Smoke burned your esophagus as you greedily inhaled the cigarette between your fingers. Occasionally glancing up from the sidewalk as demons passed by, walking this way and that way.
Several threw glances your way. Most of them stayed silent. You kept a calm but cold expression on your face; all the while your heart was pounding a little, and you almost felt weak in the knees. The truth is you were nervous about this meet up. You weren't sure why, it's not like you didn't know who you were about to be talking to, but you couldn't shake your nerves.
"Whew," a goat demon had cat-called in your direction. Lifting up his sunglasses to look your body up and down as he walked. His friend walking beside him then hit him upside the head, scolding him.
"Dipshit, that's the radio demon's girlfriend." The other demon said harshly. "Do you wanna get maimed? Don't even look at her..."
You merely cast them both a harsh glare. Narrowing your eyes and staring them down.
"Boo." You whispered, pretending to lunge at them slightly. Spurring both of them to take off running down the street while you leaned back against the wall; and took another drag from the cancer stick in your hand.
A smile tugged at your lips as you watched them run. Giggling quietly with a sense of satisfaction.
"You aren't going to try and scare me away, are you?" A familiar voice said as they approached your left side. You felt your heart tremor in your chest.
"No promises." You said dryly. Blowing smoke away from the other fox as you flicked the ash off the lit stoge with your claw.
"Fair enough." He chuckled awkwardly. "Thank you for meeting up with me. I've been wanting to talk to you for a while..."
"Oh have you?" You hummed with a lingering tone of indifference.
He nodded and sucked in a deep breath. "Want to go inside?" He asked.
"What's wrong with out here?"
"You're going to want a drink when I tell you what I need to tell you." He reasoned. "I'll buy you one."
You bit your tongue and looked down at the pavement. Already feeling a bit guilty to be meeting up with your ex without Alastor knowing about it. Granted, your intentions truly were innocent. But you had no idea how he would have reacted if he had known this is what you were really doing.
Ah well... One drink wouldn't hurt. Right?
"Whatever." You sighed. Extinguishing your cigarette on the bottom of your shoe before flicking it somewhere onto the ground.
"You know you can smoke inside, right? It's hell? Nobody cares." Johnny mentioned with a soft laugh.
"Old habits die hard, I guess." You huffed, breezing past him and walking on inside.
Loud music and neon lights greeted your senses as you both wandered inside. The smell of sweat, smoke and cheap perfume assaulting your nostrils as well. Johnny leaned in slightly so you could hear him over the music.
"Find a place to sit. I'll get our drinks."
You nodded without a word and scanned the area. It was the middle of the day, so it wasn't too busy; you spotted an empty booth over by one of the back walls and b-lined toward it. Sitting down and leaning back against your seat as you waited for him to come back.
You tapped your nails along the table as you waited. Still anxious about doing all of this. But you tried not to let it show. Although, that wasn't exactly the case... you were visibly anxious. It just came out in the form of agitation and aggression. A default mechanism for you. It was easier to feel mad than nervous.
Your thoughts were interrupted by a glass of light brown liquid and ice sliding across the table in front of you. Johnny sitting across from you with presumably the same beverage.
"Still like whiskey?" He asked.
"Through and through." You nodded, reaching for your glass. "To be honest, I'm sorta surprised this isn't what killed me."
He furrowed a brow and cocked his head to the side a little. He knew you liked to drink but you didn't develop a full blown addiction until after he was gone, so he didn't quite gather what you meant by that.
"You look good, by the way." He offered. "I mean, you always did, but... Hell was good to you in terms of appearance."
You nodded again and felt a soft chuckle slither from your throat. "Yeah. You do too. Weird not seeing you with blue eyes, anymore."
"Yeah, yeah." He laughed gently. "So what have you been up to? Aside from enjoying the party life and finding yourself a new boyfriend...?"
"Practicing for work." You answered. Taking a large gulp of your beverage. The taste of Jameson and sour mix greeting your tastebuds; making you hum in satisfaction as you swallowed and took another sip.
"Oh yeah? Where you working?"
"The Happy Hotel."
His eyes went wide. "You trying to redeem yourself too?"
Another laugh escaped your lips, and you shook your head.
"Fuck no. The princess asked me if I'd be interested in doing shows for guests, after I told her about the circus life."
"So you're still doing aerial work?" He asked, a gentle smile forming on his face. "That's awesome, Y/n. I'm glad you get to keep doing what you love."
"Me too." You nodded.
