At Your Service

Chapter 31- Scenery

 Ansel opened their eyes, not expecting to see a blue sky above him or to see green leaves on the trees that sheltered him from the sunlight. He didn't expect to feel a warm breeze or lush grass beneath him. They were wearing their hospital gown, but the IV was gone, like the rest of the hospital. There was the sound of someone walking towards them, leaves being crushed under shoes and grass rustling. Ansel looked up and was horrified to see Ashley looking down at them. He was wearing a white t-shirt and khaki shorts, his feet bare. "Don't worry," he sighed boredly. "I'm only here for the scenery." He sat down on the grass right next to the witch before lying down, his head next to Ansel's and his body pointing the other way.

Ansel's nose scrunched up with disgust. "Where even are we?"

"A dream," Ashley muttered as he folded his arms over his chest. "But, in your dream, we're in the the backyard outside your house, just next to the forest."

"Are you making this happen?"

Ashley scowled and shook his head. "This is your dream. I'm just a spectator." Everything was painfully silent for a solid thirty seconds besides the leaves of the trees whispering to each other in the breeze and the birds and bugs chirping. "No complications with your surgery."

"No thanks to you," Ansel muttered bitterly. They didn't have the strength to be physically aggressive.

"I should've read your contract with Carlisle before I did that, so I suppose I apologize for that ridiculous mistake," Ashley grumbled. "I didn't know there was a choice involved. Even so, I figured..."

"He'd come back to you?" Ansel wondered, seeing the angel nod out of the corner of their eyes.

"Well, uch, now I know that trying to kill you isn't effective, so I'm out of ideas."

Ansel couldn't believe his nerve. "How about just... not being an asshole?"

"Don't talk to me like that." The angel sounded offended.

"Sorry, you just almost burned me alive, then tore out three of my organs," Ansel muttered dryly, shrugging.

There was a brief pause. "Fair."

Ansel shook their head. "Why are you even here?"

"I want you to give me Carlisle back."

The witch let the words sink in. "He said he'd kill you the next time he saw you."

"Did he really?" He sounded genuinely surprised. He turned his head to look at the witch, who nodded their head.

"Mhmm."

There was about a minute-long pause. "I'm sure he will, then." A short pause. "Hmm. I suppose I'll kill myself before then."

Ansel scowled and turned his head. He had announced this as if he'd decided what to have for lunch. "Why?"

"I know he will kill me someday now. He will be the cause of my death unless I am." He sighed sadly. "I don't want to be killed by him. He would absolutely annihilate me in the most painful, gruesome way he could ever possibly think of. It's what I would do if he caused me as much pain and suffering as I've caused him."

"Then, why did you do it?"

Ashley shrugged. "Demons are monsters. They're impure, unclean, and evil. Many angels take demons in an attempt to save them from eternal damnation. I suppose what I put him through was an attempt, but a failed one."

Ansel scoffed. "Obviously."

"Well," he sat up and stood, "I suppose I'll leave you to your dream, but, before I bid you adieu, I would like to warn you about my wife." Ansel would've sat up if they could. "After I off myself, she'll blame and come after you and your butler no matter what I try and say, and she is less powerful than me but far more merciless, motivated, and brutal than I. You and Carlisle need to be careful."

With that last note, Ansel woke up, back in their hospital room. The heart monitor indicated that his heart was beating a little fast from the sudden jolt of waking up from the dream. They reached their non-IV'd hand out as far as they could without hurting themselves, closed their eyes, and whispered "Carlisle" over and over, keeping him in mind as they did so.

Suddenly, a hand slipped into his hand and slid down his wrist and the inside of his forearm towards the elbow. Ansel opened his eyes to see Carlisle sitting down in a chair at the other side of the bed, not where he sat before on the left. He was wearing a white t-shirt, grey sweatpants, and socks. "Yes, my Lord?" He drew his chair close and held Ansel's hand in both of his, resting his cheek against their cold knuckles.

"Ashley visited me in a dream and said he was killing himself before you could kill him and he warned me about his wife who is going to come after us."

Carlisle scowled and tilted his head with thought, keeping his cheek against Ansel's hand. "There is nothing to fear. No one fucks with my master and lives to tell the tale, so, if he just stays away from us, he should be fine." He smiled as Ansel giggled, blinking slowly. "You're very cute when you're sleepy."

"I am... so tired." Ansel giggled again. "Being in surgery only felt like a blink. I didn't feel like I slept for a long time, just dozed off and woke right back up. It was weird."

"I'm sure it was." He figured the witch may have been a little out of it.

"Why are you so pretty?"

Carlisle scowled. "I am pretty?" he huffed. His scowl deepened as the witch patted his head, but his expression immediately softened when it slid off his head and cupped the side of his face; he rested a hand over the witch's and leaned into the touch. He grinned as he looked down at his partially delirious master. "Thank you."

"But, I asked whyyyyyyy!" Ansel whined, smiling wide.

Carlisle chuckled, shushing them because they were being a little too loud for the time of night by putting a finger up to his lips. "I only chose a form I thought would be best suited for you."

"Haha, it's definitely suited for me."

Carlisle's eyes widened in shock as he stared at them, his head tilting and his cheeks reddening. "God, Ansel, you're supposed to be asleep."

"You're just not used to being flirted with," Ansel giggled, patting the demon's cheek affectionately or sympathetically; it was hard to tell.

Carlisle ended up nodding and shrugging indifferently. "Touché." He started standing up from his chair.

"Wait." The butler stopped and looked down at the witch with wide, questioning eyes. "Will you stay here?"

A tender grin graced Carlisle's expression as he sat back down and pulled his chair close to the edge of the bed again. "Always, my Lord."