Devil's Favourite | reader × Jimin

8 - trauma and trust

Heading downstairs was the hardest thing you had done in months; trying to make no sound as you stupidly decided to go into the basement was harder than you thought, and you realised your stairs needed some renovation because they squeaked at every damn step.

Why am I being so foolish? You asked yourself as you finally reached the door to the basement, taking a deep breath of relief because no one had heard you. "Listen" you whispered, talking to the demon, whose name you had to find out sooner or later. You weren't sure how, or if he had the intention of telling you, but you were curious about that. "If I go down there and you're perfectly fine, I swear I'll open the door just to kick your butt."

The devil didn't answer, but instead of making you happy (because maybe he wasn't able to communicate with you anymore), it worried you more than you wanted. He lived to annoy you, it was probably the only entertainment he had while being caged, so, missing out the opportunity of pissing you off didn't seem like him.

You inhaled deeply and switched the lights on in the basement hall, and just then you realised the red lights weren't as cool as they seemed during daytime. The lights switched on two by to, in each side of the corridor, until the end of it, where the devil was staying. Remembering that those supernatural creatures were more powerful at night gave you goosebumps - especially considering that you had no powers to defend yourself from any of them, just in case. "This is so creepy... dang it" you muttered to yourself, gulping as you slowly went down the second staircase of the night.

The demon's cell was closer and closer, and your heart beat faster and faster as you anxiously looked at every single door, almost as if the creatures were going to exit and try to rub you out.

You had no idea what you were going to deal with as you approached that last door, and if you thought talking to him the first time wasn't as bad as you thought, now the atmosphere was so dark and creepy that you would've gotten scared even by your shadow. "Hey... uhm..." you started, stopping a few steps away from his door. "I'm here. Can you... I don't know, say something? So I can check that you're alive, if that's the proper word to describe you?"

"You're..." There he was. He was talking to you, if that could be considered talking. He was barely making any sound, his voice was hoarse, low, and that forced you to lean in to listen to him better. "You're so fucking naive" he added, but his bearly-audible voice and the fact that he seemed to be in so much pain caused you to stop breathing for a moment. He's hurt.

The most powerful creature down here is hurt.

"What happened to you?" Your eyes widened and you stared at the door in shock, almost as if by staring at it you would've been able to see through it. You placed your palms on the black, metal door, feeling shivers on your skin because of how cold it was. "Demon?" You called him when you received no response, feeling stupid for calling him that. "Are you still there?" You insisted and stepped even closer to the door, trying to hear the sound of him breathing. At least it meant he was still alive.

"Go away, I..." it sounded as if talking was ripping his throat apart, almost as whatever he had done to Xander a few days earlier. "I'm not in the mood to deal with a stupid human."

You clenched your jaw, trying not to feel too offended by that. "Is there anything I can do for you? You are clearly in pain."

The devil scoffed, as if that was the most stupid thing he had ever heard. And probably it was. What sane human would have ever decided to help a demon?

Apparently, your compassion was bigger than you had ever realised.

"I know you're a demon, okay? But unlike you I've been taught to help people when they're in pain, and you're clearly not doing well. So, I want to help you."