In Smiles Secrets Lay

Chapter 10

A couple of weeks had passed since Zalgo claimed Pup. Slenderman had been flipping through their contract, trying to find anything to prove that Pup belonged to them. Eventually, Slenderman found what he was looking for, walking quickly to Jeff's room, nearly blowing the door off its hinges. Jeff jumped and sat up quickly, snagging his knife off the bedside table.

"We're headed to Zalgo's. I found a loophole."

Jeff sprung out of his bed and jogged beside him, holding on as Slenderman teleported quickly to the door, the papers clutched in one fist, Jeff's arm in the other. He raises a curled tentacle to knock, but it's interrupted by the mind message that freezes his whole body.

"Come in silently. Pup is sick."

Jeff's hand tightens around his knife as Slenderman opens the door. There, a few meters in front of them, he could see the eldritch being curled up on the couch, Pup laid in his lap and covered with his blanket. His back was heaving up and down as he panted, writhing and wiggling in Zalgo's lap. The deity aims his eyes on the two and blinks lazily, largely unimpressed. He's raking his claws through Pup's overgrown hair, down his back, and over his stomach. Pup whined as his nose twitched. He lifted his head at the familiar scent, narrowing his eyes, though his sight was blurry. He whined and laid his aching head back down, burying his face against his stomach. Jeff was holding back his explosive anger, especially at the sight of the black and red leather collar wrapped loosely around his throat. He stalked closer, growling, but froze and back off as Slender grabbed his arm with a tentacle, Zalgo's arms tensing to get up under Pup. Pup let out a soft growl and tried to sit up, but wobbled and fell back into Zalgo's lap, whining unhappily. He was pale, and a little green, and it seemed that he wasn't very aware of what was going on around him. Zalgo slowly picked him up, keeping him rather level as he moved down a perpendicular hallway and into a room. He set him on a small bed and threw a blanket over him, watching as he curled up and gripped the blanket under his chin. Zalgo quietly closed the door and turned to face the others.

"Why are you here? You're not getting him back and if this is a welfare check, this is not the time."

Slenderman shook his head a little, Zalgo raising his eyebrow as Jeff stared at the room to the side, almost willing the door open. Slenderman held out the contract, a few lines circled and highlighted. Zalgo hummed a little and took the contract reading it over. His face fell a little, but he quickly covered it up and glared up at Slenderman. He sighed and rubbed his temples, glancing back towards the room Pup was sleeping peacefully in.

"You spent all this time looking through our contract for a loophole to get him back?"

Slenderman shrugged, keeping his imitation gaze on Zalgo's face.

"What can I say, Jeff seems to have taken a liking to the boy. I'd rather not create a near genocide over a boy you could easily give up. What's he doing for you anyway?"

Zalgo stared, the mouths that stretched across his body seemed to twitch in anger, grimacing and growling, showing his true emotions behind his stony face. He shrugged rather nonchalantly.

"Keeping me company, I suppose."

Slenderman cocked his head and watched for a moment, seeming to study the eldritch being in front of him. Zalgo's skin crawled under his scrutiny, eyes narrowing. He pushed off the wall rather abruptly, snarling and running his hands rather angrily.

"You know what? Fine. You both leave and I'll bring him to your doorstep when he's not sick anymore. Get out."

His voice was low with venom and anger, the air growing thick with tension. Deadly tension that held a very dangerous threat. Slenderman grabbed Jeff's arm and turned him around, shoving hard so he stumbled towards the door. Jeff got the message as he raised his hands, rolling his eyes, and walking backward through the door. Slenderman turned back to Zalgo as the skin on his forehead bunched, raising an eyebrow. He crossed his arms and watched him.

"Alright, what's with the stick up your ass?"