small table that he had his flat-screen on.

He quickly turned around and saw that his sofa was gone, instead replaced with a three-seat sofa as well as a leather, wingback chair right next to it. They both sat on a plush-looking rug that Anthony just wanted to roll around on. The kitchen looked pretty much the same except for a bigger fridge and sconce light fixtures near the ceiling.

Anthony heard movement within his bedroom and slowly moved forward, opening up the door. He saw Alastor seemed to be messing with a painting, but all the mortal could pay attention to was the bed. It was no longer an air mattress that would slowly deflate over time, but a french style, double bed that had nice looking sheets that wouldn’t tear from a baby yanking at it. Plus, it had a comfy looking comforter on top as well as plush pillows.

Alastor turned to the human and grinned, “Ah, Anthony, there you are! Your apartment was so disgusting that I think it gave me a feeling of nausea and regret. So, I decided to spruce up the place a bit. Plus, I also filled up your fridge, so it wasn’t just condiments and random, old fast food. So, what do you think?”

….Ok. Maybe Tony can deal with a demon for a few more days.

Al then brought up, “Still didn’t fix the radio.”

Anthony mumbled, “Oh, fuck you.”

Chapter Text

Anthony listened to rain pelt harshly against his windows, making him look at the grey sheet outside his window that showed it was nothing but a gross day. Oftentimes, on days like this, people who worked at his job were able to call out if they wanted to. Business was never booming on rainy/stormy days, but saying that you would never get customers in a porn studio would be an absolute lie. 

He decided to take the day off because he had been working for a whole week straight just to avoid his new, uh, “friend” that he acquired. The man was starting to get sore and he could only take so many days of dealing with drunk men or, if they paid well enough, women. Yeah, Anthony was gonna get yelled at from his boss and probably going to get a slap or two, since he’s the biggest moneymaker there, but it’s nothing he couldn’t handle.

Anthony was texting one of his friends, who sort of knew about the situation he was in, and sent her a crying emoji and that he was hungry.

Cherri: What do you want me to do about it? lol Thought you said that roommate was getting something.

Anthony: Eh, he was or is, but he’s takin’ ages. Plus, he looked pissed when I asked him ta get breakfast.

Cherri: You know, you never told me how he looked or sent a picture. Come on! Tell me something! How does he look? Is he sexy?

Anthony thought for a few seconds and thought past all the weird shit the demon did like the constant death threats, shadows moving around his house, never-ending nightmares, and how Al slept with his eyes open. Other than that shit, Alastor was pretty-

The front door suddenly slammed open...again and Alastor shouted, “I have brought organs!”

Alastor was pretty fucking weird and annoying and stupid and Anthony hated his hair and existence. He sighed as he sent a text to Cherri:

Anthony: He definitely is...something.

Cherri: Oof. Giving many Fs to you, my friendo.

The mortal just sighed as he turned to Al and then flinched when he saw Al carrying a bloody, brown sack into the kitchen. He quickly scrambled out of his bedroom, almost slipping on the hardwood floor from his socks, and shouted, “Hey, what the fuck are ya doin’!? Also, don’t set that shit on the counter!”

Al blinked at him and then just dropped the sack right onto the counter, smirking at the human. He chuckled, “It’s what I said it was, ethel! Organs!”

Anthony ran his hands through his hair, really trying not to rip it out, and sighed heavily, “Ok! I meant what or whose organs are those, ya dumbfuck!”

The radio demon tilted his head and gave an odd staticky purr, walking closer towards the human as his eyes turned to radio dials, “Are you sure you wish to know? I’ll give you extreme detail of what happened, but I will warn you that it is not for the faint of heart~”

Anthony moved away from the demon, until he was backed against the wall. He gulped and laughed nervously, “Heh...no. I’m good. Ya do whatevah ya like.”

Alastor’s eyes turned back into regular pupils and he looked down at him with an unimpressed stare, huffing, “Wise choice…”

Once the demon walked away to go back to the...whatever it was that he had in that thing, Anthony went back to his bedroom as silently as he could and went to go check on his phone. He saw three new messages from Cherri.

Cherri: Hey, yo, I was just joking.

Cherri: Come on, man, you ain’t mad, right? Unless your new roommate is cutting you up into little pieces, lol.

Cherri: Shit, I gotta go. Got work. Let me know when he’s done killing you, dude.

Anthony sighed at missing talking to really the only person he can talk to without judgement or wanting to fuck or looking for some score. He got up from his bed, looking at the rain, and figured that he couldn’t just walk away from this madness, so he just decided to watch TV. 

The human went back into the living room/kitchen and saw that what Alastor was pouring out of his bags...was just everyday meats like pork, chicken, and even bacon. Anthony blinked at what he was taking out and shouted at Al, “Wha- What! Why didja-”

The radio demon looked over his shoulder to the human and had an even bigger grin on his face, “What? Did you expect other kinds of organs? You’re so silly, Tony! Hahahaha!”

Anthony stared at the demon, wishing that he could just burn a hole to the back of his head, and he ended up typing a reply to Cherri.

Anthony: I fucking hate this guy.

After breakfast, Anthony was just watching Netflix in the living room, not really paying attention to the scary movie. He didn’t even really read the name or what it was about, he just liked going in blind when it came to horror films. Although, it was proving to be just some slasher flick, not even that great of a killer. The people that the killer was getting were fucking stupid anyway. They were- “Making too much noise. Of course he’s easily able to slaughter you, such annoying catches. If anything, cutting or burning the tongues would be quite merciful.”

The mortal jumped at seeing the radio demon sitting close to him and asked, “When didja get over here?”

Alastor narrowed his smile a bit, making Anthony know that he was going to hear some sarcastic comment...and then made him wonder how he knew what Al’s smiles meant. The demon mocked, “My, you are full of boring questions today.”

The human gave a tired groan and just shook his head, not really wanting to bother with the demon and trying to understand him fully. However, it did hit him when he was critiquing the murderer in the movie. It felt less like someone judging the tropes or cliches and more like someone who has had experience. Granted, Anthony couldn’t judge too harshly, considering the family he came from, but...it just felt different. Especially since he didn’t feel like he could die with them.

Anthony took a deep breath and just went back to watching the TV, not really wanting to egg the man on.

