"So to get to Hell I used this ritual," Hunter said, pushing the book towards Zekaj. "There aren't any markings for earth though in the ritual."
Zekaj held the book up by one of the sides tilting his head to look at it. His demon wasn't much of a reader and Hunter was happy the guy was at least looking at it. Sure the spine of the book was screaming in pain, but it wasn't exactly their book.
The group was sitting in a room for practicing magic, connected directly to the gym that the family used often. Zekaj and Hunter were standing as Zekai laid flat on the floor staring at the ceiling.
"So how are we going to get back to Earth then?" Zekaj raised an eyebrow, flipping through the other pages of the book.
"Well that's the million-dollar question isn't it?" Hunter sighed.
"Can't we just draw this up again and try that?" Zekaj asked.
"I mean we could but I just don't think we need to."
Zekaj stared at his mate confused. "What do you mean?"
"Like, the power the ritual gave me or unlocked in me, I still feel it, I guess," Hunter sighed, rubbing his face.
"Well the book did say "pass through the veil, become the bridge"," Zekaj mentioned. "Never said which way."
"But then how do I open the veil up or whatever to pass through?" Hunter said.
"Have you thought about just trying to open a portal to Earth?" Zekai butted into the conversation.
Hunter looked at Zekaj dumbfounded and Zekaj just smiled back.
"It can't be that simple can it?" Hunter asked Zekaj, who only smiled shrugging back.
Zekaj stepped forward, pressing Hunter's back into his chest. Gripping Hunter by the arm, Zekaj raised it up, extending his human's arm out in front of them.
"Have you ever opened a portal before?" Zekaj asked.
"I did during the ritual but I'm not sure if that counts in this scenario," Hunter laughed under his breath.
"It's pretty easy, just have to think about where you want to go, let your magic flow down your hand and off of it. Close your eyes even if you want, let me guide you."
Hunter breathed in deep, closing his eyes. All he could feel was his demon breathing gently along his neck with his body pressed up against his.
"Think about all of the things we did back on earth," Zekaj began to whisper.
Hunter felt Zekaj's other hand begin to creep around the edge of his shirt as it crawled up under it, wrapping his strong arm around his waist.
"It's where you summoned me, where we became best friends," Zekaj pressed his lips against Hunter's neck, hitching the human's breathing. "And lovers."
"I- I'll never forget," Hunter whispered.
Hunter could feel the power in his arms grow as Zekaj watched his golden marks begin to glow.
"It's where we first made love, I know you remember that," Zekaj whispered, pulling his arm back to above Hunter's crotch, playing with the edge of his pants. Teasing Hunter by almost putting his hand down them.
Hunter's breath hitched again, while Zekai on the floor rolled his eyes at how little shame his brother had.
Before Zekaj could mention another memory the ground shook, the chandelier and paintings shaking and threatening to break.
Zekai sat up in shock, "What's happening?"
"The veil, I think it's opening again," Zekaj said, trying to keep Hunter and himself still.
The human still had his eyes closed until suddenly they opened the pale gold overcoming the whole eye.
Exactly where the human had his palm facing a black portal began to open. It began to consume the space around the whole area as black tentacles reached out from it, moving irregularly and sporadically.
Hunter blinked away the trance, the pale gold leaving and his brown eyes coming forth. Hunter was shocked to actually see the portal right in front of him.
"Did we do it?" He asked, the glowing marks dimming down as well.
"You did! Hopefully it leads to Earth!" Zekaj screamed in excitement, hugging his mate.
"Ok, we got everything right?" Hunter said, picking up the same backpack from earth and opening it. "We're wearing winter wear, got some snacks, water,"
Hunter paused looking at one of the items in the backpack before glaring up at Zekaj who only smiled.
"Lube?" Hunter said.
"We might have time, you never know."
Hunter only sighed, "Money, our phone," Which was dead since it hadn't been charged due to there being no electrical outlets in hell. "Looks like everything is here."
