Date With a Demon & Other Stories

Date With a Demon, Part 3

Lucifer wakes me up the next morning when the sky is just the beginning to brighten. His reddish eyes are wide with excitement.

"Wake up, Rylan!" he says, "We've got to go to Hell!"

I get out of bed and put on a hoodie, then join Lucifer in the kitchen. He hands me a bagel, then snaps his fingers. Suddenly, he's dressed in a black button-down, a red silk tie, and a blood-red blazer. He sighs and rolls his shoulders.

"Perfect."

I eat my breakfast, then Lucifer dresses me, also. I'm in a similar outfit, except my blazer is dark green with a tie to match and my shirt is pale gray.

He grins, "Ready? Wonderful!"

Lucifer swings his hands back and forth and a portal opens in the middle of my apartment. He offers me his arm, then walks me through when I take it.

Hell is nothing like I imagined. I expected to be like the run-down parts of New York - broken, dangerous, and dark. It's not. Hell looks like Cupid threw up on Venice.

There are pale brick buildings alongside moats, but instead of water, there's lava. Almost everything is some shade of red - hence the Cupid - but it's less scary than I thought. I think the biggest thing that confuses me is all of the heart-shaped balloons tied to lampposts and street signs.

Lucifer laughs at me as I look around, then leads me through the cobblestone streets to a wedding sight. There's no white anywhere and Lucifer explains that it is because white is "the color of the Heavens" or something like that.

A short man with horns runs up to us, "Lucifer! Thank Hell that you're here! You're going to officiate, right?"

Lucifer smiled, "Of course. Where is the happy couple?"

"Magnus is freaking out and has been yelling at guests all day, and Percy isn't much better, but his panic is calmer."

"Two grooms?" I ask, making sure I heart it correctly.

Horn-man turns to me with a deep glare, "You gotta problem with that?"

"No! No, not at all! I just wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"I've got my eye on you," Horn-man snarls, but his eyes ease up when Lucifer laughs and puts a hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay, Ulysses. Rylan isn't going to cause a problem."

I tune out the conversation and look around. The wedding set up isn't like it is back home. There are three sections of chairs separated by two aisles. Up at the altar, there's an archway woven of bones and roses. It's a little creepy, but pretty at the same time. The chairs are decorated with dark orangish-yellow lace that seems to glow and dance like fire. The two aisles are lined with two long carpets decorated with hearts and small flames. Fairy lights are hanging above the scene and make the entire room glow with a warm golden light.

It's beautiful, and certainly not what I was expecting a wedding in Hell to look like.

Lucifer's hand on my arm brings me back, "What do you think?"

"It's incredible," I say honestly.

Lucifer smiles proudly, "If there's one thing demons understand, it's romance."

A foghorn cuts through the air and Lucifer looks up, "Ah, the ceremony's about to start."

The seats start filling up so Lucifer makes me sit down before he goes up to the altar. Once everyone had arrived, he starts to talk.

"Thank you all for coming! I'm sure al of you know that our very own Percy and Magnus have decided to certify their union and love for each other. Love is a complicated emotion that both Heaven and Hell have claim over. Love hurts us harder and longer than any other kind of pain, but it is also one of the most incredible emotions that any angle, human, or demon can experience. Now, please let me welcome our first groom: Perseus."

All heads turn to the left, so I follow. A short black man with stubby curly hair and large glasses is walking down the left aisle. He looks nervous but happy. His suit is a goldish-orange. He steps up onto the altar and shakes Lucifer's hand, who then introduces Magnus.

Groom number two is tall and very pale. He has smooth blond hair and striking green eyes. He looks equally as scared as Percy, but the way his eyes shine proves that he is making the decision he wants. Magnus is in a well-tailored blue suit with purple embroidery around the cuffs and trim, and the light seems to dance off of the blazer as he hops up beside his soon-to-be-husband.

"Demons spend years searching for our soulmates, sometimes decades. Even centuries. We are gathered here to celebrate the love of these two men - Percy and Magnus, two of our best torturers. I believe you two have written your own vows?"

There wasn't a dry eye in the crowd, mine included, as the two demons condensed their love for each other. They spoke about the other's laugh, smile, eyes, and cooking. It was incredibly sweet and I am honored that I was the only non-demon there to witness it.

"Perseus," Lucifer turns to him, "Do you take Magnus to be your husband?"

"I do."

Someone in the back of the crowd shouts, "Yeah, you do!", earning some laughs from both the wedding party and the guests.

"Magnus, do you take Perseus to be your husband?"

"I do."

Both grooms offer up their left hand and Lucifer traces a symbol with his finger. There is the sound of skin hissing, but neither groom flinches.

"Then, by the power vested in me as the Prince of Hell, I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss your groom."

Magnus picks his husband up and spins around as the rest of us start cheering. Lucifer finds my eyes and smiles. I return the look, then Lucifer blows a kiss. I'm too shocked to move. Lucifer's grin doesn't falter, however. He only winks, then turns his attention back to Magnus and Percy.

Did the Prince of Hell just hit on me?

Here's the first one!

Please let me know what you think about it! I would love you hear your feedback and thoughts!

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay awesome!

            -Spaceheater1