Josh stood outside the imposing obsidian gates, heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. Meeting Azal's parents wasn't exactly on his bucket list, especially considering one was a fiery elemental of legendary temper and the other a master of soul-chilling shadows. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his borrowed demon-silk robe (courtesy of a reluctant Flicker) and rang the doorbell, a gargoyle-shaped monstrosity that leered at him with glowing red eyes.
The doors swung open, revealing a woman who seemed sculpted from living flame, her eyes burning embers. "Azal's... human?" she boomed, a voice that vibrated the very air.
Josh gulped. "Uh, hello, Mrs. Azal—?"
"Cinders," she corrected, the flames around her dancing higher. "And you must be the... anomaly Azal keeps writing sonnets about."
Before Josh could stammer a response, a figure emerged from the shadows behind Cinders. Tall and cloaked in darkness, Azal's father, Dreadsworn, exuded an aura of chilling power. "So, this is the mortal who's tamed our son," he rumbled, his voice an abyss whispering secrets.
The next few hours were a whirlwind of surreal introductions, fiery interrogations from Cinders (mostly about Azal's "culinary disasters"), and cryptic pronouncements from Dreadsworn that sent shivers down Josh's spine. He navigated the conversation minefield with surprising grace, his humor and genuine affection for Azal disarming even the most intimidating in-laws.
He regaled them with stories of their chaotic life, from demon pancake mishaps to inter-dimensional soccer games (a surprisingly brutal sport), painting a picture of a family unlike any other. Cinders, initially skeptical, found herself warming to Josh's easy smile and his way of making even the most mundane seem like an adventure. Dreadsworn, ever watchful, saw the love and protectiveness Josh harbored for Azal, a quality he'd rarely witnessed in his son's previous... companions.
By the end of the evening, an uneasy truce had been formed. Cinders, though still wary, gifted Josh a necklace forged from dragonfire, a symbol of grudging respect. Dreadsworn, with a curt nod, offered a cryptic warning: "Guard him well, human. He is more precious than you know."
As they left, Azal squeezed Josh's hand, his eyes shining with gratitude. "They… like you," he breathed, disbelief laced with joy.
Josh smiled, a warmth blooming in his chest. "Seems like even demon in-laws can be won over with a good story and a willingness to dodge flying cutlery."
Their journey wasn't over. There would be inter-dimensional school plays (with Flicker's ever-improving, if electrifying, spelling), demon napalm fights that somehow always ended up in their apartment (courtesy of Rumble's newfound "pyrotechnic enthusiasm"), and maybe even another addition to their ever-growing, ever-chaotic family. But for now, Josh basked in the tentative acceptance of his in-laws, a small victory in their extraordinary love story, a testament that even the most unconventional families could find acceptance, even amidst fire and shadow.
And who knows, maybe someday, after navigating inter-dimensional family vacations (imagine a fiery island getaway with Cinders!), demon-etiquette lessons (complete with Dreadsworn's stoic disapproval), and perhaps a family get together, they might just rewrite the rules of family dynamics and prove that love, in all its glorious oddity, could truly conquer all.
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Josh & Azal
FantasyWho knew a 4a.m goggle search would lead to loving a demon lord and becoming a dad of three demon children? certainly not Josh.