He wasn’t sure when or who started it, but him and Alastor somehow had scooted closer to each other. They were still watching slasher and horror flicks, but it wasn’t like he was afraid of anything that was happening on the TV. Yet, here he was, right next to the demon that probably could rip his liver out. Hell...that could be why he moved so close to him. Although, the man was very nice to lean up against. A nice warmth came off of him and he smelt like nice cologne...with a mixture of raw meat, but that's fine...ish.

Alastor was mumbling to himself about certain scenes that were going on. Sometimes it was about what he would do or correcting the killer’s behavior or even flat out complaining about the whole thing. Normally, Anthony would hate people talking during a movie, but he oddly found it interesting and comforting. Plus, he wanted to ask him something.

Anthony looked up at Al and questioned, “Uh...yeah, Al, do...uh...were ya human once?”

Alastor didn’t seem to notice the closeness, still looking ahead, but he still responded, “Why, yes, I was.”

“When didja die?”

“1930s, dear boy.”

Anthony gulped as he shifted a bit in the chair and then asked what he had been thinking, “Uh...wh-what didja, uh...do ta...ya know, end up in Hell or as a demon or whatevah?”

Alastor blinked, seeming as if he was coming back into reality, and then looked down at the human. Tony thought that he was about to have a heart-to-heart with the demon, but then the deer boy started, “Anthony…”

The mortal answered, “Uh, yeah…”

The demon took a deep breath and grinned scarily wide, lowering his voice and tone laced with static, “Can you tell me why you are sitting so close and touching me?”

“I-Is that a p-problem?” He asked as he lowered himself against the couch cushion and let out a small whimper. Black tentacles raised behind the demon as he tilted his head, bending his neck at an unnatural angle, and he growled deeply, “Yessss…”

He hated and was terrified of his roommate. Cherri help….

Chapter Text

Cherri asked Anthony on the phone, “So, like, when can I meet this mysterious man?”

Anthony was currently in a play bunny outfit, hiding behind the couch, while listening to Alastor hum a little song. He thought Al told him that the song was “Placing it on The Ritz Cracker” or some shit like that. Either way, he was probably going to get killed for just playing around. 

All Anthony did was just walk up to him, while he was reading the newspaper, and ask if he was ready to go hunting for the Easter Bunny. It seemed like Alastor was into it, even placing his hands on Tony's hips. However, when the human felt something in-between his legs, he got shocked at seeing the double barrel of a shotgun.

He definitely didn’t expect Al to actually start shooting him. What was even weirder was that the bullets never seemed to cause damage to the furniture or walls and that he seemed to have an endless amount of bullets in the gun. Doesn’t matter, however, since Anthony was sure that they would still cause damage to himself.

Anthony spoke to Cherri as he watched Alastor from behind the island in the kitchen, “Uh...it’s kinda complicated. He’s a little...sensitive.”

Cherri snorted and joked, “Anyone is better than your boss and ya know that that’s the truth. Plus, sensitive guys are pretty cute. How old is he, by the way?”

The mortal hummed as he looked around the corner to see Alastor floating many objects around the room, while his antlers were growing outwards and angry looking. The radio demon’s eyes quickly glanced over at the kitchen, causing Anthony to quickly hide again. He whispered, “Probably like in his early to mid thirties.”

She went silent for a few seconds before questioning, “Dude, you okay? Why are you whispering suddenly?”

Anthony tensed up at hearing Alastor call out happily, while listening to his footsteps come near the kitchen, “Come on out, Anthony~ I heard that you were having a bad hare day, so I wish to help you~”

The human slid down closer to the floor and mumbled as he saw the double barrel appear, knowing that the tall demon could easily look down above the island. Tony mumbled with a long whine, “Do ya think I’d look bettah cremated or wearin’ my performance outfits in a pink and white coffin?”

As soon as Anthony asked that, there were suddenly numerous dull thuds against the floor, making the human slowly look up. He didn’t see Alastor anywhere, but he did smell something that was somewhat spicy and sweet. Tony ignored Cherri panicking on the phone as he slowly stood up to see what was going on.

Anthony saw the radio demon smoking a cigarette on the couch, causing him to slowly approach. Al was slumped over, looking slightly exhausted and even having small dark circles under his eyes, while his jacket was lying on the back of the couch. ….At least that’s what an observant person would notice, but this was Anthony. He just exclaimed, “Where did that cigarette come from? Did your gun turn into that!?”

Alastor blinked at him as he glanced up at him, blowing a plume of smoke, and smirked, “Everything that I’ve done so far...and this is what you question? What an odd fellow you are.”

The demon looked up and down at the human’s lightly bruised arms and neck, grimacing a bit. He then raised his hand to snap his fingers, hesitated for a few seconds, and then just snapped anyway. A blanket wrapped around Anthony tightly as a cigarette appeared in his mouth. The mortal squirmed a bit and huffed, “Look, I know yer weird about sexual shit, but ya don’t gotta wrap me up like this. Also, how am I gonna light my ci-”

Before he could finish, Al pulled on the blanket and brought Anthony closer to him. He lit the cigarette with his own after breathing it in and then pushed the human away. He breathed out smoke and mumbled, “You talk too much…”

Tony would question why Al was okay with intimacy like that and not others, but he didn’t want to deal with the headache. He looked down at his phone on the floor and saw his wallpaper, making him think that Cherri hung up. Luckily, the girl was still at work or else he would have to explain this weird situation. ...Well, explain it even more.

The mortal took a drag of the cig and then immediately started hacking harshly, getting tears in the corner of his eyes. Anthony broke away from his blanket prison and coughed a bit more before asking, “What the hell are in these!?”

Alastor mocked, “Probably tobacco. Have you never smoked before?”

“Ya know what I meant! Also, I have, but...does this not have a filter on it?”

“Pfft! Why would it? Cigarettes have never had…” The demon trailed off when he saw Anthony hold up a cigarette from a box nearby, showing that it had a filter at the end. Al blinked and then shrugged, “Well, I suppose I’m wrong!”

Anthony tried to take another drag, breathed a bit of smoke, and then started violently coughing again. He held onto his chest and snuffed out the cig. As he mumbled about feeling as if he was about to vomit, his phone began buzzing on the floor. The mortal tensed up when he saw the message and who it was from. Tony leaned down and grabbed the phone, while Al suddenly had an odd feeling in his chest.

Alastor groaned at the chest tightness, as well as a churning feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was enough to make him get up and have the need to start pacing around. He watched Anthony get up and hurry up to grab a coat, announcing, “I gotta go. Val called me in and told me that I can come in as is, so that’s nice, I guess. Ya wanna come, Al?”

