The Struggles of Marrying a Demon {Completed}

Bad News

Mabel was lying on the couch after an exhausting day of packing Kellan's moving truck when she felt a familiar presence pop up in her apartment. Aleron stood over her a second later, quickly kneeling by her side so that they were face-to-face.

"Hello, Little One," the smile on his face was soft and gentle, like his words, and Mabel returned it with a sleepy, love-struck grin of her own, a swell of emotion bubbling in her gut.

How had she gotten so lucky?

Reaching up a hand, she traced the last of his fading bruises across his cheek, down to his jaw. "Hi, Al. Are you staying tonight?" He used to stay over every night, but he'd been so caught up with Colby's messes that he hadn't been able to recently.

He opened his mouth to reply but paused abruptly, his brows furrowed with concern as his fingers fluttered over the dark circles beneath her eyes. Mabel nearly winced, knowing from when she'd caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror earlier that she looked like crap. What was worse: She had yet to tell him about the nightmares, and how they only ever occurred when she was by herself. She would have asked him to stay every night, but she refused to make him choose between keeping Hell running smoothly or helping her sleep.

"Have you not been sleeping, Mabel?" One hand held her chin steady so that he could see into her eyes, while his other stroked down her side soothingly.

Mabel shrugged half-heartedly, managing a sheepish smile. "I've had better nights," she admitted vaguely. She'd tell him. She would. But not now. Not when everything was peaceful and quiet.

Aleron blew out a weighted breath. "I do not like that. Come, Little One." He plucked her up, carrying her carefully into her—their—bedroom and pulling back the covers before setting her down. He tucked her in with nothing but care, placing a kiss on her forehead and then settling in next to her.

She snuggled against his side, her flannel pajamas keeping her warm against his cool skin. "You must tell me if you need me to stay, Mabel," his breath ghosted across her ear, falling down her neck. "I will always stay if you need me."

Mabel hummed in acknowledgment, her mind already slipping into blissful slumber. "M'kay, Al."

A husky chuckle rumbled through his chest as his fingers played with her curls. "Goodnight, my Little One."

The last thought that slipped through her mind was, Tomorrow. I'll tell him tomorrow.

***

Mabel eyed the verbal ping-pong match happening in front of her with a pained grimace. She hadn't been sure how this whole thing would go down when she'd asked the two to meet up, but, so far, it was going beyond poorly.

"Well, how about the next time you decide to pack up and move, you give me more than a single week's notice!" Lucy snarled, practically climbing over the picnic table to get to Kellan.

Kellan, normally very polite in public places, even if it was just a city park, sounded eerily similar to Aleron when she released a growl low in her throat. "You're so selfish, Lucilla! Of course I didn't tell you, cause I knew you were going to be a bitch about it." The smile she sent Lucy after the last few words was dripping with mocking sympathy.

Mabel hid her face in her hands, knowing what was coming before it happened.

A sharp shout, a cry, and then the table started to shake. Cracking an eye open, Mabel held back a whine of frustration.

Her two best friends were practically on top of each other, in the midst of a classic catfight that had come from an early 2000's romance film.

"So, this is how you spend your Saturdays?" Mabel almost cried joyous tears at the sound of Zephyrine's familiar drawl, spinning around to face the ala so fast she nearly fell off the table's bench.