Time Stopped for You

Denial and Acceptance

When I wake up I expect Mephisto to already be gone for the day, but instead he's sitting next to me watching anime still in his pajamas. There was no chance of me sleeping, so in the middle of the night I crept into his room to find him still playing video games. He said he doesn't really sleep that much, he rearranged his bed and let me curl up under his blankets to watch him play. I probably woke up every hour and each time he would ask me if I needed anything or if I was ok.
I guess in my sleep my tail unwrapped from my waist I feel it brushed against my foot when I roll over.
"Shouldn't you be at work or something?" I rub my eyes scooting up until I'm sitting and can lean against the mound of pillows.
"I pushed my important meetings till this afternoon," Mephisto looks away from the tv briefly to smile at me. "Good morning princess."
It's moments seeing him like this that make it almost hard to remember he's a demon king, I mean really? Plush blankets and Japanese cartoons, not anyone's idea of threatening.
"Morning," I risk inching a little closer to him. He takes notice and lifts his arm up for me to crawl under.
"Unusual," he chuckles letting me lay my head on his chest. I feel him twirling a strand of my hair around his fingers as he continues watching his show. It's a nice moment despite the anxiety still crawling through me.
"Did you know this would happen?" I keep my voice low still half hoping it's not real. Unfortunately for me most of my nightmares I know I can't wake up from.
He stops mid twirl of my hair, "I had an idea that it may."
Being that he doesn't give me a straight answer is all the answer I need. A flare of anger shoots through me, but what would it change? Nothing. He resumes twirling my hair when I don't move, "would you have rather had me tell you when I knew?"
"I don't have an answer to that," I sigh throwing my arm across him. When did I become so complacent?
"You have not really let me take a look at you," he rests his head atop mine. "However, I have an idea from your eyes."
"I told Shura I'd rather die yesterday," the silence that follows is enough to shatter the world. He drops his hand from my hair to my back.
"And now?" The question carries a lot of weight, the way he says it leaves me wondering if he wanted to ask at all.
"And now?" I say it again thinking about my birth parents dying. Can I live up to their legacy or is it a dream with no merit? I think about my mom now, my mom who took me in despite it all and raised me to be a proud exorcist not haunted by my tarnished past. I have to talk to her, to see if she'll still accept me like this. But what if she doesn't?
"I think it's going to be a day by day kind of thing," I smile to myself a little bit, I mean I'm Harlow, Harlow Trenston and nothing can take that away from me even this. Shura's words echo in my head, she too has had to face some type of horror and look at what she's become.
Mephisto kisses the top of my head, "a few days from a lifetime is better than no life at all."
"Whatever that means," I sigh enjoying a few more moments of relaxing. "Is there a way that perhaps you can be with me when my mom and friends find out?"
"If that's what you wish darling," he chuckles going back to twirling my hair. "You will protect me from that boy of yours though I hope."
"Depends how nice I'm feeling," I laugh a little bit, but there is some truth in what he said. Rex is either going to be livid or never speak to me again.
"Well princess it's almost noon, unfortunately I have to attend my meetings," he stands up stretching his arms above his head before poofing into his usual garb.
"If only I could get ready like that," I laugh scooting out of bed myself, by the time I stand up Mephisto is standing in front of me.
He peers at my tail with a snicker before pushing my hair back to look at my ears. I let my tail droop, I'm starting to get the hang of controlling it.
"My my," he steps back and I grin at him so he can see my fangs. "I think it suits you just fine."
"You would," I stick my tongue out at him and he smirks in response.
"The green especially," he points at his own eyes before starting towards the door. "I do expect you to be waiting for me tonight?"
"Better not keep me waiting too long ," I snort following him into the hallway.
"Keep a low profile if you do venture out, if Lucifer's people find out about this they'll want you back," he brushes my cheek with his hand. "I would prefer to not lose my princess a second time."
"Yeah yeah, go to your meetings already," I shove him playfully towards the door. I definitely don't plan on going anywhere alone anytime soon, just around campus where it's safe. He told me I can ask Belial to give me a ride there if I want.
He waves at me again before taking his leave out the door, I head back to my own room and grab my phone off my nightstand.
Besides my normal notifications a message from Rex catches my attention:
Hey sugar,
I was hoping we could talk? They got me swamped in work, but I got a couple hours. I was gonna swing by the dorms... hope you don't hate me.
