The Demon and I | MELIODAS X READER/OC | PART 1 OF HE AND I SERIES

3

The Festival had been going on full blast for a few hours. There was music, dancing, laughter, good food, and not a care in the world among them. It didn't even seem like they were in the middle of a war.

You kept to the outskirts, never being one for things like this, but Ilayda had pulled you in for a few dances here and there before she had flown off, spending a little bit of time with her brother and sister. The Four Archangels were always near each other, currently chatting with Nerobasta and Jalamet, who had already scolded you for sneaking off. Jalamet was a complicated friend. It was very obvious that she was head over heals for Mael.

If you were being honest with yourself, you knew that you would have already snuck away, but you wanted to hear Ludociel's plan for bringing the war to a close. You remembered Ludociel mentioning that you were a part of his plan, and you hadn't agreed to or known any of this plan yet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fairies, giants and my fellow goddesses. Members of the Clans. Tonight is a celebration, as I have figured out a way to get the demons to surrender, and this dreadful war to end," Ludociel began. "We have been fighting for so long now. But do not fret, the end is in sight. And it is all thanks to the daughter of the Supreme Deity, who is the key to this plan."

Most looked or glance towards you, and you ducked your head down, not liking the attention.

"In the coming weeks, the Four Archangels will work to strike major blows to the demon's elite squad, commonly known as the Ten Commandments. Mael, Sariel, Tarmiel, and I shall lure the demons in, and then finally, our Lady Y/n will use her power and bring this war to an end."

Your power that he spoke of was one to influence people. You hated it, believing it to be deceitful, and you did not wish to live a lie. This plan that Ludociel had just announced, everyone would be living a lie. And for you, it would be torture as you would have to keep the magic going. It would require a recast at least once per year, maybe more. This was no plan, it was a mere temporary fix.

And everything was riding on your shoulders.
~~~~~
It had been about an hour since Ludociel's announcement. The archangel had retired for the night, Nerobasta following, along with some fairies and a few other goddesses. Mael was in a conversation with Jalamet, the latter having a certain light to her eyes. Ilayda was with her brother and sister now, the three joined by Drole of the giants and the remaining Archangels.

And you, you were once again alone on the outskirts, no one really paying attention to you. And so, after carefully looking to see if anyone would catch you, you slipped away, easily making your way through the forest until you deemed it safe enough to take to the skies. The air whispered in your ears, crisp and cool on your skin. The light of the moon was especially bright, it's fullness gracing the skies, bathing the world in a soft glow. You were airborne for a long time, just you riding the breeze. It wasn't until you came across a human town that you dropped to the ground, landing at the edge. You pushed your magic away, your eyes fading to their natural e/c, and your wings disappearing, a strong glamour set upon them so even the strongest goddess and the strongest demon wouldn't sense them.

Even for a late night, the town was alive. You came across a market, torches and hanging lanterns making the street much easier to see. People selling their goods had smiles as the advertised their products, some even handing out free samples. You had always found the monetary system of the humans interesting, seeing as none of the other clans used money. You came across a booth that was selling apples and the owner had given you a warm smile before handing you a green apple, it's color reminding you of that demon from earlier. The apple was delicious, not sour, but not too sweet either. It was crisp, it was perfectly ripe, and if you had any and knew what meant what money wise, you might have bought his whole inventory of green apples.

"You just can't get away from me, can't you?" A voice, one you recognized, called out from your left. You turned and there he stood, slightly shorter than you, his messy blonde hair looking as though it was finger brushed, green eyes with a smirk on his face. The demon from earlier who had taken over your thoughts for much of the night.

You felt your body tense, before it relaxed ever so slightly when you saw his smirk falter, as if he notice you tense up. "I'm not following you."

"Oh, really?" He took a glance around before turning back to you. "I don't see anyone else I know."

"Why are you at a human market, let alone a human town?" You gestured around you, glad none of the people surrounding you were paying attention. He had his hands in the pockets of his pants, a white shirt left unbuttoned, loose and giving no indication of the muscles underneath. It was an outfit different than what he had on earlier, and you assumed it was to blend in.

"I was curious." The demon shrugged his shoulders, and you couldn't tell if he was lying or not. He picked up two apples, handing over a few coins with a smile to the seller. He tossed one over to you. "You like them, don't you?"

You caught the apple, your eyes lingering on him for a second before you took a moment to inspect the apple. It was another perfectly grown piece of fruit, and you already knew it would taste delicious. "Green apples are my favorite." You found yourself telling him before you even realized.

"Really? I would have pegged you for a strawberry kind of woman." He smirked, taking a bite out of his apple.

"Strawberries are a close second, but nothing can top green apples." You frowned after you said this, your logical side telling you to get away, but some part of her, a part she kept locked deep down inside her, wanted to spend more time with the demon she didn't know the name of.

"I like oranges, but apples are good." He paused, and it looked like he was deep in thought for a second before he spoke again. "Say, want to just forget that we're enemies for the night? Enjoy the market, eat some apples, observe the humans?"

The question caught you off guard. "What?"

"I said, want to forget that you're you and I'm me and enjoy the market."

You blinked. He was asking to spend time with you. And, yet again, your logical side was screaming at you, pleading to leave, but that other part, the one locked deep inside, whispered for you. "Yes."

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