The demon looked at him and questioned as he paced, taking a long drag, “Hmmm...where do you work?”

“Oh, a porn-”

“Nope!” Alastor exclaimed as he felt an odd choking sensation come about, causing him to breathe shallow, quick puffs, as he heard Anthony mumble about him being a prude. He watched the human reach towards the door, pulled the cigarette out from his mouth, and shouted, “Anthony!”

The human flinched and looked at the demon with a confused expression. Al felt the feeling just slightly deflate, making him feel like he could breathe again. ….Perhaps it was nothing, and yet he still needed a bit more than just a stare. The demon grinned, “Pick up some shrimp on your way back. I don’t think I can take another mouthful of your oily cooking.”

Anthony blinked and then snorted, rolling his eyes as he left, “Yeah, love ya too, Al.”

The human left the apartment and Alastor alone. The choking feeling came back, but it was very slightly eased and he felt a bit happier. He wasn’t sure why. Why did he feel sick whenever Anthony went to work? Al just shook his head snuffing out his cigarette and thought that maybe he was feeling too drained. He just needed to eat, that’s all. ...That’s all.

Chapter Text

It was very late, past midnight and Alastor was just staring down at Anthony, who was also staring back at him. This intense staring contest was the result of Tony coming back home after a quickie, which he, unfortunately, explained in great detail to Alastor. The demon threw up in his own mouth...twice. However, Al also noticed the bruises on the human’s skin. This wasn’t the first time he noticed them, ever since the first time they met he saw healing wounds along his torso. 

Now, Alastor may be asexual, but he was no stranger to sex. ...He just didn’t have it very often, mostly used as an easier way to gain access to one’s throat, and rarely enjoyed the process, since he hardly cared for the person. So, he knew that bruises happen during intercouse. It also depended on the type of relationship, but it was normal.

However, for a man that was so open about how sexual he was, Anthony often hid his body quite often with many sweaters. He did wear shorts and crop tops at times, but it was only when the wounds were almost healed. Either way, Al still attempted to ask about them.Anthony avoided the question by trying to change the subject or try to make Al feel sick again by going into detail about his job. The demon just gave up after a while and they continued on with their evening in silence with glares at each other.

That brought them to the night where Alastor got annoyed by the silence, filling the house with white noise that plagued his mind. He snapped at Anthony and tried to get the human to show his bruises to him. It resulted in the two yelling at one another, throwing cushions, and occasionally getting neighbors to tell them to shut up.

So, now, they’ve been staring at one another from opposite sides of the bedroom, waiting for someone to make the first move. ...They were both kinda stupidly dominant like that. Alastor narrowed his eyes at Anthony and informed him, “You’re going to have to sleep at some point, you know? You mortals can’t last too long without some kind of rest, even just a nap.”

The human rubbed at his eyes, feeling his head nod a bit as sleep tried to take over him. However, he refused to rest as he snapped, “Why? So, ya can look at my body like some weird ass creep? How do I know that ya ain’t fakin’ concern ta just lower my guard?”

Alastor scoffed and told him, “Believe me, if I wanted and could kill you, then I would. I have no hesitation when it comes to my skill.”

“So, then why the hell do ya care!? It ain’t none of yer business as ta-”

Al interrupted as he snarled out, “It’s from Valentino, isn’t it?”

He watched Anthony tense up and stare at him in shock, staring at him for a few seconds. The startled expression quickly changed into anger as he asked in a low tone, no longer looking tired, “Wanna repeat that again?”

The demon leaned against the wall and rolled his eyes, saying in annoyance, “Don’t you dare pretend that you’re subtle. I’ve seen the way you tense up, your pupils shrink, and the way that you start to lightly tremble. Not only that, but any bit of excitement you have drains from you the moment he calls for you.”

“Yer makin’ shit up!”

“No, I’m not and you know that I’m not! I’ve drunk your blood. I know how you feel with him! It’s nothing but fear and worry and regret and- ...Point is that I know-”

Anthony then stood up suddenly and shouted, “Ya don’t fuckin’ know me! Yeah, sure, so fuckin’ what that I come home with bruises? So what that I might get a little worried about Val? That don’t mean shit! That ain’t evidence! Val is my fuckin’ pimp, for fuck’s sake! We ain’t in some lovey-dovey romance, not that that’s yer business! We have rough sex and I do what I’m told! There? Ya happy!?”

“No! You’re lying! You’re so obviously-”

“Well, what about you?” Anthony questioned, glaring harshly at Alastor. The demon looked taken aback, even attempting to step back despite being against the wall. He parroted, looking away from the human, “...What about me?”

The boy huffed and clarified, “Yeah! Ya know everythin’ ‘bout me from my damn blood, and yet I know nothin’ ‘bout ya! Ya haven’t told me anythin’ not even how ya got ta Hell, even though it’s pretty obvious! The only thing I know about is when ya died. I just- if yer gonna be askin’ about my personal life, then I get ta know yours!”

Alastor’s eyes widened and the corner of his smile twitched, not really knowing what to say next. He looked back up at Anthony and saw tears threatening to fall out the corner of his eyes, while he breathed heavily and hugged himself. It made Alastor...hurt. He heard the mortal sniffle as he mumbled, “Why would ya give me death threats one day and pretend ya care the next…?”

Al balled his hands into fists tightly as he watched Anthony march towards the door. He took a deep breath as the human grabbed the doorknob and then randomly blurted, “My mom let me make cookies with her!”

Anthony suddenly stopped and turned towards Al with a confused expression. The demon slid down the wall as he sat with his legs up to his chest. He just went on without much explanation, “Y-Yes...my mom let me help. Of course, she handled the ingredients part, but she...heh...let me “taste test” the dough to make sure it was edible.”

He gave a quiet chuckle and looked up at Anthony with a smaller smile. The human seemed hesitant at first, but he slowly walked towards Al with caution. The demon continued, “I always burnt the first batch and I got so sad, but my mom always ate that charcoal that was once a cookie to make me smile. I’m sure she was giving herself cancer with all that carcinogen, but hey. She didn’t care.”

Al laughed again, while Anthony had a small smile on his face. The mortal put his back against the bed as he sat in front of Al, sitting criss-crossed so that the long-legged demon had more room. Alastor sighed, “My dad would always come home late, but we never knew fully where he worked. We never minded though. My dad always brought home the heavy sugar, so we were happy!”

Anthony tilted his head, “Heavy sugah?”

