•Y/N: Your Name
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Author's POV:
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With a troubled mind and trembling hands, Y/N opened the door to Samantha's apartment and closed it behind her, chest rising and falling unevenly with each breath as she pressed her back against the wood and slowly slid down to the floor, eyes wide as they stared ahead into the darkness. What had just happened was so unreal. She didn't know what to think or what to do. All she can do is wait and hope that Loui would succeed in retrieving her best friend.
The thought to call her other friends about the situation crossed her mind for a brief moment before getting discarded. That would be a terrible idea. They'd be so worried that they'd rush over to her. That won't be ideal, especially since she couldn't give them the full story. They'd want to get the police involved, but even that wasn't a good idea.
'Demons. Why did it have to be demons?' Placing a hand over her face, Y/N's shoulders shook in sync with a sob as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt useless. If it were a normal human that assaulted them, perhaps there'd be a greater success rate in catching that wretched man, but after their encounter, she saw how fast and strong he was against the both of them. They were easily thrown around like rag dolls, but she doesn't precisely know what Loui himself is capable of. Could he really defeat that criminal, or at least get Sam back, or would he also be cornered by that beast?
She had to believe in him, regardless of all the drama going on between them. He was her only hope of getting her friend back safely. After some time, the woman found her legs and staggered over to the couch to sit. She didn't bother to turn on the light. There was comfort in the darkness, in knowing that her expression could not be seen.
If the light was on, she might catch sight of her tears in the reflection of the T.V. or a mirror, and she didn't want to see that. It would only send her spiraling into a deeper pit of despair. Perhaps, if she turned the television on, she could distract herself for a time, but in her head, all she could do was relive the same scene over and over again. She nearly died. Had Loui not come to her rescue, she would've been.
She'd either be crushed under that truck or forced into a far scarier situation with that monster. Knowing this only added to the dread of the situation. What was happening to Samantha right now? Was she saved yet? Did she get killed? Did the creature get away? Her mind was buzzing and aching from all the questions and what-if scenarios.
She prayed for Loui to return soon before she ends up having a heart attack from the stress, and thankfully, her prayers were answered in a matter of minutes. She jumped, even yelped, when a knock came from the door, shooting up to her feet before rushing over to peer through the peephole. The image of Loui all bloodied and beaten in the hallway filled her right eye, and in his arms lies her best friend, passed out and covered in her own collection of injuries. She wasn't going to question how he knew where she was or how to get to the apartment.
He had been keeping an eye on her, after all, to make sure she was safe. She imagined that's how he came to the scene so quickly in the first place. She would be sure to ask how he does so another time. Right now, her focus is on Sam. Hurriedly, Y/N threw open the door and ushered him inside before he could be spotted by another resident in the building. The creature obliged, walking past her to the couch to set down the woman in his arms.
He was in much worse shape than Samantha, out of breath and covered in deep marks, his flesh black and blue in many spots. He wasn't even fully out of his demon form, which he had used to attack the perpetrator. Patches of wiry, black fur covers the back of his neck, along his jawline and the backs of his hands, which carry long, sharp claws. His tail was also present, dragging limply at his feet with the occasional twitch and swipe. It stung to see him this way. He was obviously exhausted and in a great deal of pain.
"What happened? Are you guys all right?" she questions nervously, coming closer to them after locking the door. Loui turns to the woman with a gentle smile.
"She'll be fine. She was knocked unconscious during the pursuit, but nothing too harmful happened to her." With a light grunt, the bartender sat himself beside the unconscious woman in the available space while removing the hat from his head, revealing his curly horns. The tip of the left one had broken off, likely during the battle. Fanning himself with the dark fedora, Loui's right fingers traveled through his hair. "Haven't had a scrap like that in a while. I've gotten rusty. Gluttons, I tell ya, they go crazy." He laughs softly before placing the hat on his lap and wiping his bloody nose on his sleeve. His smile caused an ache in her heart as she sat on top of the coffee table across from him.
"Thank you so much for saving us. I don't know what I would've done if..." Y/N trailed off to look at her friend. "Is she going to be in danger now?" Cracking a smile, the demon shook his head, tail flapping around unnoticeably as the fur on his body began to recede into his skin.
It was painful, due to the bruising, but Loui was hardly fazed. He could handle the pain fine enough. His body was already hard at work fixing itself. He may not have the quickest healing rate compared to other demons, but he certainly made up for it in power and strength. He was relieved to win the fight, nonetheless. That other demon was also someone powerful, but in the end, he came out on top. His rage had carried him through. Poor Y/N was traumatized, though; he could tell. From her trembling to the look of trepidation in her eyes, she was clearly disturbed. He could smell all her fear, all her concern and relief. Everything flooded his senses like a tsunami, and yet, regardless of her own fear, she put her friend above herself. It was admirable.
"Nah, she'll be all right. She didn't get a good look at me before passing out, and I'm sure Mr. Elastic learned his lesson about messing with what's min—" Loui choked, cutting himself off abruptly while shaking his head. "I mean my employees... Sorry. He'll likely think of her as someone under my watch and not come close again. You have nothing to worry about," he assures while tilting his head towards Samantha to gesture to her.
"That's all right, I know what you meant." Y/N wasn't bothered with that right now, but she felt she could breathe better knowing that the demon would not come hunting for her and her friend. It was one less thing to worry about. Still, she couldn't help the anxious look on her face as she stared at Sam while gripping her arms tightly. "She knows about demons now, though."
"You can always pretend it was all a dream, that you guys got attacked and she lost consciousness, that I happened to come by and help out."
