Entanglement

arcane

Phil POV

-

I couldn't understand what was wrong with Dan.

I'd thought the day would go by as normal as ever. The morning was my first morning in a while that didn't consist of Korey confronting me or reminding me of all the worries we had to face. Louise visited me in the office before she went down to Earth, telling me a joke that made me laugh and inspired me to delve into a list of puns I had saved in the back of my mind. We parted ways with large grins on our faces and stomachs that hurt from laughing so much.

I killed cruds very efficiently when I made it to Earth, since I'd passed by the farmhouse and Dan hadn't been there. I figured I could get some work done while I waited for him to show up.

And yet, two hours later, I'd returned, and he still wasn't there. I wondered if it was the usual extra file work keeping him in Hell, but he hadn't said anything about it being busy in his offices. Shrugging, I'd sat down on the steps of the house, deciding I could wait a few more hours just in case something was keeping him and he still showed up.

He did finally show up, but I was immediately confused at the sight of him. Trembling as the flames of his transport spell disappeared, his arms wrapped around himself, terror and sadness in his eyes as tears fell from them. I stood up quickly, and before I could even ask what had happened, he was in my arms. I couldn't help but notice how small he felt in my embrace, shaking against me as my large wings fell to brush against his shoulders and back. He was so vulnerable, and as I held him and told him everything was going to be alright although I didn't know if it would, my urge to hold him and protect him forever grew even more.

We'd rocked back and forth for ages, soft touches from my fingers against his back as his breathing slowed down and the tears on his face dried completely. It took a while, but finally, his mind returned to its usual state and he managed to pull away from me with a deep breath.

My hand remained on him, drifting upwards to run through his hair softly. "What happened?"

"I..." Dan began, a sigh leaving his lips, conflict in his eyes. As the flames in his eyes dimmed slightly, I worried he would cry again, so I grabbed his arm and dragged him downwards to the floor with me. I then moved so that he was leaning against my chest, one of my arms draped around his torso. "I can't kill humans anymore."

"What?" I blurted against my own will, my eyebrows furrowing automatically. What did he mean he couldn't kill humans? Of course he could, he had to, he was a demon. It was in his nature to want to kill, and it was in his job to kill on a schedule. What did he mean he couldn't?

"I just," He started again, "I just killed a human. To make him into a demon. And I feel bad and terrible and sad and the opposite of how I should feel and I started having a breakdown and I came to you and I might have a breakdown again because I don't know what's happening."

I pulled him closer to me, wrapping my arms around him once more as he pressed his face into my chest, heavy breaths leaving his trembling lips. "Don't worry," I mumbled into his hair.

"I have to worry," He replied, an edge of violence in his tone. "How can I not?"

"You're just better than all of them," I informed him. "You're just not evil and hideous and disgusting like the rest of them." I knew he understood them meant demons.

"The rest of them," He echoed. "I should say us. I am a demon, Phil. You may not treat me like one and I may not act like one that much anymore, but I should be evil and disgusting."

Angrily, I responded, "No. You should be who you are. And if you don't fit in with the terrible ways, that's okay."

Dan shook his head against my chest. "It's not okay." I grimaced at the despair in his voice, at the fear and desperation dripping from his vocal cords like syrup.