"Fuuuuuck," I groan weighing my options. It might be best I tell him myself anyway then I don't have to worry about Mephisto getting punched or shot or whatever else. I feel my tail thrashing about behind me, no way can we talk in the dorms he'll know I don't live there anymore.
I text Rex to meet by the fountain at school, afterwards I text Mephisto to let him know I'm going to campus. I make a point to at least put on jeans and a clean shirt since I'll be in public. I wander through the house until I find Belial and ask him politely to give me ride.
He nods smiling at me, he leads outside to a pink limo. He holds the door for me and we are on way in minutes.
I remember to wrap my tail around my waist halfway there, in time I'm sure it'll become habit. When I get out of the limo I make a point to tell Belial thanks, I'm not sure Mephisto does that very often. He nods and hands me the house phone number so I call him to come get me. Heading into campus I see Rin and his friends carrying on as they walk to class. That pink haired kid stops walking and stares at me for a moment, chills shoot up my spine. He shakes his head and runs to catch up with the group, so I wasn't imaging it....
I have to tell Mephisto later.... But maybe the kid is doing it for the exorcists. I might have to get more info somehow. I see Rex sitting on the edge of the fountain tapping his foot looking around.
"Hey..." I wave walking up to him. He's wearing his casual work gear, I'm surprised they let it slide here. Blue jeans, combats boots and his exorcist jacket.
He smiles, but it fades when I get closer to him, "sorry I um... sorry I bailed... I just well, just didn't wanna believe it."
"Believe what?" He hasn't really looked at me, and I'm honestly thankful. I sit next to him on the fountains edge making sure my tail is tight around me.
"Any of it I guess," he clasps his hands together still looking at the ground. "You getting sent here and getting kidnapped and then I find out that clown has the hots for you."
"He really has the hots for any girl," I laugh thinking of his anime figures.
"So what did he say that stuff as a joke?" He finally looks in my direction, I keep my eyes focused ahead.
"Well no, he did ask me out." I kick at the ground frowning, "I guess technically he asked me out twice actually."
Our little anime session plays back in my mind, I did not realize I spent that much time with Mephisto even if I didn't care for him. He was pretty easy to bug since day one.
"And nothing about him bothers you," he snorts switching which leg he's bouncing.
"I don't really think that's the point," I sigh crossing my arms, I finally bring myself to look at him.
"By the way your mom said you were sick, ya don't sound it," his eyes wander to mine, he frowns and his leg stops bouncing.
"Oh fuck Harlow," he scoots a few feet away from me, he scratches his neck nervously.
"Did she tell you about my blood work?" Judging from this new mood, probably not.
"Um... well not exactly no..." He pretends to laugh, yet I see his eyes flit over me, "She mentioned that something was uh... not right."
"Yeah... this was it," I nod looking back at the ground.
"I mean... is that um.. permanent or?" He motions over me.
I shrug off his nervousness, "well yeah, just dunno to what extent."
"So t-that can get worse?"
Worse? What is this some type of cold?  I frown to myself, I don't actually know if this will get worse. What would worse even be?
"I'm still me clearly..." I reach over and shove his shoulder, "it's not like I'm gonna rip you to shreds."
"Right..." he drops his hands back to his lap, "do you get to keep your job...?"
"I dunno," I let out a heavy sigh. There's so many things that I don't know. "Mephisto is trying to talk the Vatican into letting me do something once this is settled."
"Settled?"
"Yeah I'm training... harnessing my new "abilities" as they say," I laugh at how weird it sounds out loud.
"Did you tell your mom... or Cara yet?" He finally is starting to relax just a little.
"No..." I mutter and kick the ground with my sneaker. "I'm scared."
"Why'd you tell me then?" He leans back and almost looses his balance, he grins it off holding the edge of the fountain.
"Well if I didn't answer you might not talk to me again soooo," I risk glancing at him.
"Yeah...." He scoots a little closer to me, "sorry I was a jerk."
"It's good, just don't turn into a stranger now," I smile a little, I can tell he's focus goes right to my fangs.
"Yeah..." he smiles a little and pulls his phone out, "I gotta go to work."
"Oh ok," I open my arms looking for a hug, he ruffles my hair instead and makes a phone call as he walks away. The denial strikes me, it hurts, but I can try to understand it. I turn to look at the fountain water and flick it with a finger. The waters cold, I notice a bunch of coins sit in the bottom. If I had one I'd flip it in and make a wish, which I don't and I know wishes don't come true.