“That feeling does not make you cruel.”
Something about the certainty in her voice almost hurt. Because maybe part of me still felt guilty for adapting here so quickly. For loving this place. For loving him.
Nina muttered softly from across the lounge, “Yeah well. Try explaining to human parents that you accidentally fell into Hell and absolutely adopted royalty.”
The younger brother actually snorted, laughing quietly. Then the father finally closed the palace report in his hands and spoke for the first time in several minutes.
“Then explain it properly.”
We all turned to him. The older demon leaned back calmly in his chair before adding:
“If our sons intend to keep you forever, they should earn permission correctly.”
A terrible silence settled across the lounge.The silver fire crackled softly nearby while Nina blinked in disbelief from across the couch.
“…You’re telling demon princes to ask human parents for permission.”
“Obviously,” the father answered calmly.
“That is the most unexpectedly respectful thing anyone in Hell has ever said to me.”
Meanwhile, beside me, my demon had gone completely silent. I turned towards him and regretted it because the expression on his face had changed again. The teasing was gone along with the smugness and the possessive amusement. He looked completely serious now, and that unsettled me more than anything else tonight.
Like hearing us talk about Earth and family and guilt had finally made something real settle into him completely. The younger brother stiffened as well, though concern eclipsed everything else almost immediately.
Nina was terrified. “Oh no. They’re thinking.”
“That’s never good,” I agreed quietly.
His mother seemed deeply unimpressed with both princes. “You two became attached to humans before considering their families?”
Neither brother answered.
The father sighed softly into his drink. “Embarrassing behavior for demons.”
“We were slightly occupied,” my demon muttered.
“With what,” his mother asked sweetly. “The catastrophic yearning?”
Nina lost control laughing. Meanwhile I was still staring at my demon because he hadn’t looked away from me once since the conversation about Earth started.
And very suddenly, the reality of everything hit differently. Because until now it had all felt: chaotic, romantic, overwhelming.
But now? There were parents. Families. Lives outside Hell. A future. The realization settled heavily into the room before the younger brother sat upright beside Nina.
“…Wait.”
Everybody fell silent and turned toward him. He held his brother's gaze for a beat before saying the most dangerous possible sentence: “We should go to Earth.”
Then;
“No,” Anderson answered from somewhere near the doorway despite nobody noticing him enter.
The father ignored Anderson completely. “Correct answer.”
His mother smiled into her tea afterward.
“Oh this will be entertaining.”
