I'm Here to Help You (Darkiplier x Reader)

Changes

{A/N}  Quick message: If your favorite color ([F / C]) is black, just use your second favorite. Also, thanks so much for reading this book. It means the world to me that anyone would enjoy it.

I walk in the opposite direction of the shopping block. Passing Paska's house, I remember my restless nights full of the question, ' Am I? '

Have I really answered that question?  I wonder. I kinda just stopped thinking about it.

Shrugging, I decide to stop thinking about it now. Besides, it's only holding second or third place in my mind. First is the odd feeling I had when kissing Dark. I'm still completely unsure of what it was, but I've definitely felt it before. However, it was nearly overwhelming, this time. Something's different, now.

The sun shines brightly in the sky, illuminating my contemplative face. My eyes are downcast in thought, hands shoved into pockets. Every now and then I glance up to cross a street, but I usually just focus on my feet. People mill past me, talking with others, enjoying the beautiful weather... Again, I feel a disconnection as I'm lost in my own thoughts. Their voices turn into a low hum in the back of my mind, as unimportant as a single grain of sand.

Suddenly, I'm tugged backwards by something connected to my back. I blink, and realize that I'm having another out of body experience. I'd unintentionally walked straight out of my body, and that strange cord had prevented me from moving any further. In giving so little attention to my surroundings and reality, itself, I had accidentally left it.

I sigh, nowhere near as panicked as before, as I return to my body and continue walking in it. This time, I glance up every now and then to stay on Earth. I stop for lunch at a small restaurant, staying there for about an hour and a half. The time is primarily spent scrolling through various apps on my phone, entertaining myself – I spend a solid 30 minutes texting my friends in the group chat. They ask why I've been silent for a few days. I refrain from mentioning the demon overtaking my life.

In the next building over, I find a beautiful array of pocketknives. None are as beautiful as the black and silver one I had wielded before, but I find a black and [F/C] blade that catches my attention.

Finally, I head back home. Clouds have rolled in, quickly darkening the sky. I, similarly, quicken my pace to arrive home before it begins raining. Fewer people are outside, most taking shelter in nearby buildings to wait out the storm. As I contemplate turning into one of the shops, I'm roughly pushed by a large man from behind.

"Outta the way," he growls. I growl in return and, with astonishing indignation at his blunt rudeness, shove him to the side. He crashes into the side wall of an alley, head smacking against the brick. As he stumbles to the ground, one hand clutches his now bleeding forehead.

"What the hell ?!" he shouts.

No one is around to hear him. The streets have been deserted by those searching for shelter from the downpour. Large droplets have begun to fall from the sky, creating a puddle for the man to fall into. Since he's already significantly dazed, it's no big task kicking him further into the alley. He grunts on impact, now wrapping his arms around his stomach. I flip open my new knife, approaching him, expressionless. A swift slice across the neck and accompanying stabs render him motionless, and soon his breathing halts, as well.

I make my way past the chain link fence's ajar gate at the back of the alley, beginning a speedy walk through the precipitation. I avoid mud patches as I go, leaving no footprints and hoping that the rain washes away everything else. When I finally make it home, I'm drenched. Inside the house, I close the door behind me with a soggy sneaker.

"Look what I bought," I say to a curious Dark, holding up the pocketknife. He appears before me and notices the streaks of red on the otherwise pristine metal. His eyes travel from the bloodied object to my eyes, studying them.

"Where?"

"In the alley near Starbucks."

"You're coming."

It's not posed as a question, but I perceive it as one. Dark rarely, if ever, asks me to do anything, preferring to command it and wait for me to challenge. To answer the unasked, I nod, grabbing my hoodie from the closet and tugging it on. We are immediately transported to the back of the mentioned alley. Before us is the body of the man.

"What'd this one do?"

I shrug. "He shoved me. I just wasn't in the right mood."

He gives a small laugh, then repeats the process where he waves his hand over the corpse and an odd light is absorbed into his hand. I stare, intrigued by the process.

"What is that?" I ask.

As his eyes return to normal, he turns to me. Dark looks me over, as if contemplating whether or not to answer me.

"It's his soul," he states simply, watching for my reaction. I give him one of eager interest.

"So that's what absorbing a soul looks like?"

"In some cases, yes. It's much harder to take the soul of a living person," the demon explains. I nod.

"Which is why it would've been painful if you had tried to take mine," I conclude. Dark nods, looking away from me. I stare after him, amused by his reaction to the mention of his former plan.

After disposing of any other evidence I might've left, we return to my house. There, I change out of my damp clothes, tossing them into the washer with another load of laundry. As I switch into more comfortable clothes (sweatpants and a t-shirt, always a classic), I can't help but think about Dark's change in attitude.

He's still mostly the same, there are just some things he does that are... different. If I were to ask him about it, he'd probably just leave my questions unanswered.

I can't help but notice that he's acting strangely. It's not that I don't like the change, it's merely unusual of him to be so...

I wrack my brain for the precise word.

He's not compassionate or kind. Those are certainly two words that don't belong with him.

Considerate?

Attentive?

Cautious?

I'm unsure which is correct, if any. What remains, however, is the definite conclusion that something has occurred causing him to act differently towards me. If I could see his interactions with other people, then I'd know if this is an overall change or if it only applies to his time with me. Then again, what types of people does he interact with? Who does he even talk to?

My mind wanders away from Dark's odd behavior to the idea of him interacting with others. I imagine his cold personality meeting with those of other demons – some icy and distant, others warm and charming, a few fiery and seductive. Then, with that tangent, I'm lead into thoughts about what demons are like, and the sociology of demon communities, if there are any. Eventually, my demon's uncommon behavior slips my mind entirely.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter of "I'm Here to Help You" as much as I enjoyed writing it. Comments and votes are super appreciated. Thanks for reading! ~Blue