"He has a funny way saying forever too fast

Don't get mad, can't blame a tramp

For something he don't have

I get on my knees and beg you."

- Lady Gaga, Sinner's Prayer

Though I know that I should feel calm and secured, as expected and as usual, I don't feel that way. Sure my patience is wearing thin because of the demons around me and this stupid strategy meeting, but it's not really the main reason. I'm getting pissed as each second goes by; being here feels like forever, and it stretches out. It has just been days; minutes here feel like hours, and hours feel like days, and days feel like years.

Today is not any exception. As I stand amidst of all the demons in the red room, I feel like I'm going to vomit and sick. Though it's impossible for a demon to get sick, I feel like I do.

Before I met Adrian, I was okay with this kind of thing. The meeting, I mean. I get bored but never get antsy, but now, I feel different. Now I'm not sure whether Adrian is really a good thing or a bad thing. Just whatever. Sure, I'll admit, I feel attraction towards him (yes, I just realized), but at the same time, I'm now a demon. I've got duties and responsibilities that I need to do. But when it comes to Adrian, or things that are related to Adrian, I suddenly forget those duties and responsibilities.

As cheesy as it sounds, forever stretches out when I'm with Adrian, and that's a good thing for me. I mean, it should be a bad thing, but hey, I can't just lie to myself, you know. As much as I want to ignore this feeling that I have towards Adrian, the Angel of Love, I just fucking can't. It feels illegal, like a sin, though I shouldn't be bothered now because I'm a fucking demon – and demons are supposed to do illegal stuff and spread sins, but for some goddamn reason, I'm bothered because it concerns Adrian.

Fuck this meeting.

I can't even use my powers just to see Adrian. I wonder what he's doing. Whether he's okay or not. I want to know what he's doing just to entertain himself while he waits for me. I can't recall how many days – it must have been four, five, six, or seven days already, since I last saw him. And I want so badly to see him, to know if he's okay, to know if he's safe.

I'm always tempted to use my power just to see him, but, as much as I really hate to admit it, Dantalion is there to remind me not do so. In fact, Dantalion has been the reason why I still have my sanity here. He's the only one who understands me, why I'm being unusual, because he knows that I have an angel waiting back from home. Dantalion knows that I feel something unusual (for a demon) towards Adrian – he doesn't say it, but I just know that he knows.

Whenever I have this temptation to use my magic just to make a portal back to Adrian and I's home, or just create a mist where I can see him, Dantalion is always there to glare at me and merely shake his head. If any demon found out that I'm keeping an angel, they would have reported it already and Adrian's life would have been in great danger, but for some reason, Dantalion doesn't report it.

Because he feels attraction towards Adrian, a small voice at the back of my head states.

That thought alone is enough to make me let out a feral growl, because Adrian is only mine. He's always mine. He's mine to keep and mine to bed and mine to... what?

Deep down, I know that Dantalion cares for Hadraniel, or Adrian.

"Thank you," I whisper to Dantalion, whose back is rested on the wall while he studies his long deathly fingernails beside me. He whips his head to face me, and there's a mischievous glint in his eyes that I can comprehend. Ever since I became a demon, I didn't use courtesy words anymore. To a demon, or to anyone. Only to Adrian, and now, Dantalion. "I know that I shouldn't be saying that, especially here in Hell, but, as much as I want to twist your neck and torture you for eternity and hate you, but I feel like I have to. I just... I just... can't keep him off my head, you know. And it feels like you are the only one who can understand me. I don't know your motives, or if there's any motive behind it, but... thank you. For keeping him safe. For not telling them about him. Any demon would have reported it already if they have found out, but you didn't. You had a lot of chances, and you still have, but you don't take those chances to do what you should do."

For a moment he doesn't speak, his gaze slides past me to a distance, his lips in a purse. "I'm not a demon asshole you always imagine me to be, or you always imagine me to be, because I really understand your situation." He states, his eyes now boring into mine. "I know when to mind my business and when to interfere. All I want is... for you to make sure that he is safe. Don't make the same mistake that I did."

