deal | jjk

05

"A monster!! Y/n, there's a monster!!"

You scramble out of bed to kneel in front of her. Besides the deep-set want to never see her scared, getting complaints of late-night screaming isn't on your wish list either, to say the least.

Your usually tough little sister is frightened, clinging to your arms and hiding herself in your embrace. Rocking and shushing her, you do your best to comfort her. It breaks your heart when you hear her sniffles and feel how they shake her body. She tries to drag you towards the door by your shirt, but it doesn't do much.

"Shh, baby, he's not a monster. I promise he won't hurt you, okay?" You whisper in her ear. At first, it only makes her hug you harder, but eventually, she starts to calm down. But she's still all sniffles and red eyes.

"It's scary," she whispers back, straightening up a bit to cautiously look over your shoulder at the monster on your bed. He's turned his body around a bit, looking over his own shoulder at the two of you. You figure his lack of movement is to avoid scaring her further.

"Hey, Dahyun, that's a little mean, don't you think?" You warn her playfully. "I'll tell you what... he's an angel."

"Really?" She looks at you with her big, teary eyes, and you smile softly. She's always been fascinated by angels and princesses and the likes.

"Mhm, do you wanna say hi?" You figure she should see for herself that the demon—angel, in her case—isn't actually evil. It would be awful if she started having nightmares. Especially when you won't be around to hold her at night.

"Yeah," she sniffles and wipes her tears on her pajama shirt.

You pick her up and set her down on the bed next to you. The demon turns around further, and you catch him looking... a little nervous, like he's worried. He doesn't strike you as someone who likes children, but you don't plan on letting Dahyun stay up for long. Just a 'hi' to see that he's not a monster and then off to bed.

"Hi," she mumbles, fidgeting with her hands. If you're not mistaken, it looks like she's... blushing. It amuses you thoroughly. Seeing more of the demon than just his wings and scars seems to have swayed her opinion, and you're reminded that Dahyun's young age also contributes to her quick changes in mood.

"Hello," the demon answers politely and offers her his hand. It's a cute, yet strange gesture for someone like him, and your heart swells because it looks like he's actually trying. "What's your name?"

He knows her name already, you told him earlier.

"Dahyun," she says and shakes his hand. Hers is wholly swallowed in the palm of the demon's, and it makes you grin. "What's yours?"

Your eyes widen. He surely didn't think that through. You're searching your brain for something to say, maybe even a fake name to give him, but you're blanking.

"That's a pretty name," he smiles towards her. The compliment causes her to squirm and the blush on her face to deepen. "You can call me JK."

He looks up at your surprised eyes with his soft ones. A hesitant smile graces his lips, and no wonder your little sister seems to have fallen for him already. Perhaps you have, too.

"Okay, Dahyun, time for bed!"

Before you have the chance to usher her to her own room, she stops you with an urgent look. "Wait!"

"What is it? It's very late, you should be sleeping by now."

She motions for you to come closer. It's a recognizable gesture, one that means she wants to whisper something to you. You lean down, and she cups her hand around her mouth that she brings to your ear.

"Can you—can you ask JK if he wants to, uh, marry me?"

Your heart feels like it's too big for your body. You know Dahyun is doing her very best to whisper so quietly that the demon—well, JK, if that's his real name—won't hear, but you're pretty sure he can anyway.

She removes her hand and tugs on your sleeve to really get her point across. You mirror her actions from before to answer her with a whisper of your own.

"I thought you were going to marry a prince?"

Your hand is quickly removed so that she can correct you through another whisper. You watch the demon as you both hear Dahyun's words. JK is looking down, trying to hide the smile that looks almost... flustered?

"I think maybe he is both? If he's not, then it's okay. But can you ask him, please?"

"Ask him yourself," you say when it's your turn again. Dahyun pouts at you, but turns back to the demon, and for a brief second, you think she's going to do it.

"Uh, can I touch your wings?"

You giggle at her blush and how she chickened out. JK looks amused as well but turns back around. "Yeah."

Dahyun goes for it immediately, running her hand back and forth and up and down with the inherent clumsiness of a child. It's like she's lovingly petting a dog, and you let it go on for a moment since the demon doesn't seem to mind it either.

"Okay, enough now, time for bed."

Before you even know what's happening, the little rascal leans forward and places a kiss onto the demon's shoulder before she laughs with glimmering eyes and jumps down from the bed. You watch her figure run out from your room, and you can hear her door close further down the hall.

A giggle erupts from you as you watch JK clearly surprised at what just occurred.

"She gave you a kiss."

"I, uh... yeah," he chuckles. "I've met many humans—too many—but I've never been, uh, proposed to."

"Well, she chickened out last minute, but yeah. You're a real hit with the ladies it seems, Prince-Angel."

"Oh, please. I am neither of those," he rolls his eyes.

You glance at him carefully. Although this was one of the cutest moments you've ever witnessed, your body is heavy with sadness. It hurts all the way through. Every bone, every muscle.

"You are to us. To me."

His eyes meet yours, and for a moment, you get the feeling that he understands. But you know he doesn't, he's a demon who doesn't like humans. He makes deals to collect souls. But you're so, so grateful for him. He's saved your brother, and you could live for an eternity and a half and never be able to repay him. You hope he at least understands that.

Since JK's black shirt lies discarded and destroyed on your bed, you offer him one of Taehyung's. The demon listens to you stutter about how, even though he's bigger than your brother, Taehyung likes oversized shirts, so you're sure some will fit.

You spend a minute in your brother's abandoned room, rummaging through the old drawer that holds Taehyung's shirts, but when you return with a black one gripped in one hand, the demon is gone.

A sigh escapes you. It would be a lie to say that you're not enamored by JK, that he doesn't make your heart speed up. You hold the shirt to your chest. Maybe it's for the best, do you really want to feel the most alive right before your life's going to end?