Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!
It all takes place towards the beginning of the story. It's split between Zekaj's first christmas and New Year's eve. It's not super long, just a short sweet bonus chapter for yall! <3
Christmas, 3 Month's since Zekaj's summon
"So, If I understand correctly," Zekaj said.
Christmas wasn't something normally celebrated in hell, some maybe did after enjoying the tradition humans had set in after visiting earth but they normally celebrated their own holidays.
"A fat old man breaks into your house and leaves a bunch of presents under your tree. Then eats the food you leave out for him?"
"Yep that's correct," Hunter answered.
"And you believed this man existed for how long?"
"Till I was 11, but that's not important." Zekaj laughed at Hunter and ate another sugar cookie from the Tupperware full of them.
"These are fucking good," Zekaj said with a mouth full of sugar cookies.
The demon was laying on Hunter's bed as the two watched Christmas movies. They were all new to Zekaj who hadn't ever seen any of them before. The two at the moment we're watching Rudolph as Hunter went back and forth between his room and closet as he tried on new clothes he got for Christmas.
"So they only like Rudolph's uniqueness because it's useful to them now?" Zekaj asked Hunter from the closet.
"I guess," Hunter said, he hadn't thought of it like that.
"Ain't that kind of a bad message to be teaching children? That their uniqueness is only useful if it's beneficial to others?"
"Yeah, it is." Hunter laughed.
Hunter left the closet in an outfit of his new clothes. It was a black sweatshirt and blue jeans.
"What do you think?" Hunter asked the demon.
Zekaj looked over and took him all in.
"I like the sweatshirt,"
"And the pants?"
"Meh," Zekaj responded.
"You don't like them because they aren't black," Hunter snickered.
"Hey! I like clothes that aren't black!" Zekaj defended himself.
"Really? Because every article of clothing of yours in my closet is black." Hunter answered.
"My underwear isn't"
"Really?" Hunter was astonished. "What color are they?"
"Clear,"
"Clear?" Hunter asked.
"Yep," Zekaj said acting like that was normal.
Hunter didn't think clear underwear even existed. All of Zekaj's undergarments were in his drawer and he had never seen any. The mage looked over at the demon who was sheepishly eating a cookie.
"Zekaj are you not wearing underwear?"
"Maybe..." He whispered. Zekaj himself was wearing black sweatpants and a black turtleneck. Hunter himself thought that glasses could pull the whole look together but neither of them had any to spare.
"You're disgusting," Hunter was grossed out.
Zekaj rolled his eyes and continued to act like nothing was wrong.
Hunter left for the closet again and came back out in lounge pants with the same sweatshirt on and sat right next to Zekaj who took up most of the bed.
"Have you liked Christmas so far?" Hunter asked Zekaj.
"It's alright, opening presents took forever," Zekaj groaned. The demon had sat in the human's head all morning as presents were opened and Hunter's grandparents had visited.
"Do you guys do anything in Hell?" Hunter questioned.
"We do the gift-giving at the end of the season," The demon said, looking over at the human with his pale gold eyes.
"So like on the 31st?" Hunter asked.
"Yeah. Family's will give something to the void and some do exchanges to each other but not all the time. It's usually something that represents the family's year altogether. Nothing big."
"Cool," Hunter smiled. "Who exactly do you give these gifts too? Like is it a god or?"
"Some believe it to be a god that resides in the void, some say it's some primordial, uh, thing."
"Weird," Hunter said.
Rudolph ended and the next movie began.
"So what's this about?"
"A boy wakes up to a train on Christmas eve and it takes him to the north pole and he meets Santa,"
"How?" Zekaj asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Ain't there an ocean?" Zekaj raised an eyebrow.
"Well yeah,"
"So how does the train get to the north pole?"
"It's a magic train," Hunter laughed. Zekaj rolled his eyes.
"Sure, cause that makes sense."
"Zekaj we are literally a mage and a demon,"
"Well we actually exist," Zekaj and Hunter laughed and continued to watch the movie.
***
One Week Later, New Year's Eve. Takes place in the middle of Chapter 3
"Are you going back to hell for the end of the year then?" Hunter asked Zekaj who was watching the New Year's Eve countdown on tv.
"Nah, I can go back some other time. I'd rather be here with you." Zekaj smiled. "But when does this ball drop again?"
"Midnight," Hunter answered.
"Mm, not too far away then."
"Yep," Hunter yawned.
"Tired?" Zekaj laughed. The human's eyes were droopy as Hunter's sleepy body slides into Zekaj
"A bit," Hunter said with a yawn.
"We got like 10 minutes you can't fall asleep now!" Zekaj frowned.
"I won't! I won't!" Hunter chuckled. Hunter wrapped his arms around Zekaj's arms and continued to lean on him. "It's just so far away." He yawned again.
Zekaj stifled his laughter and continued to watch the screen and thought about the last 3 months.
Earth was nothing like his time in hell. Zekaj felt like he finally had someone there for him the whole time. Sure he sometimes had Zekai but he had his duties as well.
Zekaj looked down at the small human who was struggling to keep his eyes open. The sound of the hosts of the show growing excited as the ball was getting ready to be dropped. It was only minutes away.
The void demon truthfully didn't know what the future held for him and that was exciting. His future felt like a big question mark instead of a simple period. With Hunter, he had no idea what to expect.
His attention was drawn back to the tv as the announcers starting counting down from 10. The demon watched as the ball slowly made its way down the pole before hitting the bottom and fireworks went off.
Zekaj frowned, "Is that really it?" He was flabbergasted.
"I really thought there'd be a bigger drop. Or like an explosion of some sorts? Just more." He laughed. "Why are people kissing?" Zekaj asked, turning to Hunter for answers.
The human was passed out, completely. Zekaj frowned and looked back at the tv.
"Guess I'm stuck like this," He lightly smiled. Zekaj reached over for the remote and switched off the tv. The lights were off already which definitely didn't help keep the human up.
The room was still shrouded in a dull glow as Zekaj's horns and eyes kept the room partially lit. Zekaj focused on this and the glow slowly dimmed enough that Hunter wouldn't be awoken in the night.
Zekaj looked down at the small human snuggling against him, keeping his arm trapped.
The void demon couldn't help but smile.
A/N:
It's a shorty but I wanted to do something for the new years/holidays and this is what I thought of. Sadly couldn't fast forward a couple months for when Zekaj and Hunter are together as that would spoil the plot.
Hope you enjoy this and hopefully a regular chapter will be out soon. It'll be Hunter and Zekaj's second date and maybe something else? I wouldn't know. ;)
Stay safe, wear a mask covid is still a thing! (Unless you're in a country that gots it shit together. Still wearing a mask is good especially around flu season in general.)
-MEK <3