“A lot of money,” Al explained with a bigger smile and then it dropped a bit. He continued, “My mom would also play the piano, mostly “Shine On, Harvest Moon”, and teach me at the same time, while my dad smoked his pipe on the couch. It was a typical, happy family. At least...I thought we were happy.”

“I think I started realizing the behavior when I was...9 or 10. My mom would always be so happy, but she also looked tired. Anytime my dad would come my mother would pull me off to the side and stress about how important it was that I remained happy. It didn’t matter what was going on or how exasperated he looked...just keep smiling.”

Alastor rubbed his forehead and Anthony was about to tell him that he could stop, but the demon just raised his hand. He wanted to keep going. After a few beats of silence, Anthony questioned, “What did ya do?”

Al shrugged, “I did what I was told. If she told me to continue smiling, then I would. If she told me to just keep playing the piano and not turn around, then I did. If she told me that it was all the sudden improper for a boy to do a woman’s job and be in the kitchen, then...I listened. ….Except for two times….when I didn’t.”

Anthony tensed up and felt really bad that he was morbidly curious as to what would happen next. Although...he had an awful feeling that he could guess what. Alastor gave a tiny whimper, looking at a random spot on the floor, “I can’t exactly remember these certain events that happened next. All I know is that...it was night, probably midnight. It was raining and I woke up after having a bad dream. I swore that I went downstairs to get some water, at least...I think that's what I’ve been telling myself.”

“I went downstairs and saw my father...hurting my mom. I don’t remember what all he was doing, but I heard my mom shrieking for him to stop. ...Just stop. I felt the cold tile on my feet as I quietly walked in, grabbed something that I needed both hands to hold, and then I was suddenly sitting on my dad’s stomach...stabbing his chest. My mom...now screaming at me to stop. My dad was choking on his blood and his eyes showed nothing but pain, but I didn’t stop...until he did. I blinked at the blood pooling onto the floor and my dad looking up at the ceiling with his eyes rolled back. I swear I even felt his body growing cold through his shirt. ...I do remember turning to my mom and saying, “Ma...I didn’t listen. I went into the kitchen. I’m sorry”.”

Alastor snapped his fingers and made an unlit cigarette appear in his hand. Anthony, despite how cold he felt at the story, got to his feet to open the window, letting in the sounds of the night. Al lit the cigarette, breathed in, and breathed out a plume of smoke towards the window. This was the smallest smile Anthony had seen Al had, and yet the demon continued with his story...and he listened.

“Like I said, I don’t remember much of the next few days. My mom did wake up screaming so much at night, fearing that my father was still alive and that he would come for us. ...I was just a child. I just slept with her whenever that happened. What else could I do? My mom also became very unresponsive. Hardly talking to me and often just...staring, mostly at the fire. I refused to leave her side at that point.”

“She also didn’t eat much, especially the food that I made, even though it was mostly sandwiches. The woman that would eat burnt to hell cookies couldn’t eat a simple ham sandwich. So, she grew frail as well,” Al took another drag of his cigarette before continuing, shaking a bit, “The last day I remember, my mom seemed to be…“getting better”. She did the laundry, helped me with my home-school work, and we even played the piano together. All seemed fine, then my mom asked me to get a case from her and dad’s bedroom.”

“I didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t even know what was in there, just knew that my dad brought it out with him sometimes. Either way...I did what I was told. ...When I came downstairs, she told me where the key was and I opened it up, feeling excited and wondering what it could be. It was a revolver.”

Anthony quickly spoke up, “Al, ya proved-”

“No...I haven’t,” Alastor interrupted Anthony, staring at the boy with serious eyes. He said after taking a drag, “My mom told me to...make sure that it had bullets inside, even telling me how to do it. There were. She told me to make sure nothing was wrong with it, no jams or anything. I did. Then, she instructed me to hold the gun steady and aim it at the side of her head. My mom even said that after I was done to place the gun in her hand and then go sit, maybe do my homework or make some cookies...don’t look at her face. I don’t remember when, but I started sobbing. I was so, so confused and scared. I was really hoping that she was joking. She was still smiling so calmly...as if she was trying to ease my fear- my chest hurt so much from how hahd I was breathin’.”

Alastor shook his head, listening to his radio flicker a bit, and then gave a bitter chuckle, “She played the piano...our song...she was singing.”

The demon messed with his monocle, his voice changing as it flickered through stations, and then he sung, “The night was mighty dark so you could hardly see, for the moon refused to shine~ Couple sitting underneath a willow tree, for love they did pine~ Little maid was kinda 'fraid of darkness, so she said, "I guess I'll go." Boy began to sigh, looked up at the sky and told the moon his little tale of woe~”

Alastor held out his hands in front of him as if he was holding a gun and slowly raised the “gun” with shuddering breath, “Oh, shine on, shine on, harvest moon up in the sky; I ain't had no lovin', since April, January, June or July,” he cocked the “gun”, “Snow time, ain't no time to stay outdoors and spoon; so shine on, shine on, harvest moon~ ….For me….and my-” he then pulled the “trigger”. 

Al gave a small hiccup as he placed his hands down after fixing his monocle and going back to his speaking voice. He muttered, “...I think I messed up the last note with that interruption and...the last thing I remember that day is that I told my neighbor when they came to inspect what happened and they let me stay at their house, “...I broke the rule. I saw her face…”.”

He looked at Anthony, who stared at him with wide eyes that were just swarming with emotion. He finished, snuffing out his cigarette, “Take it from me, Anthony...don’t always just do...what you’re told.”

Chapter Text

Anthony woke up the next day, seeing rain pouring outside of his window, and gave a sigh as he sat up. He looked around the room, expecting to see either Alastor curled up at the end of his bed or creepily sleeping with his eyes open. Unfortunately, the deer man wasn’t anywhere to be found. He did smell something being cooked. 

The man sighed as he got up and went towards the door, preparing himself for what may be out there. Anthony never saw Alastor look so empty or sympathetic...ever. The demon seemed to always keep himself closed off or just to always smile no matter the situation. So, to see him so devoid of joy...it was really shocking. The boy felt like that would carry over into this morning.

Anthony opened up the door to his bedroom and walked into the joined living room/kitchen, listening to the sound of jazz music playing. The human stared at Alastor without his jacket on, swishing his deer tail (has he always had that?), and humming a small tune as he cooked. ….Was this his way of coping? He isn’t one to judge coping mechanisms at all, but...it almost made him wonder if last night even happened.

