Domestic ❧ Skephalo AU

Chapter 3.) Muffin Wrapper Magic

Skeppy thought he was going to get most of his questions answered in a single day, but the near-empty container of blueberry muffins reminded him there was no harm in taking things slow. He didn't need to farm answers like it was a video game, he could take his time and not put his demon friend's health at risk.

Then again, he didn't know for certain if an entity like Bad could get sick from eating too many muffins. They may have been gluten-free, but there were various other ingredients that weren't healthy to consume in bulk.

Can a demon get sick?

That was the question that had been running through his mind ever since he watched Bad's shadowy hand emerge from the space beneath his bed and not-so slyly shove an entire muffin into his mouth... without removing the wrapper.

"You're not supposed to eat the paper, Bad."

"I didn't even notice that... whoops!"

"How did you not notice that?! It's paper! The texture is nothing like the actual muffin!"

Guiltily, Bad averted his gaze to the side and muttered, "I don't chew my food."

"Can you not see the wrapper or something?"

"My vision isn't the best," Bad tried to defend himself, but Skeppy wasn't having any of it.

"Bad at your job, bad taste, bad eyesight. What's next?"

"Stop bullying me!"

It wasn't that funny, but the raven-haired mortal found himself laughing at the demon's expense. He laughed harder when he noticed Bad's eyes—and probably the rest of his face—were covered.

"Aww! Are you blushing?"

"No! Ugh, why are you like this?" Bad whined while dragging his palms down his face.

"Should've been assigned to someone else, huh?"

Skeppy hadn't thought of it before, but why was Bad assigned to him of all people? The concept of monsters under the bed was a tale forged to scare children into behaving, so why was the demon imitating "bedtime monster" behavior on an adult? Another question sparked by casual banter.

"Hey, do you know why you're haunting me of all people?" Skeppy asked once he was done laughing at the demon.

"Oh! Well, I didn't feel comfortable haunting little kids, so they gave me the option to haunt adults who were very much childish—"

"Hold up, did you say childish? Did a bunch of demons, who don't even know me, refer to me as childish?"

"They're not wrong," Bad teased with his signature grin.

"I am a mature and responsible adult!" Skeppy protested and folded his arms across his chest. His lips creased into a pout, and the demon rolled his eyes at the sight.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Geppy."

They continued to talk, discussing basic human and demon facts alike while eating the muffins Bad hadn't inhaled. Whatever they hadn't finished, Skeppy had put away in the pantry, leaving Bad to vibe alone beneath the bedsprings.

Bad would be lying if he said he wasn't uncomfortable. He didn't understand how some demons could bunker down beneath a human's bed for a decade, but not understanding didn't mean he didn't respect their tenacity. Besides, it wasn't like he was complaining. He had purposely shrunk for the sole purpose of fitting in.

That sounded strange. No, it wasn't just strange, it was outright creepy.

Sure, he always covered his eyes whenever Skeppy opted for changing his clothes in the bedroom, and he was nice enough to leave whenever the mortal was having a serious discussion on the phone. He was nice enough to not wander the house whenever Skeppy went to bed early, but that didn't change the fact that his job was downright unsettling. He was being paid to haunt Skeppy, but the demon never made an attempt to truly frighten the man. All he did was give the mortal anxiety, which was good for his paycheck but somewhat disappointing for a creature like him.