Nickname Horizons are Broadening #2
Luna began to blink rapidly, holding back the thick tears that threatened to fill her eyes.
“I’m sorry!” she cried out, wincing as if he would strike her, cowering in fear while the tears trailed down her cheeks.
“I didn’t mean to!” The slender woman wailed as she curled in on herself and crouched on the floor, hugging her knees while rocking back and forth, keening with panic.
Flinching while waiting for the blow she was clearly expecting.
Reena growled at Nick and hurried to Luna’s side, licking her arm in a comforting gesture.
Malachi echoed the Chuglet’s growl, his much louder snarl rippling Nick’s hair like a strong gust of wind.
“What the hell, Nickwit? Why would you terrify the poor thing like that? C’mon Lu-Lu, ignore the grumpy asshole.
Obviously his halo is too tight. Jackass.
” He pulled the sobbing demon to her feet and wrapped his arms around her, shushing her softly while glaring menacingly at the stammering angel.
The threat in his eyes was enough to have the usually calm angel recoiling in fear.
“I-I-I…” Nick took a deep breath, placed a hand over his heart to steady his heartbeat, and tried again.
“I’m so sorry, child. I did not mean to scare you or cause you grief.
Your mere existence is shocking to me, and I overreacted.
Please accept my humblest, most sincere apologies.
I would like to speak with you more and understand your origins.
I am very happy to meet you. Your name is Lu-Lu?
” His voice was gentle and soft, trying to reassure her.
Snorting disdainfully, Malachi continued to rub the little demon’s back as his glare deepened with Hellfire. “Her name is Luna. Which, by the way, we just gave her that name today because no one ever gave her one. Your kind wouldn’t accept her.”
“I dare say your kind didn’t either,” Nick retorted dryly, his halo flashing briefly with his ire.
“Well, at least we’re demons. Open about our ways.
Assholes and proud of it. You guys are supposed to be full of grace, light, and forgiveness.
” Malachi declared hotly, nodding in demonic righteousness before catching Chuck’s eye.
She was frantically slashing her hand across her throat in a ‘cut it out’ gesture, her eyes narrowed with frustration.
“Right… anyway,” he huffed, pouting just the smallest amount.
“Point is, this is Luna. She’s grown up in an orphanage in Hell, and she sought us out for help. ”
Nick blinked rapidly. “Help with what?”
“To hide from the demons trying to kill me,” Luna whispered.
“All I’m saying is she probably could have led with that bit of information,” Malachi grumbled as Chuck led the still sniffling Luna to the bathroom to wash her face.
“Demons are out to get her, so she comes to me, leading other demons straight to Chuck’s door.
I don’t need another Hyacinth getting any ideas about sacrificing a Nephilim!
” Reena growled at Nick as he paced in front of her perch on Malachi’s lap.
His hand was moving in a steady rhythm, stroking her back absently.
He’d paused when he snapped at Nick, and clearly she didn’t want the angel interrupting this moment of adoration.
“I agree,” Nick replied in an obnoxiously placating tone, “but the poor kid barely knows what she is, much less what she’s doing.”
“Oh, now you want to defend her!” Malachi drawled, his hand briefly pausing on Reena’s fur again. Her irritated grumble had him quickly resuming his motions. “Sorry, Princess,” he gushed as he handed her a bacon treat.
Her happy rumble and gusty sigh tugged the corners of Nick’s lips in a gentle smile. “It’s so sweet to see how you baby her. A demon and his Chuglet.”
“Speaking of weird things,” Malachi started with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “How are things with you and Amaryllis?” He batted his eyelashes and pursed his lips in his closest approximation of innocence.
“Shh!” Nick waved his hands frantically in a shushing motion.
He glanced around nervously as if someone might have heard their conversation.
Belatedly realizing the room was empty except for them, he tugged on the silken fall of his robe, needlessly straightening the material that never wrinkled to cover his embarrassment.
“That’s not the kind of information that needs to be discussed casually,” the angel declared haughtily.
At Malachi’s chuckle, he glowered as he clenched his teeth.
“But she’s fine. Just great. Hyacinth is still rotting on her gate, begging for death daily.
” He sniffed airily, a mere hint of a malicious smile twitching at the corners of his lips. “As he should.”
Nodding thoughtfully, Malachi stared at the ceiling so he wouldn’t be tempted to smirk further at the angel’s answers.
He needed him to be open, but try as he might to hold back his next question for Chuck’s sake, the overall temptation was too great, and temptation was his forte.
“Do you really think no one knows you go to see her? That you two don’t have something going on? ”
Reena huffed out a wheezy laugh at Nick’s scandalized grimace. His fingers twitched at his neck as if he were clutching pearls, making her laugh harder at his indignation.
Sighing dramatically as he flung himself on the couch with all the panache of a teenage girl who just had her first breakup, Nick groaned.
“I know… but I’m going under the guise of Heaven’s ambassadorship to Hell, to improve angelic-demonic relations.
You two are causing some serious waves, you know.
So, I meet with her to discuss ways both sides can coexist without bloodshed.
If other things happen, no one needs to know.
” He sat up and glared at Malachi. “So, keep your muzzle shut!” A menacing finger was pointed an inch from his nose.
Snapping at the offending digit, Malachi grinned and said, “Woof!” His attention was captured by Chuck as she re-entered the room, a red-faced but no longer crying Luna close on her heels. The little demon looked like a skittish kitten, clutching the back of Chuck’s shirt for protection.