He walked up behind Alastor and cleared his throat, “Uh, Al, are ya doin’-”

Alastor quickly turned to Anthony and grinned widely at him, eyes somehow sparkling, “Hello, my dear! Your flesh is looking exceptionally squishy this morning!”

Anthony blinked up at Alastor, wondering how the hell do you even respond to something like that and if it even was a compliment. He hummed, “Uuhh...hey? What are...ya makin’?”

He looked at the frying pan that had small cuts of meat, onions, and bell peppers inside of it. The human winced at the meat and wondered what fresh hell was in the pan. Al explained, “It’s just fresh veal for grillades. Got it earlier today after I had a hard time falling asleep.”

“Oh, uh, are you-”

“Am I okay? More than okay, I am spectacular! Can you get those grits off of the heat? It’d be a shame to have them burn,” Al then went back to humming a small tune as he flipped the food in the pan. Anthony went over to the saucepan, took it to a burner that wasn’t on, and saw that Al had made cheesy grits. 

He looked down at the food before looking at Alastor to see the man happily still cooking. Although, something felt off. Despite the swaying and wagging, he seemed too stiff and his smile wasn’t nearly as big as it normally would be.

Maybe it’s time for him to do something…

Anthony poked at his food as he half-heartedly listened to Alastor drone about life in Hell or talking about himself or a person he killed- the boy had no idea what he was saying. He was too focused on what to do next.

A part of him wanted to confront Al about how odd he had been acting, but he wasn’t too sure how to do that. He even thought about delving into his life though...that was a bit too personal for him. Plus, he wasn’t nearly as eloquently spoken as Al. 

As he was thinking, he didn’t notice Alastor paused in his long winded story and seemed to stare at Anthony in concern. He questioned, “Is there something wrong, Anthony?”

The mortal looked up at the demon and shifted a bit where he sat. He gave a small sigh as he suddenly stood up and wordlessly lifted his shirt to show his stomach and ribs. Al’s face turned almost as red as his hair as static filled his voice, “No, no! No need for such a thing! I have…”

The deer demon stopped his asexual panic and stared at the healing bruises along Anthony’s torso. He had already seen them before, but never with Anthony being willing. He glanced at the boy’s face and saw it slightly turning a pinkish color as his eyes watered. Al winced and calmly said, “Th-That’s enough. You can put your shirt down.”

Anthony did as he was told and crossed his arms, looking off to the side. Al shifted in his chair and simply asked, “Why?”

The human shrugged and gave a heavy sigh, “He pays me well and lets me be me...sometimes. Plus, he can have his better moments when I do a good job, so not all of these bruises are bad. Don’t get me wrong; I know that he is a selfish, pompous prick, but what the hell else am I gonna do? I can’t go anywhere else with the name that I built and...I definitely can’t go back home. ...No one wants a whore like me, Al. It’s just life. I deal with it just like anyone else.”

The fluffy-haired boy slumped into his chair with his shoulders sagging as he continued to stare away from Al. He felt tears sting the corners of his eyes, only feeling irritated at them. It was life. He should be used to it! Yet, Anthony always found something to be a little pussy about. He wiped at the corners of his eyes and heard Al mumble, “I do…”

Anthony gave a quick sniffle as he looked up at Alastor and questioned, “What didja say?”

Alastor opened his mouth, closed it, and then replied, “I said...I wouldn’t mind...I don’t mind you.”

Anthony felt his heart jump to his throat as he looked at Al with knitted eyebrows, wondering what exactly the deer demon meant, while knowing exactly what he meant. It seemed like the demon was going to say more, but he got distracted by hearing Anthony’s phone vibrate. 

The boy groaned as he ran towards his bedroom, “Ah, shit, give me a sec.”

When he got to his room, Anthony, of course, saw that he missed a call from Val and saw a message saying that he was scheduled at the last minute to do a filming of a gang-bang scene. Of course, Val didn’t bother asking if he was free or not. Of course, Val demanded him to come to the studio.

Anthony tightened his grip on his phone as he looked out his door, barely seeing the demon poking at the grits with his fork. Al’s voice echoed in his head, “Don’t always do what you’re told.”

He knew there would be consequences of this and that he had no idea what would come from this, but...goddamnit! He deserved a day off! Anthony went into his contact setting for Valentino and muted any messages or calls from him for 24 hours.

The human went out to the living room and smiled, “Eh, it was just my parents. What were ya gonna say?”

The large smile came back to Alastor’s face and his ears seemed to twitch happily as well. He then chuckled, “Oh, I was going to say that you might not wish to shower today! Who knew calves took up so much space!”

Anthony blinked at him...and remembered that Al mentioned fresh veal. 

“...I hate you, Al.”

“Why, thank you!”

Chapter Text

A couple months have passed since their little heart-to-heart moment that they had and...things weren’t nearly as uncomfortable as Anthony was expecting. However, things weren’t exactly the same either. He didn’t mind it though.

Alastor had been a bit more clingy and had been paying more attention to Anthony’s emotions. Anytime the human had given the smallest sigh, Al was immediately at his side, trying to appeal to him. It wasn’t like everything was caring. The demon still made his life a bit of a hell by leaving random, mysterious meats in the freezer and fridge or having a neighbor or two go on “vacation”. Al and Anthony had agreed on a minimum of cannibalisms per month.

Not only that, but Al seemed to be comfortable sleeping closer to him. Not so much to actually sleep right next to him, but roughly within the same vicinity. Alastor had no problem with curling up at the end of the bed like a puppy. He even snored...which was as if a radio was constantly changing stations along with loud static. ...Anthony hated nighttime. 

Luckily, Anthony hadn’t been going back to Valentino for very long or anywhere near Club 666. It freaked him out to leave the apartment, however, since he had no idea if Val was pissed at him or not. The pimp would call him every now and then, but never really texted him. At least not in a while. Thankfully, delivery existed, so he didn’t have to worry too much.

There was one constant in their lives...and that was the radio being broken.

“ALASTOR!!!” Anthony called out to Al, who was washing the dishes, wearing a simple grey sweater and dark pants. He almost dropped the plates in the sink, making him breathe in relief at them not shattering. He turned around, expecting to see the human running towards him, but jumped at seeing a cellphone in front of his face.

On the phone, there was a teacup piglet that seemed to be sniffing at the screen and there was even one that was lying on a strawberry, but Al was sure that was fake. He blinked and said, “It’s a pig.”

