The priest watched as the demons face shifted, and he instantly felt guilty.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. You don't-"
"It's fine" Val interrupted.
The demon truthfully didn't seem all that bothered. He certainly wasn't happy, but he didn't seem as upset as he did the last time Theo had asked.
"You told me how you got your scars, it's only fair if I explain mine" Val sighed.
The demon crossed his arms stiffly and swayed back and forth before beginning.
"There isn't really much of a story behind it. My parents were just assholes and instead of hitting me when I misbehaved like normal people they would whip me... with a literal whip. Not a very exciting explanation" he pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke, bitterness clear in his tone.
"They used a whip on you?" Theo gasped quietly.
Val seemed to roll his eyes, but kept his composure.
"I'm not going to defend it, cause they were really shitty, but in Hell hitting kids is pretty normal. Like if you get in trouble and you're hit it's no big deal. Whipping a kid isn't considered as bad in Hell as it is on Earth" the demon sighed.
Theo nodded, but he was still in shock. He understood was Val was saying, though the thought of his back looking that bad because that was his parents way of punishing him was absurd.
He stood there for longer than he meant to, getting lost in thought. The image of Val's mangled back stuck in his head.
"Wipe that look off you face" Val almost teased, seeming in a slightly lighter mood after such a short amount of time. "It was when I was young, I haven't even seen them in years. It's no big deal" Val reassured.
Theo was painfully aware that he should be the one comforting Val, not the other way around. And yet and still stood in front of the demon, looking up at him like a sad puppy.
"It's still horrible that your parents would do that to you" the priest replied, feeling a little bad about taking about his own parents to someone who's parents were much worse.
Val scoffed with a slight smile on his face.
"You're telling me? Believe me, I think they're plenty shitty. I've just stopped being all that bothered about it"
Theo honestly admired the way Val looked at the situation. For him to be able to live knowing he had bad parents and be contempt with that is impressive.
That being said, Theo couldn't really put himself in Val's shoes. Theo's parents did their best to steer him back to the Lord, and Theo had no right to complain.
That's what he believed, at least.
When Theo snapped out of his thoughts and refocused on the demon before him his eyes glued to the bandage planted on Val's cheek.
It hadn't been replaced since the previous day and had begun to peel up at the corners. The sight also reminded him of the wound on the demons arm, which no doubt also needed to be re-bandaged.
Almost as if Val was reading Theo's mind, he turned and began to walk out of the room, speaking as he did so.
"Come on, you'll need to bandage my arm again"
In an instant Theo was following behind the demon. He hadn't fully realized it yet, but Theo had grown to enjoy the demon's presence.
As they were grabbing the first aid supplies Theo couldn't help but think about how willing Val was. Before Theo had to practically fight the demon so he would let him patch up his wounds. Now, the demon was the one suggesting it.
The thought made Theo unusually happy, making him fight back a stupid grin. He wasn't sure why, but just knowing Val trusted him made Theo beyond contempt.
"You seem happy" Val spoke as they made their way to the living room, sounding almost skeptical.
"Am I not allowed to be?" The priests small smile grew.
Val shrugged, but his face still presented a curious look.
"Whatever" Theo chuckled. "Sit down"
The demon followed Theo's instructions, sitting on the edge of the couch.
As Val stripped off his shirt to allow the priest access to the wound planted on his shoulder Theo couldn't help but let his eyes travel to Val's back.
After hearing the story of how those scars got there, Theo just wasn't able to look at them without picturing it in his head.
The thought of Val's own parents doing that to him. Especially when he was a kid. The image of a younger Val getting whipped for simply acting as kids do. It all made Theo beyond sympathetic.
Nonetheless, he pulled his eyes away and focused back on the dirty bandage around Vals arm.
His hands were gentle as he reached for the bandage and began undoing it—the thought of hurting Val sickening him.
Val sat wordless through the process, but he didn't seem upset. He definitely seemed in pain, but not upset.
When Theo pulled the last bit of gauze off Val's arm he could help but notice the demon flinch. It was small, so small Theo probably wouldn't have noticed if anything else was going on in the room.
Yet still, it made the priest all the more gentle.
The wound in Val's arm seemed deeper now that there wasn't blood blocking the view. It wasn't anything insane, but any normal person would probably go to the doctor for it rather that patching it up at home.
"This is going to hurt" Theo mumbled, holding the hydrogen peroxide where Val could see it.
The demon groaned, relaxing further into the couch.
"Just get it over with" Val sighed, bringing his opposite hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.
Theo nodded, pushing back all the urges he had to hesitate, and poured a bit of the antiseptic around Val's wound.
Surprisingly enough, Val didn't react. His jaw clenched and he was very obviously uncomfortable, but he didn't do anything else. No grunting or groaning, no flinching or pulling pack in pain.
That being said he didn't react much the first time Theo cleaned the wound, but Theo partially believed that had been because he was so distracted with the demon that had broken into the church.
"Are you okay?" Theo spoke quietly.
He had wiped all around Val's injury and was getting out new gauze to wrap around it. Theo knew this process was necessary so the demon didn't get some kind of infection, but he still felt a bit bad.
"I'm okay" Val clarified softly.
He looked down at the demon and when their eyes locked Theo just couldn't ignore the gentle look in Val's eyes.
It was so different from when they had first met. They had come to trust one another. And as much as he wanted to, Theo couldn't feel bad about how a demon was his friend.
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I was suuuper busy Sunday so I'll be making up for the missed chapter later this week (maybe)
YOU ARE READING
Crossed (BxB)
RomanceA priest at a small church accidentally summons a demon into his home. Now he has problems lining up- from being conflicted with the demon to being told a member of his own church could be just as bad. He goes down a spiraling path of trust and dist...