"Let's get going then," Zekaj said, excited to head back to Earth.
"It'll close behind you guys right?" Zekai asked, getting a little too close to the portal.
"It should be like any other portal," Hunter said.
"Ready?" Zekaj smiled at Hunter.
Answering by wrapping his arm around Zekaj's arm and holding his hand. The two made their way through the portal as Zekai yelled bye.
Unlike his arrival in Hell, leaving Hell felt like he was rising up through the void. Zekaj tightened the grip on his human as the ascent came to its sudden end.
The light was blinding to Hunter and he could tell they were airborne but with a gentle swoop, Zekaj held him in his arms bridal style, landing them superhero style on the ground.
Hunter blinked his eyes trying to adjust them to the brightness of Earth, they had adjusted to the darkness of the Void that it was almost painful.
"We made it," Hunter heard Zekaj say.
Opening his eyes again he could make out the empty alleyway filled with snow. Zekaj slowly lowered him back to the ground.
Standing on his own feet, Hunter saw the pale gold portal loathing a couple feet off the ground.
"Yeah, shitty aim bro," Zekaj laughed.
"Asshole," Hunter playfully pushed at Zekaj who only smiled back at him joyfully in his gray beanie.
Zekaj in winter clothes was adorable, he looked so cuddly and happy all of the time. It was a completely different vibe from his normal hell clothing. The clothes still had a touch of hell elements to them but were designed to look normal to anyone on earth.
"Your face is getting rosy from the cold already," Zekaj kissed Hunter's lips. "Now I'm not sure if it's from the cold or you're blushing."
Hunter bit his lip trying to keep himself from smiling. Hunter grabbed Zekaj's hand and pulled him down the alleyway and onto the sidewalk.
It was obvious to Hunter immediately that he had managed to get them to his hometown. They were downtown at the moment but a couple blocks away was home. Well, his old home.
"It's weird isn't it?" Zekaj asked.
"Yeah," Hunter whispered. "Let's just get there ASAP."
Zekaj kept Hunter close with an arm around his shoulder as the two headed down the sidewalk.
The portal closed behind them, just as a four-armed Demon landed on his feet outside it.
*****
Hunter whisper-yelled at the demon marching up to the door, kicking it open as it slammed into the wall.
"What the fuck are you doing!" Hunter yelled running up to his childhood home.
"JAXON!" The void demon yelled.
"Zekaj!" Hunter stepped into the house, the cold air entering the warm home. "No one is even home!"
Hunter gestured to the driveway, where in fact, there were no cars.
"You have a garage! It could be in there! JAXON!" Zekaj yelled again.
"I was peeking through the window when you decided to raid the fucking building! There were no cars inside of it besides mine!" Hunter yelled back.
Zekaj's angry face changed to one of annoyance. "Whatever, guess I'm waiting."
Zekaj sat on the couch, crossing his arms and staring sternly at the tv.
"You are not harming him when he gets here, got it?" Hunter said. "I don't want to have to say it again."
"Whatever," Zekaj rolled his eyes.
Hunter only sighed as he heard a door close shut from outside. Turning toward the window as quickly as possible, Hunter suddenly turned back to Zekaj pointing a threatening finger at the demon as if the finger itself was saying Don't you dare.
Peeking out the window, Hunter saw his father looking towards the open front door. It was strange to see his father after so long. The last time they had been together was at the institute.
He was sure that his father had a lot of explaining to do and that it probably had been a stressful couple of weeks for him. It wasn't a good look for him to be seen at the sight of the cause of the Institute's damage.
Jaxon looked tired, sad even. His hair was a bit of a mess like Hunter's and his beard had gotten a bit longer than Hunter had ever seen it. Jaxon pulled his phone out of his pocket, looking at the screen a quick second before his eyes went wide and stared at the window.
On instinct, Hunter stepped away from the window backing up into Zekaj who he hadn't even realized was standing behind him.