"How is it there? Do you like working for the princess?"
"She's a lot more forgiving than my folks were."
"They good to you there?" He then asked.
"Employment with decent pay, a nice room to live in, and hot well-made meals." You answered. "They practically spoil me."
"Good." He nodded. "I'm glad you seem like you're doing well. I want that for you."
Yeah, I bet. You thought bitterly. Taking another hefty sip from your drink.
"Can we wrap this up quickly?" You then asked. "I told you I wanted an explanation and you said you would provide one."
"Are you in a hurry?" Johnny wondered.
"I'm not supposed to be here."
"Ah. Can't let your boyfriend know you're here, I'm guessing. Huh?"
You felt your eyes narrowed in irritation. Even if he was right, you didn't like being called out like that. Especially from someone you weren't particularly fond of anymore.
"Guess some old habits do die hard. If you're still sneaking around and doing things you aren't supposed to." He added almost bitterly. Really, he wasn't mad at you for doing what you were doing. He was jealous. While you spent the last couple years of your life getting over him, he never stopped missing you. Finding out you had moved on hurt more than your smack in the face did.
You set your glass down harshly and glared back at him. "You gonna tell me what is so fucking important that I need to know? Or did you just want to berate me for my choices?"
"Well to be honest Y/n, it might be none of my business now, but yeah. I think you could be making better choices."
"Check yourself before you put me down, Johnny. You were one of my choices, afterall."
"Yeah, and up until I couldn't anymore I worshiped the ground you walked on. That talk-show pompous fucker doesn't want what's good for you, he wants only for himself."
"You shut your mouth." You hissed. "Don't bring him into this, and don't you dare speak about him like that. You don't know him. Not like I do. You have no idea how much he cares for me."
"Does he, though??" He asked with a baffled laugh. "For fucks sake, Y/n! You made some poor choices but you don't belong in hell! You work at a place where you could potentially redeem yourself. You have the opportunity to better yourself right at your fingertips. If he actually cared about you, he would be encouraging you to become a better version of yourself. To try for redemption and maybe have eternal peace; he should want you to be the happiest you can be! Not hellbent on keeping you here, where his 'love' is the only thing worth suffering for eternity over."
You were gobsmacked. The audacity of this man. It almost made you want to pour your drink onto his head and just leave. But being nice, (and still wanting to hear his side,) you refrained.
"I never wanted redemption." You answered back matter of factly. "Right from the get-go, and they all know that. I'm still here because I want to be. I'd be less happy in heaven without him; and you don't get to decide what's good for me. I didn't like it when my parents did that shit, and I'm sure as fuck not going to take it from you, either."
"Just some food for thought. Ask him about it, next time you see him." He huffed. "See how he really feels."
"You think you know so much. Don't you, Johnny?"
FUCK.
Your heart dropped like an anchor. Both of you looking over to see Alastor standing there next to the table, and a very familiar clown at his side. Avoiding both your gazed as he looked defeatedly down at the floor.
The deer looked down at Reggie, who he had in a tight grip by the collar. "Thank you for your help, my good fellow. Now shoo."
He pushed Reg aside with a hard shove before glowering back at your ex. Both of you standing up out of your seats as you looked back at him. Reg gave you both an apologetic, pained look of sympathy before staring back down at the floor. You figured Al probably realized you weren't at the hotel and had interrogated your friend until he told him where you were.
You didn't know that Al was actually looking for Johnny. Planning on getting some insight on the situation and perhaps putting the kibosh on the whole thing. Imagine his surprise when he found you sitting across from the man he was fuming at. At the very least, he had heard you defending him to your ex. And took a sense of comfort that you remained loyal to him.
"Alastor..." you stammered.
He raised his hand as if to stop you from speaking further. His poise was calm, but you could tell something more intense lurked beneath the surface of his smile.
"We'll have a chat later." He said simply. "But you both are coming back with me. Now."
In an instant the buck had teleported you (and Reg as well) back the the foyer of the hotel. Your stomach churning a little from the transportation, no doubt made worse by your current emotions.
"See?" Alastor said, gesturing to Charlie, Vaggie and Angel that your ex was seemingly unharmed. "Told you I wouldn't hurt him. However now that we have an audience, how about I just make this quick and painless-"
"Al, no!" You interrupted. Grabbing your lover by his sleeve and halting him from taking another step. "Please!"
"Oh, my dear, I just want to talk to him." He seethed with a wicked grin. "I admire your relentless compassion however he crossed a line trying to step between you and I."
