Broken Halo [OneShot]

1

Francis sat hunched over a desk in his room, tapping his pencil rhythmically against the wood. The effeminate demon was a shell of his once confident, sassy, and energetic self. Instead, he was quiet, withdrawn, and had disgustingly large bags under his eyes. He hadn't had any rest since...

He shook his head, refusing to let himself dwell on that. If he allowed himself to get hooked on those thoughts, he'd never get to them.

Unfortunately, the thoughts continued to swarm in his brain like angry hornets begging to be set free.
"Remember why you're doing this, Francis. You're alone. Everyone left you, and there was nothing you could do to make them stay. You are not worth the trouble. Dirt didn't care. Even your own parents-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" He cried out, desperately pulling at his own hair, tears threatening to spill over and onto his research. But no matter how many books or papers he read, nothing seemed to be of any use. Francis growled, glaring at the cluttered mess of useless information.

In one fell swoop, he cleared his desk, unable to look at the seemingly taunting papers any longer. He fell to his knees, allowing the sorrow and anger to take over. He sobbed, curling in on himself.
It was true. Everything. Four months ago, his father and pops had both been redeemed. They had left him in Hell, while the both of them "checked out" into Heaven. He had wanted so, SO badly to follow them there, and take his boyfriend with him. However, only half of that wish was able to come true. Not even two months later, his boyfriend Dirt followed in Angel and Alastor's footsteps.

And he was still in that damned Hotel, the hope of seeing his loved ones again dwindling rapidly. With every passing day, he became more and more reserved, hardly ever leaving his room. Afterall, what was the point of going out if he couldn't be greeted by the three people he loved most?

He'd never again be greeted by the ever-smiling face of his Father, or a soft, comforting embrace from his Pops. He'd never kiss his boyfriend again.

He would forever be alone.

________

Francis shot up in his bed, a devastating wail and broken sob escaping him. He was hyperventilating, all ten of his eyes frantically looking around his room. Suddenly, his panicked gaze rested on his wooden desk.

There were no research papers in sight. All that could be seen was a neat area displaying various sketches of outfits he wished to turn into a reality. Before he got the chance to register what exactly that meant, his door slammed open and two pairs of rushed footsteps came rushing into the room.

"Francis?! Are you okay? We heard yelling!" He spun around, and what he saw brought tears of relief to the corners of his eyes.

In the doorway stood his parents, both looking at him with deep concern. It appeared to have been Alastor who had spoke, and though he still wore his typical smile, it seemed smaller than usual. Francis choked up, throwing off his blankets and rushing to Angel, wrapping his arms around his Pops, burying his face into the Spider Demon's fluffy chest as he continued to sob.

"Woah, hun, what's wrong? Shhh, it's okay Francis. We're right here, we ain't goin' anywhere." Angel automatically wrapped his lower set of arms around his son's back, using one of his upper hands to soothingly stroke his baby's hair. He looked at his partner. Alastor looked right back at him, smile finally gone. The Radio Demon walked closer to his family, and Angel wrapped his remaining free arm around Alastor's waist, effectively pulling him into the group hug.

Once Francis finally felt ready to talk, he hesitantly pulled away from the embrace. He scrubbed at his face in a vain attempt to stop the steady flow of tears, refusing to look either of his two Dads in the eyes.

"P-please, please promise me you'll never... never leave me. Pl-please." He sniffled, feeling like a small, pathetic child again. Alastor and Angel looked shocked at his words, exchanging looks. Alastor, however, stepped forward. He used a gentle hand to lift his son's head and look him in the eyes.

"Francis, darling, what makes you think that we would abandon you?" Fresh tears welled in the young demon's eyes, and he screwed them shut to keep the tears at bay.

"B-because you guys were human. I was CREATED h-here, and... and if you guys ever left f-for Heaven, I'd have to stay here. Alone. I'd never- I'd never see you a-again." With this admission, the floodgates once again broke and he began to weep. Both Alastor and Angel were shocked.

"No, amore, your Father and I'd neva' let that happen. We wouldn't know what ta do without ya." Angel smiled lovingly, placing a hand on Francis' tear-streaked face. Alastor's smile returned, albeit sadly, as he nodded.
"P-promise?"

"We promise." The couple replied in sync. Francis finally allowed himself to relax, exhaustion hitting him like a freight train. He yawned, drowsily rubbing at his eyes. Alastor chuckled at this, scooping Francis up, much to Francis' surprise.

"I think it would be for the best if your Pops and I stayed with you for tonight. Don't you agree, love?" Alastor exclaimed as he looked over his shoulder at Angel. The spider-demon giggled at his partner, nodding in agreement.

The couple walked to the bed, and Alastor gently placed Francis in the middle. Once they made sure their son was comfortable, they got on either side of him and snuggled close. Francis sighed in content, a small smile softening his features as the family fell asleep in each other's embraces..
_________________________