"How did he know?" Hunter asked.
As Jaxon took a step into the house, Hunter suddenly was pushed back as Zekaj stepped in front of him. His human skin rippled away as his demon form erupted through, void dripping on him as his enraged form was held back.
Jaxon yelped back in shock, as Zekaj tried to charge at him, but Hunter's grip was somehow enough to hold him back.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKER! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD SEPARATE US?" Zekaj growled at Hunter's father.
"Zekaj! Couch now!" Hunter demanded.
Zekaj turned back at Hunter, his fangs poking out from his lips. Hunter pointed at the couch and the demon only grumbled doing as his mate said.
Jaxon fixed himself, standing up straight again as the father and son just stared at each other. They were never good at communicating which was obvious by the silent room.
"Hey," Hunter said and then immediately regretted it.
"How was umh... Hell?" Jaxon asked, shrugging a little bit.
"It was great, he had people that actually cared about him," Zekaj said from the couch.
Both of the Sullivans cringed at Zekaj's comments. Both for different reasons as well as some of the same.
"Uhm, should we sit down?" Jaxon asked.
Zekaj murmured something from the couch, which Hunter and Jaxon both chose to ignore.
Hunter sat next to Zekaj who quickly had a possessive hold on the human and Jaxon sat in a lounge chair next to them.
Jaxon wasn't sure if he should introduce himself to the demon on his couch but based on the glare from Zekaj, he decided against it.
None of them were sure who was going to speak up first, though Jaxon sadly realized as the adult in the room it was his job to.
"How," Jaxon paused. "How did you?"
Freezing in the middle of his sentence, Jaxon didn't even know what he wanted answers for first.
"Start from the beginning?" Hunter suggested. Jaxon only nodded in response.
Hunter sighed, this was going to take a while, "Well I summoned him after you and mom couldn't get him to help..."
*****
Jaxon hadn't said anything throughout Hunter's whole ramble. Purposefully Hunter left some parts out, mainly small details that would make the story even longer, like PK, Emrys being Merlin, Amet being Camelot. That stuff could wait.
"So," Hunter said. "That's most of it."
"You're saying you left stuff out?" Jaxon raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't want to overcomplicate it."
"It's already pretty complicated," Jaxon leaned back, sighing.
"Wouldn't have been that complicated if you hadn't separated us," Zekaj muttered. Hunter squeezed Zekaj's hand as a way to calm him down but also to tell him to shut up.
"I didn't want to separate you guys. I was told that Zekaj was abusing you," Jaxon said. "It felt like the right thing to do in the moment, Hunter."
"You say that like you knew about us before you sent Zekaj back," Hunter said, not thinking it to be true. But the sheepish look on his father's face said otherwise.
"You knew?" Hunter sharply asked.
Zekaj stood up but Hunter pulled him back down before he could cause another scene.
"I put up a camera a couple months ago and caught you two. I thought Zekaj wasn't hurting anyone and decided to leave you two alone but Ben freaked me out and I well believed him," Jaxon said, pointing to the camera hidden back on a shelf.
Suddenly it flung off the shelf and into Zekaj's hand who promptly crushed it, letting the bits and pieces of metal and glass drop onto the floor. Jaxon only sighed at the sight of the smashed camera on the ground.
"I checked the app on my phone when I saw the door was wide open. I saw you two inside the house."
It made sense to Hunter, he had been wondering how Jaxon had seemed to know they were there, besides the wide-open door.
"But why are you here now? I thought you'd just," Jaxon sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Stay in hell forever and never come back."
"Oooo hoo hoo hoo," Zekaj cackled. "We've learned some very fun information about you."
"Zekaj," Hunter said threateningly through gritted teeth.
"Seems fucking void demons runs in the family, huh?" Zekaj grinned mischievously.
"What-" Jaxon was bewildered.
"We know about Volveth," Hunter said, covering Zekaj's mouth with his hand.
A/N:
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-mek