I stare at him, tilting my head to the side in confusion. His expression grows hard, his hands clenching and unclenching on his sides. "What... mistake did you commit?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" he says randomly, his hard gaze trained on me. I nod. "You haven't probably heard of this, but a long time ago, I was in the same position as you are right now. I was keeping an angel, and that was in London. As the time went by, the longer I stayed with him, the more I realized that... I was... I was falling hard. It was an unusual feeling for a demon, it still is, but I felt that towards him. I was mean to him, was hard on him, just the way a demon would do when he has an angel imprisoned." He shuts his eyes, as if just reimagining the images, or the angel he had imprisoned before, hurts him. He opens his eyes, and there's a hatred burning in his eyes. "But never once he got mad at me; he never threw hurtful words, and when I asked him if he had a chance to kill me, he said he wouldn't. He didn't tell me the reason why he wouldn't kill me if an opportunity occurred. His eyes. I remember his eyes. His eyes always spoke the truth, and... I loved those eyes of his. After that talk, I... I treated him like an angel should be treated – with care and... I was falling for him, and I couldn't stop it. It scared me. Demons don't get scared, but I did get scared. For some unknown reason, he found out. And he was killed in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about it. Did you know his last words before he got killed?" I wait for him to continue. "He said everyone has a chance to change, even a demon. Even a demon like Maki. Even a demon like Dantalion. And I was smart enough to figure out that it's the answer to my question, that he loved me. You want to know the truth why I was following Adrian? It's because he reminds me of him. And it feels like it's my duty to protect him like I should have protected my angel. But I know... I know that you're there to protect him now, and you'll be better at protecting him than I do. You're better than I am, Forneus. Only three demons know that story. You, me, and one of the fucking Prince of Hell."

After telling me his secret, which is no longer a secret to me, he whirls around, taking a huge step but then he stops suddenly. "I have stopped following him, but that doesn't mean that I'll stop protecting him." Then he leaves me behind. I can hear the click of his footsteps as he walks away.

Now I know the reason why he always follows my angel – somehow, Dantalion sees his angel, the one he should have protected, the one that he loved, in Adrian.

I don't know whether to be threatened or offended by that; I know that Adrian is unique, and there are no others like him. Threatened, well this is the time that I should say I'm in fear. Fear of Adrian not being mine.

At the same time, I feel like saluting him.

There are a lot of demons who have a title of Great Prince of Hell; I just can't point fingers, but I have a feeling that I already know the culprit is. And if my assumption is correct, once he knows that I'm keeping an angel, then Adrian's life will be in great danger. I will do whatever it takes just to keep Adrian safe. I would rather be tortured eternally here in Hell than to let him suffer.

Another hellish day has passed and I'm still here in Hell. The meeting is already done yet we're still required to stay. I wanted to be out of this place last night, the moment the seventh meeting was done, but I figured that it would draw attention if I left immediately. Demons know me. They know me like they know their victims and one unusual move will make me their center of attention. Which I clearly don't want to happen. If they suspect even a little, those goddamn demons will do more than an investigation.

When I woke up this morning (isn't it funny to think that in Hell, there's morning and night?), a demon has prepared a meal for us – it's nothing extravagant, really. The screams of the tortured soul were echoing, and they were the music to their ears. I was moody. I'm longing for Adrian's attention, and knowing that I can't obtain that while I'm in this goddamn place is taking a toll on me.

After the breakfast, I made sure to get out just to calm myself down. The Princes of Hell haven't made a signal that we can get out of this place now. Now here I am, standing on a cliff. Beneath me is the river of lava, where countless of mortal souls are being tortured, being drown; they scream agony and pain as they are being carried away, demons staring at them with amusement in their eyes.

I let my head wander, and it immediately thinks of Adrian. Adrian is embedded inside my head, and I doubt that I have the will to let it go. To not think of him.

Everyone is being called again by the Great Princes of Hell. Though I have this strong urge to stay here and just ignore them, I can't. Again, any unusual action will draw attention. So I better go. Once I reach the place, everyone is already gathered. We're looking directly at the Princes of Hell. They tell us that it's alarming to see and know that angels don't make actions like they always do. Perhaps they are already planning for another great war between Heaven and Hell. And we must be prepared. Then, finally, the moment comes when they tell us that we can now leave. I feel happiness surges through my veins.

"Be fast," Dantalion says to me as he eyes me, a small smile planting his lips though I can tell it's fake. "He needs you. Last time I checked, he's sick. And that's just hours ago." He jerks his chin towards the direction of the hallway that leads outside.

My Adrian is sick and needs aid now. I turn around. "How'd you know?"

"I always do my things, you know," he says, throwing me a smirk. "Go on. He needs you. I'll make sure they don't suspect anything as to why you're eager to get out of here."

Then I run fast, letting my wings spread wide open, jumping as high as I can; I let the wings carry me towards the blood sky. As I fly, my heart beats erratically. I'm excited to see my Adrian again yet I also feel scared to know that he's sick. Damn it.

"Just wait for me, Adrian," I whisper to myself, soaring high into the sky. "I'm coming back."

Hello, guys! I'm sorry if I wasn't able to update much. I have been so busy these fast few days and works were needed to get done as soon as possible. Also, I just celebrated my 21st birthday yesterday so, yay, I'm an adult now! Hahaha. What do you think about the story of Dantalion? About Adrian being sick? As usual, the first one to comment will have this chapter be dedicated for him/her!

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