"Go ahead, old man!" The fox laughed. "You don't know what we had, and you sure as hell don't have her best interests at heart."
"Will both of you just shut up and knock it off?!" You snapped. Neither of them paying you any mind. You glanced back over at the other four in the room, who looked about as stunned and helpless as you did.
Johnny had reached for you to pull you closer to him, his bare hand clutching your exposed arm. Giving you a front row exposition of what really happened the night you were supposed to run away together; without even knowing or intending to do so.
You saw exactly what happened.
You saw everything.
You felt his fear, his adrenaline, his heartbrokenness... and it overtook your whole being.
Sending you into a state of shock and panic as you stumbled back and started screaming. Causing the bickering duo to cease their petty fight and look over at you in alarm.
Tears poured from your eyes as you saw your former lover get brutally murdered. Strangled by your father in cold blood. Feeling how scared he was, feeling his pain... his body losing consciousness... his grief as he realized he wouldn't see you again... He left, but he didn't leave you.
He was taken away by the people who you were supposed to be able to trust.
If it weren't for your parents, you might not have had your heart broken. You might not have lost the baby. You'd still be alive. This changed everything you thought you knew.
You tried to blink away the visions that clouded you and shrank back up against the wall; but they wouldn't leave you. His memories invaded your senses like a swarm of locusts; and flooded faster than they could leave you. The feeling of dread only worsened when you felt a set of hands try to reach for your arm to help you back onto your feet- whose hands you weren't sure, but you swatted whomever it was away.
"DON'T TOUCH ME. DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME." You screeched.
The room was quiet. Everyone looked at each other wearily as your sobs were now the only sound in the room. No one knew what to do.
Johnny took a step back, unsure of what he had done to cause such a reaction from you. But he certainly didn't want to worsen it, so he backed off.
Alastor kneeled down by your side, looking down at you with concern before looking over and glowering again at Johnny. A painfully wide smile tugging at his mouth; but it wasn't at all happy.
Dials flickered within the deer demons eyes; void black knobs amongst a fiery red inferno. "Do you have any idea what you have just done?"
"I-..." the fox stammered.
"Alastor, I don't think he does know..." Charlie reasoned cautiously.
"What? What don't I know??" Johnny asked almost frantically. "I didn't mean to, whatever I did... I..."
"You shouldn't have touched her." Angel explained with a sigh. Watching with a twinge of pain in his heart as he watched you curl up into a ball and continue crying; then looked back over at your ex.
"I didn't grab her hard enough to hurt her, I thought-"
"She's a seer, you imbecile." Alastor sneered. Getting up and walking back over to him. Towering over the fox by a little; who's ears flattened to his head in response. "Whatever happened in your pathetic life that she happened to see just now has scared the hell out of her!"
"Whatever happened...?" He stammered. Still trying to catch up to what the stag meant by that.
"I think she saw you die, man..." Reggie explained further.
Alastor's and the other's eyes had all widened. In deep sympathy for you. The realization set in that not only did you perhaps find out more truth than you bargained for, but you mentally experienced the sensation of dying again.
Husk had walked in right at that moment and took in the very uncomfortable mood filling the room. Looking over at you rocking back and forth with your head in your hands before back up at everyone else.
"Do I wanna know?" He asked. Feeling a bit of worry on your behalf.
"Foxy here fucked up." Angel answered bluntly.
"It's not like I meant to do it on purpose!" Johnny tried to reason. "How was I supposed to know?? This isn't a commonality I come across on the daily!"
"If you would have just stayed in your lane and left her alone this wouldn't even be an issue!" Alastor argued back. "You ran out on her and you should have stayed away. She was happier before you came back in the picture."
"I didn't leave her, you bambi-ass bitch boy-!"
"Who are you calling-?!"
"Guys?" Charlie asked, interrupting the bickering duo. "Where's Y/n?"
Everyone glanced back to the spot you were sitting in, only to find that you weren't there anymore. As a matter of fact, you weren't anywhere in the room. Panic began to set in again with everyone.
"I'm no psychic but wherever my last bottle of rum went, I bet she's there with it." Husk mentioned.
"Shit..." Angel sighed.
Charlie's heart sank as she looked back over at the radio demon. "Al-"
"Already going." He said, immediately teleporting to your floor to begin looking for you.
"Is she okay?" Johnny asked.
"Doll has a drinking problem." Angel answered with a huff. "She better not do something stupid..."