The Struggles of Marrying a Demon {Completed}

Family

Mabel woke up with a throbbing headache and a frantic Aleron standing over her. "Little One!" he exclaimed when he saw her eyes flutter, "Are you alright? What happened?"

Rubbing her head with a sheepish grin, Mabel managed a shrug. "Honestly? I'm just a klutz, Al."

Seeming to realize that she was fine, Aleron crushed her to his chest, and Mabel felt his emotions trickling through their bond.

Panic. Worry. Terror. Heartache.

"Oh, Al," she cooed, bringing her arms up and rubbing soothing circles into his scalp, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. It was just an accident, I promise."

His heartbeat began to slow, but a new emotion showed up: resolve. "This is what I must stay with you at all times, Little One. You should not be alone—I do not want you to ever get hurt."

Mabel knew that, when it came to her safety, Aleron was truly unmovable. "Alright, alright," she conceded easily, placing a kiss against his neck, "But on one condition."

He waited expectantly, tracing patterns on her back.

"Can you rub my feet?"

***

Mabel remembered the exact expression on Aleron's face when she told him she was pregnant. She'd expected at least a small glimmer of nervousness from her guardian, but the only emotion she'd felt and seen from him was pure, undiluted joy. He'd even spun her around with glee, before panicking and setting her down, terrified that he'd harmed her.

In this moment, however, his face was pale and the emotions he exhibited were far different: fear and anxiousness.

Of course, she couldn't exactly blame him.

Giving birth was something neither one of them was used to.

"Everything will be fine," she assured him through her harsh pants, squeezing his hand one last time before Thora ushered him out of the room.

His worry wasn't helped by the fact that she'd gone into labor while in Hell (God, of course), and transportation to Earth was too risky. Which left her with a pair of ala as her midwives, and Aleron's office as her delivery room.

Okay, let's do this.

***

"You know," Colby pondered hours later, cradling the baby carefully, "this kid looks surprisingly normal for a half-demon, half-human hybrid."

Mabel, covered in sweat and tired beyond belief, shook her head with amusement. "Not a 'hybrid,' Colby. His name is Madoc."

And boy, was he adorable.

Colby didn't seem convinced. "Hm. Alright. That's the least of my problems, anyway. I'm just looking forward to teaching him everything I know about ladies." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the infant. "And I mean everything—all the special places and—"

He was cut off when Aleron snatched Madoc out of Colby's arms and turned back to Mabel. "We will never leave Colby alone with our son, agreed?"

Mabel released a weak laugh and a nod. "Agreed."

"I can't believe we pulled that off," Thora piped up, sitting with Zephyrine by the door to Aleron's office. "I'm tired, in case anyone's curious."

"Oh, you're tired," Mabel muttered under her breath. "Right." As far as she knew, no one else had actually pushed a baby out of themselves, so she didn't think they had a right to complain.