"You're oddly quick for coming up with lies," she snaps, unamused, while shifting her gaze towards the bartender. This causes him to lower his head.
"I'm just trying to help." Loui's thumbs glide along the brim of his hat as the claws steadily retract to form human nails. "You know, I never meant to hurt you. If you went on blindly, the others wouldn't have had a reason to attack you. I thought it was better not to tell you the truth for your own safety." Sighing, Y/N's tense shoulders slumped as the harshness in her gaze faded away.
"I know why you lied. It's just... I'm still wrapping my head around this whole mess." Pinching the bridge of her nose, Y/N closes her eyes. "Just how many people have I encountered that were actually demons in disguise? This is crazy."
"Not as many as you might think," he claims, causing her to open her eyes and meet his bright, ruby-red ones. He wore a gentle smile on his lips as he explained. "There isn't much freedom to use our powers in this realm. We know it's better to keep our identities hidden for the most part. Less laws in Hell make it a great place for beings like us to torment and sin as we please, so chances of crossing a demon randomly on the street is actually pretty rare. Most prefer it there. Seems you've just been cursed with bad luck lately." He gives a somewhat forced laugh, hoping to make light of the situation.
"I guess so." She heaves a deep sigh and looks over at her unconscious friend again. "Anyways, we should probably dress her wounds— Yours too. You're bleeding all over the place." Looking down at himself, Loui chuckles again while rubbing the back of his neck.
"So I am. You think she'd mind if I took a shower?" The woman shrugs.
"You did just save her life." After getting the go-ahead, Loui stands up but continues to view the woman's face with a heartfelt stare. She was worried about him too. That was so relieving to hear.
"What's with the long face? I'll be all fixed up by morning, and your friend will be just fine, I swear on my life." If there had not been prior tension, he might've kissed her forehead or at least patted her shoulder in reassurance, but Loui wasn't quite sure what she'd be willing to accept from him yet, so he left her with only those words before looking for the bathroom. Y/N watched him leave before standing up herself to find some bandages and a change of clothes for Sam.
The woman's outfit is all torn up and bloody. She could not, in good conscience, leave her to wake up like that. Besides, she had to remove them to get to certain injuries. Oddly enough, it was not the first time she had to help her friend into fresh clothes. She recalls a night when Sam got absolutely wasted, knocking on her door late at night after a party.
She had walked all the way there, heels in hand as she swayed side to side dizzily with a goofy grin on her lips. Abruptly overcome with sickness, she ran straight to the bathroom and just missed the toilet, ending up with vomit all over her dress before passing out not long after. Y/N cleaned up the mess and took care of everything, all while shaking her head at her unconscious friend, who later woke up with a terrible hangover that she ended up tending to as well. She had never heard more apologies come out of a person, but even though it was gross and tiring, Y/N was more than happy to take care of her. She knew Sam would do the same for her if the situation had been the other way around.
The memory brought a tiny smile to her lips as she carefully rubbed cream over the forming bruises and bandaged every scrape. Loui was right; her injuries were minor, so it was quick work, and after she was finished, she helped her friend into a loose, white shirt and pink, floral-print shorts. After she was dressed, she made sure she was comfortable, placing a pillow underneath her head and covering her with a throw blanket.
'I should stay the night with her so that she's not alone when she wakes up. I want to make sure she's okay.' Sighing, Y/N grabs ahold of the woman's slender hand as she sits on the floor and leans back against the couch.
"You'll be okay, Sam. We'll be okay," she whispers, though she knew the blonde couldn't hear her in her current state, before closing her eyes. Hit with exhaustion, she released her hand and fell asleep in that position as the sound of running water came to an end. Now clean, Loui dries off with an available towel, which he then ties around his waist, the demonic features now absent from his body. The shower made him feel much better, and the cuts have already sealed to simple, red marks which would soon disappear altogether. His clothes were in no state to be put back on, riddled with tears and soiled by blood and dirt, so Loui snaps his fingers, summoning a red, powdery substance to rain over his form, falling from his shoulders down to his feet, replacing the towel with a black sweater, mocha-brown pants secured at the waist by a black belt and dark socks.
The smoke vanished without ever touching the floor, and he hung his towel over the door to dry before checking on the women in the living room. He was hardly surprised to find Y/N fast asleep, but the sight did bring a smile to his face. Turning around, he goes to the bedroom to fetch a blanket off the bed, hoping that the owner of the apartment won't mind, before returning to the couch. Loui then sits on the floor beside Y/N before wrapping the both of them in the blanket's warm embrace. Waking slightly from the action, the woman groans and shuffles a little closer to the man, causing his heart to waver as he sets his chin atop her head. His vibrant eyes shut as his free arm snakes around her too.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Doll," he whispers, but no response came. She was not awake enough to acknowledge that he was even speaking and slipped into a deeper sleep within seconds. Slowly, his right hand travels down her arm to reach her own and pets the back of it with gentle fingers. "I will never let anything happen to you or anyone else you love. I've seen you like this too many times already." His lifts her hand to his mouth to plant a tender kiss on the back of it.
"I am yours. I will come whenever you call, whenever you need me, whenever you're in danger. I will come running like a loyal dog. You may not know how to feel about me anymore, but I know where my heart lies. Baby Doll, I will be here always, and I'll never let scum like that touch you again." Loui lowers her hand to his thigh, maintaining his hold on it, while running his thumb back and forth across the knuckles. His lips then press against the top of her head.
"Sleep well, Doll Face. I'll watch over you both tonight."