Anthony moved the phone away, showing that he was wearing a crop top and some sweats, and smiled, “Yes, it is...and yer wearin’ a ponytail…”

Al just crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, “Anthony, what the hell is this about?”

The mortal rocked on his heels and asked, looking up at Al, “Welllll, we’ve been livin’ togetha fer a while and I was jus’ thinkin’ about how empty it is in ‘ere. It sure would be nice ta have a buddy around, wouldn’t it?”

“No.”

“So, I was jus’ figured that we could go ta the market-” 

“No.” 

“-go see the little animals they got fer sale-”

“No.”

“-and maybe see if they got little piggies! Waddya say?” Anthony asked, holding his hand out for Al to shake. The deer demon blinked down at the human and smiled widely, “Oh, of course!”

Anthony perked up and exclaimed, “Whoa! Really!?”

“No,” Al’s ears dropped against his head in irritation and he turned back around to go clean the dishes. He was about to grab the sponge to start washing the plate, only to give out a yelp at Anthony hugging his midsection. Alastor squeezed at the sponge tightly, making the contents wring out, and felt himself become warm.

It was an odd sensation that he had been feeling at random moments. At first, he thought that he might’ve come down with some odd flu or something was wrong with his magic, but it had been happening more frequently. Anytime that Anthony touched him or moved in some way or smiled, Al felt himself become warm…...but he just didn’t know why exactly.

Alastor tried to speak, but the most that came out was small croaks. Luckily, Anthony spoke up in a timid tone, “Please, Al, I promise that I won’t bug ya fer anythin’ else. We don’t even gotta buy the pig today, jus’ take me there….please?”

Al felt his body get warmer at hearing the quiet tone of Anthony’s voice, making him tighten his hold on the sponge even further. He wasn’t sure why this was happening, especially since all that the boy was doing was talking. What the hell was going on?

He gave a small gulp, noticing how dry his throw felt, and replied, “Well...if it’s just...looking, then I suppose that’s alright.”

“Ya ain’t jokin’ this time? Ya actually mean it?” Anthony asked, looking very skeptical. He also noticed that Alastor felt warmer than usual, but he wouldn't be surprised if the deer man could set himself on fire. He pretty much expected everything and anything from the radio demon.

Alastor nodded soundlessly and Anthony smiled wider, hugging the demon a bit tighter. He exclaimed, “Thank you so much, Al! I can’t wait to tell Cherri!”

The demon gave a small smile at the human’s cheers and turned to see him going towards his bedroom. Alastor softly sighed as he turned back to the sink, feeling the warmth go towards his ch- the plate in his hand snapped in half at Al suddenly tightening his grip.

The warmth left him entirely as he mumbled under his breath with a slight growl, while his antlers grew out, “ Who’s Cherri? ”

Chapter Text

I feel like I left you guys in the quiet for quite a long while and I feel awful because of that. 2020 and even the beginning of 2021 have just been a rollercoaster. Not only in the world, even stuff going on in my life personally. Like my grandma going in and out of the hospital and COVID scares and my own mental/physical health.

Plus, I seem to have a form of tendinitis on my right hand, which causes more things to slow down because it hurts worse some days. Also, anytime I feel like I finally have the energy to write, something happens that saps it away. So, yeah.

Do not get me wrong, nothing is getting abandon. It's just gonna be long waits for chapters and I'm so sorry. I really am trying, I just dont have it in me to sit and write out over 1,000 or 2,000 words.

However, I will be way more active on my Tumblr (petitprincess1.tumblr.com) and on my Twitter (@petitprincesslp). I may be posting little snippets of my stories or even posting drawings or whatever else comes to mind.

I really hope you guys can forgive me. Thank you for reading this.

Chapter Text

Alastor felt himself slightly become paranoid at the thought of Anthony being near another person, especially one that he didn't know. ...Granted, he doesn't really know anyone that Anthony knew, but still! It made him feel...like he needed to guard him, keep an eye on him at all times.

…..Cherri could easily be working for  Valentino or even is trying to earn some money! Alastor's not being paranoid, it makes perfect sense! Anthony often could be closed off about those that hurt him, so it only makes sense that he just assumes Cherri is a friend. Yes...yes…

Al then shook himself off and sighed, saying to himself, "Alright...now, all I need is some form of a disguise. I refuse to wear the awful clothing they have nowadays, however."

Anthony rocked on his heels as he waited for Alastor or Cherri to appear, wearing his crop top still, but switched the sweatpants for some shorts. He wasn't expecting the deer man to even say yes to the idea, if anything he thought the demon would have him grovel. The bastard seemed like the kind of jerk to do that. Then again, he had been a bit nicer to him ever since the story. Maybe...things were turning around?

The boy thought for a second before snorting, "Fuck no! That asshole jus' wanted me ta shut up or-"

He then flinched at feeling his phone buzz and his heart dropped. A slight choked feeling came about him as he took out his phone from his pocket, shaking while doing so. The Italian's eyes were closed as he unlocked his phone and opened an eye slightly. A huge relief waved over him at seeing Cherri text him, "Out front of this dump, waiting for ya, Angie!"

The freckled, spunky girl also had a picture of herself with her tongue sticking out and holding up a middle finger. Anthony felt so dumb for getting so worried. He knew Val rarely texted, but….the silence was unnerving. Who knows what that fucking sociopath was gonna do to him when he came back. Hell, who's to say that he won't even be there or anywhere!? ...Maybe going out was a bad idea. Yeah, he can always just back out. A quick text is all he needed to. A text and he'll be perfectly sa-

"Are we ready to go, my dear fellow?" Alastor’s chipper voice broke Anthony out of his panicked state. He took a deep breath and turned around, looking up instinctively, "Yeah, yeah. Cherri's out…."

He trailed off when he didn't see the normally tall deer demon and instead saw a dark-skinned man. Anthony figured it was still Al, since he was sharply dressed in a button-down shirt and slacks and had a large grin on his face, but it was still shocking. He….He was shorter than him!

The lad waved his hand over the top of his head and Al's black, coiffed hair multiple times. Granted, it was only like an inch or two of difference, but it was an immense change from the seven foot demon. Anthony did this a few more times, only because he could see the annoyed twitch in Alastor's grin.

The disguised demon asked, fixing his glasses and taking a deep breath, "Are you quite done?"

Anthony blinked at him and did it one more time, snorting at the light red glow in his eyes. He grinned, "Hey, don't get mad at me! I'm jus' shocked ya actually got yerself a human disguise and one dat's actually fashionable, ya know?"

