The Struggles of Dating a Demon [Completed]

Stormy Thoughts

They were curled up on Mabel's couch later that night when Aleron broke his silence about the events of the day. "Nephele is one of my most trusted advisors in Hell. She and her sisters act as observers and ensure that all is running smoothly when I am away."

Mabel eyed him through her lashes, too lazy to shift her head from where it was perched on his shoulder. "And they're all half-serpent, right?"

Aleron's chest shook lightly with his chuckle. "Yes, Little One, though the correct name for their kind is ala."

"Hmmm," she considered the word, mulling it over in her mind. "Ala. Nice. Do they all bring storms?"

"No. They all have different abilities, though they are all capable of affecting the weather."

Mabel tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You know what I'm really looking forward to?"

Aleron tilted his head slightly, brows furrowed with confusion. "What?"

Grinning wickedly, Mabel replied, "Getting Nephele to give me all the dirty details that you won't tell me about Hell and any of your embarrassing moments."

"I have no such things," Aleron retorted nonchalantly, though Mabel didn't miss the gleam of nervousness in his eyes. She opened her mouth to taunt him further, but he silenced her with a kiss.

***

"You will always stay with Nephele or one of her sisters." Aleron reiterated for the fifth time, eyes boring into Mabel as though he could force her to listen by his stern gaze alone.

It probably would have worked, too, if not for the fact that Mabel knew Aleron would never actually follow up on any threats he made (at least, not with her). "Yes, yes, yes." She said, eyeing him with a sort of fond annoyance. She hadn't been surprised by his insistence, but that didn't mean it wasn't tiring to hear the same speech multiple times in a single hour.

His gaze remained steady, his shoulders tight and his jaw clenched. "Mabel . . ." he began, only to stop when she stepped forward, pulling him down for a sweet kiss.

"Al," she implored with a gentle smile when she pulled away, "I know I've said this before, and I know it hasn't gone well, but I will be okay this time. Really. If Nephele and her sisters are here, I have no doubt that I'll be well-protected. I mean, would you mess with them?"

His stare turned blank. "Of course. I would defeat them all easily."

Mabel couldn't help a laugh. She'd forgotten about his never-ending confidence in his own abilities (so far, he had a right to be confident, though). "Right. But, others? I don't think so. Now, shoo! You need to go save Hell, or whatever it is you're doing."

"That is more or less correct," he conceded, reaching up a hand to tangle his fingers in her hair. "Mabel, I . . ." he cleared his throat, dropping his eyes to the ground. "I care greatly for you, and I will miss you."

"Aleron," Mabel grasped his chin in her own fingers, pulling it toward her until their foreheads were touching, lips only inches apart. "I know; I'll miss you, too. I realize this whole mess might take a while to solve, but everything will be okay, alright? It'll all be okay."

He bent forward further, until his nose was nuzzled in her hair, his shoulders moving with his deep breaths as he inhaled her scent one last time.

"I must leave," he admitted reluctantly after several peaceful minutes, stepping back until they were separated by almost her entire couch. Mabel was glad at the distance; if they'd been any closer, she would have tried to reach out and hold him down.