Alastor blinked at him and whispered, "I can still cut open your stomach and rip out your entrails like a magician pulling scarves, you know?"

The lad just waved him off as he went walking out the door, "Enough cute flirtin', Al. Cherri's waitin' fer us! I think yer gonna like her, 'specially since ya adore me~"

He winked at Al before leaving out into the hall with a chuckle. Anthony ended up missing Alastor becoming so comically flustered that his ears and tail appeared on his body. The disguised demon mumbled a curse at his magic betraying him and wondering why it was even acting such an odd way.

When the two were in the main lobby, Alastor grabbed Anthony's forearm, stopping him before he could make any sexual joke, "Are you alright? I felt you become...uneasy before I asked if you were ready."

Anthony’s grin immediately dropped as he looked away and muttered, "I'm alright, Al. Geez, I'm startin' ta think ya got some- hey!"

He shouted at feeling Alastor’s grip tighten and the man narrow his eyes at him, the smile on his face becoming more strained. The boy's eyes narrowed, as well, and he huffed, practically yelling, "I'm fine! Jus' was worried about Val, dat's all! It's really no big deal, Alastor! Don't gotta worry 'bout me when I'm jus' bein' fuckin' stupid and actin' like a pussy!"

Alastor's previous worries about Cherri working for Valentino slightly diminished, since he also felt sudden relief from Anthony. However, he still had a weird nagging in the back of his mind. Either way, the disguised demon released Anthony’s arm and told him gently, "I know I don't...but that's why I do. You don't have to worry. I'm here."

Anthony seemed shocked at the response and even somewhat flattered. He cleared his throat and mumbled, looking at the floor, "Uh, well...thanks, I guess."

Al nodded, "Of course. After all, why would I want to feel like a mess all day because you can't keep your silly, petty emotions in check."

"Yeah, well, fuck ya too, Smiles!"

The two stared at one another before chuckling, clearly showing this was all just fun games. Suddenly, a freckled girl with wild hair appeared at the entrance, poking her head in and shouting, "Yo, gaybirds! Get out here before I leave ya two!"

Anthony shouted back, "Yeah, we're on our way, tittums~!"

The girl practically cackled as she left out and Anthony went running towards the front door. Wanting to hurry but not feel too uncouth, Alastor just quickly walked towards the entrance. The landlady shouted out to Anthony, "Don't be bringing any mud into this damn place, Anthony! You'll be cleanin' it up!"

The boy shouted as he left out, "Suck my left tit, Karen!"

Before Alastor could leave as well, the landlady advised, "Oh, young man, please do be careful how you act outside. It may be normal for the boy, but some might be frightened by your...talents and protective nature."

Al stared at the woman for a few seconds before nodding, "Of course, milady! I wouldn't dream of ruining le cafard's day out."

Chapter Text

The car ride to the market wasn't anything too annoying like Alastor thought it would be. Anthony and Cherri were actually acting relatively calmer than he had expected. However, he almost had succumbed to the endless horrible taste of the contemporary, loud music the two blasted from the speakers. Luckily, Al put an end to such travesty, shutting up the offending device by making it short-circuit with his powers.

While Cherri seemed quite confused at the sudden breakage, Anthony gave him a stern glare from the rearview mirror. Al just turned his head away from the other's gaze. He pretended as if he was just interested in the destruction of wildlife to make way for such unimpressive architecture.

When the three made it to the market, it was a lot more than what any of them had expected. Yes, there were a few stands filled with fruits, veggies, nuts, and other cultivated goods. However, there was also handmade soaps and candles, food stands, clothes, and a petting zoo. The most important part!

Anthony practically squealed at seeing the little zoo, "Holy shit, we could have a midget goat runnin' around the apartment!"

Al's eye twitched as he muttered, "No, we cannot. Not unless we're tearing it up for a stew or a curry."

"Yer always so serious, Al!"

"And you're always such a nuisance and half-dressed."

"Oh, you like this ass," Anthony winked cheekily at Alastor as he shook his booty at him, immediately making the disguised demon tense up and look murderous. Cherri commented, smirking, "Look, you two are cute and all, but I'm gonna hit up one of the stalls. You two fuckwads can join me, if ya want!"

She then went off to one of the clothing booths, causing Anthony to immediately chase after her. Alastor groaned at the two going off like little children. He was already deciding about whether he should find some homemade child leashes anywhere.

When he joined the two, the mortal boy was looking at a few dresses along with Cherri before a random man came by to smack his ass. Tony tensed up at the man, who was cackling as he walked away, and turned to the guy's direction. He yelled, "Hey, come back 'ere and try it again, bastardo! For such a small tap, I guess dat was the first piece of ass you've ever touched!"

The pot-bellied man sharply turned to Anthony and snapped, "Ya talkin' ta me, trap?"

Cherri went to Anthony’s side, placed a hand on her hip, and scoffed, "I don't think he fucking stuttered!"

The lad taunted more, "Also, ya sure ya wanna get angry? Yer blood pressure is so high, I'm surprised ya ain't gettin' heart attacks from breathin'!" 

The owner of the stand was about to come and try to calm the situation, but the stranger was already getting ready to charge at Anthony. However, a hand gripping tightly at his shoulder, enough to make him grunt in pain, made him stop all together. He looked over his shoulder to see Alastor smiling so gently at him.

The disguised demon tilted his head and cooed, "Now, now, such violence and crude words are not necessary. Surely, your hand accidentally touched my friend's posterior... am I correct? "

Only the man could hear the threateningly drop to Al's tone and see a dim red glow to his eyes. The hand on his shoulder tightened, sending a shooting pain down his back and arm, and caused him to fall to one knee. The harasser whimpered loudly and whined, "Y-Yeah, I...I-I'm sorry, okay!? W-Was an ac-ccident! Please, please, don't hurt me!"

Cherri was just gawking in shock, while Anthony knew this could get worse. He reassured, "Uh, it...it's fine. Ya can let 'em go, Al."

Cherri pouted at his hesitation, "What! Noooo!"

Despite her disappointment, Alastor let the man go and watched him scurry away. The freckled lass turned to Anthony and asked, "What the hell, man? He totally deserved to get his ass kicked."

Tony shrugged his shoulders, looking at the clothes again, "Yeah, but I'm on a mission, babe. I can't get kicked outta this place jus' yet."

Luckily for Cherri, Alastor seemed to think the same. The moment the two were distracted, Al snapped his fingers. The fleeing man, once out of sight, was immediately dragged down in a pit of blackness by tentacles. His pitiful cries of help being blocked by the cheerful atmosphere of the market.

He'll be fine….for now.

Alastor joined the two and immediately felt tiredness set in when he approached the pig pen where he saw all the tiny swine rolling around in their filth. Despite quite the messy display, Anthony and Cherri couldn't help but be, ironically, tickled pink at the sight. The two cooed at the animals as if they were the most precious beings in the world.

Al didn't understand it, but he didn't dare make a snarky comment. There was an odd calm he felt at seeing Anthony smiling so genuinely. ...That calm immediately disappeared at the freckled boy's overly dramatic gasp as he pointed at a spotted piglet. He whispered, "Cher, that one! That baby is the one!"

The little piglet was at a trough where some of the other pigs were eating. There seemed to be quite a lot of shucked corn for a large, award-winning boar. However, the baby pig did not care as he snatched a piece of corn, when the boar wasn't paying attention, and it took off. The piglet slightly tripped over itself at the size of the cob, but still seemed quite proud.

The disguised demon didn't understand the fascination, but Cherri and Anthony were gushing over the piglet. Anthony called out to the worker that presided over the pigs, "Sir, I'd like ta take that lil' pumpkin right there!"

The older man turned to Tony and gave a humble chuckle. He informed him quite vaguely, "Oh, well, I ain't just givin' this piggy away fer free. Ya gotta give somethin' ta me first, son."

The freckled lad looked the man up and down before a sultry smile went across his face. He nearly purred, "I don't normally give services fer free either, but hey whateva. Guess I can suck yer dick, daddy~"

A loud microphone screeching sound came from Alastor’s direction, making Cherri get startled at the noise. She got suspicious as to how the man even did that. However, her curiosity turned into annoyance when she saw a soccer-mom get angry at Anthony, placing her hands on her sons' ears and glaring in the boy's direction. The spunky girl held up two middle fingers in the mom's direction and muttered, "Prude."

The rugged, country man had a red blush creeping his neck and on his cheeks. Despite the flustered appearance, the man just gave an amused chuckle. He shook his head and corrected, "No, no, I'm sorry, son. I'm a married man, but thanks fer the offer. I meant that ya just gotta do a little contest."

He gestured to a little booth he had off to the side that had many shot glasses, as well as various alcohols. Although, it all seemed to be moonshine. The farmer continued, "We normally just give out a sample and that's all, but if ya wanna win these porkies, then you gotta endure 10 shots of my homemade cherry pie moonshine!"

Anthony winced and gagged, grabbing at his throats, "Fuckin' hell! 10 shots! Is this some kinda elaborate murder scene or some shit!?"

"Ohohoho! Yer the funniest person I've ever met, string bean," the man chuckled boisterously. 

The "string bean" still stared at the man as if he was insane and said, "No, I'm fuckin' serious."

Cherri commented, slumping a bit on the fence, "Shit. That's a lot to drink. Can we do like five shots each?"

The man shook his head, "Sorry, lil' lady. These pigs are just too valuable ta give away that easily, especially the youngins. It's a bit of a hefty price, but y'all can pay with cash, if-"

"I'll do it, my good man!" Alastor spoke up suddenly with a confident grin on his face. Cherri, Anthony, and the farmer stared at Al, waiting to see if this was a joke. Once no sign was given, the man cleared his throat and mentioned, "No offense, sir, but...ya don't seem ta be the drinkin' type."

The disguised demon sauntered over to the booth and winked, "Looks can be deceiving, my friend. I may seem like a common man, but I used to drink quite liberally back in my day!"

"....Back in..yer day?"

Anthony went up to Alastor’s side when he sat down and whispered, "Uh, Al, is there some kinda weird, demonic, dark magic ya got that makes ya unable ta get drunk or somethin'?"

Al grinned at Tony and exclaimed, "Nope! This is all me. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. I'll get you that swine, no matter how much I don't want it. Besides, it's not like I can get any deader!"

He gave out a resounding laugh as he clutched his sides, making Anthony give a forced chuckle. The farmer came around to Alastor and whistled, "Quite an impressive feat, son. If yer so confident, then down 15 shots and I'll give y'all a whole kit ta take home!"

"Fine by me! Ready when you are!" Al leaned forward, clearly excited for the competition. The farmer grabbed the red, pungent liquid and poured it into a small shot glass. He told the demon, "Ready when you are, fella. Ya ain't got a time limit, no need ta get ya too sick."

Alastor simply gave a confident smirk to the farmer, cheered to Anthony, and then downed his first shot.

"Aaangeee...how ya git yer face so smoof? I wanna carve it alll upp," a sloppily drunk Alastor slurred as he continuously kept smushing Anthony’s cheeks together, while the lad held the limp man in his arms.

The first shot wasn't as bad as Alastor had thought. Burned quite a bit, but he was used to homemade alcohol. However, after his third shot, it was already proving difficult to form complete sentences. After that, it was a complete blur of drinking, a crowd gathering, slurred words, and….he probably sniffed at Anthony at one point. He had no idea.

Somehow his bow tie is gone, his outfit was ruffled and hanging loosely from his body, and he swore his feet became his hands. It's hard to say really. That moonshine could've been laced with some kind of magical substance.

Either way, Alastor downed all fifteen shots and was feeling really, really good. The disguised demon giggled at the freckles on Anthony’s face, while Cherri helped the farmer get the equipment into the car. He had complimented Al's ability to hold down his liquor and not get sick afterwards. Al then happily told him that eating various livers helped, which Tony quickly shut him up for.

Al crooned, "I got mon ange a piiiiiggg~ I got mon ange a piiiiggg~ Imma eat dat pig fer dinnaaaa~ fer dinnaaaa~"

Tony warned, "Ya better not! Also, what's up with yer voice? Why ya talkin' like Louis Armstrong?"

The disguised demon poked him more and slurred, "Immmm from da South, darlin'~ How else I s'ppose ta talk? …Hey, hey, 'ave I toldja dat yer eyes are so beautiful~?"

The freckled lad just blinked down at him and winced, "Yeesh, fer you ta be complimentin' me, must mean yer really shitfaced."

"Ton cul est de l'herbe et j'adorerais le tondre~" Al purred out to Tony, licking his teeth. The boy just assumed that Al was going to eat him and yelled frantically, "Cherri, is it illegal if we just leave Al curled up in a ditch!?"