Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

"Of course!" He squeaked, despite his nervous glance away. The town was small, so for someone to see him holding hands and sharing a quick kiss would be disastrous, and that's not including the fact that he was a priest. He lived in some small town in Georgia, after all, so the hate would be multiplied. If it meant he would have Azaiah, he couldn't just stand back.
 
Of course he knew the promises probably wouldn't be held. It was too much to ask for, and he realised it compromised everything Ivan had worked for, but he at least wanted to see if he was willing to agree. He wouldn't make him act on it, he wasn't like Makai, who would have forced him into keeping the promise. Instead, the demon was more than happy with seeing Ivan agree, and sure, he may be burning bridges with Makai's mother, but it was worth it if he and Ivan continued to have a relationship, right? Having Laura around would... interrupt things, but he could hardly voice his frustrations after everything she was going through.

"That's... it's fine, of course I'm staying with you. Does your sister need help packing at all? I mean, any reason to escape seeing Makai's father dead on the floor," he mumbled urgently, making a brief gesture to the marble staircase. "...And hey, maybe we can drive Makai's car home? I'm sure he won't need it now he's going back, huh? I think, after the shit he's done to us, we deserve a little something from him."​
 
Makai's mother tried to keep her expressions to a minimum, to seem more hardened and better to rule, but not even she could keep her jaw from dropping a tad. She cleared her throat to hide it, though, and offered a thin-lipped smile.

"I, hm... well, I didn't expect this. I expected more of this from my son than you, actually. You're usually not this stupid, or emotion driven. Has being on the surface world messed with both of your heads?"
 
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"...You know I love you, ma'am. I'd never intentionally hurt you, unless I had a reason, and I... I think I have a darn good reason. I love Ivan, and we've been real happy, and--"

"And he's really not worth your time, Mother. They deserve one another. Azaiah's a coward, and Ivan's-- he's a priest. What more is there to say on that?" Answered Makai as he shifted from foot to foot, peeking towards the staircase for a glimpse of Laura. He wasn't really prepared to leave until she herself left the house, in case she changed her mind and decided to stay. It was a long shot, purely wishful thinking, but it wasn't impossible.

When Laura eventually reappeared, in comfortable trainers and not her Louis Vuitton heels, she dumped her packed bags in Azaiah's offered arms and, avoiding even looking at the bloody body, stepped over it to retrieve her faux fur coat. "...The twins are upstairs, I... I think it's best you take them with you, Makai. They're not really... I'm not... you've bonded with them far more than I have, I think it's best for everyone if they go with you-- can we go now, Ivan? I could do with a good beer or two-- or vodka. Vodka sounds nice."​
 
"I'm, well... Sure. You can have as much vodka as you like." Ivan answered quietly, his own eyes avoiding the body and instead locked on Azaiah. The whole situation was preposterous, obviously, and the only real solid person was Azaiah. Hell, at least he was willing to stay a whole year with him, unlike his own sister. His eyes didn't look away until hearing Makai's mother's tongue click in disapproval.

"Well, Makai, it seems you've made quite a mess. See, I told you that you should have stayed with your father and me. You wanted to dabble in humans, though, then my best servant is with a priest? I can imagine that everyone will be so confused." She murmured, while casually waving Ivan off with a grimace.
 
"Don't be so absurd, Mother. I came to escape Dad. I didn't come solely to fuck around with some humans, though I'll admit it was a major reason I stayed. Ivan will tell you. I fucked his town up pretty badly, didn't I, Ivan? I enjoyed it, too. Don't think I've had that much fun in decades," answered the demon as he returned from upstairs clutching both his sons in his arms. He didn't want them to stay with Laura, but he had expected some fight from her. For her to just give them up like they had meant nothing was... unsettling, actually. But he didn't protest. Protesting might make her change her mind, and despite being called many things, nobody could say he was a bad father. His children were the only things in his life that could make Makai seem... like a normal, loving man.

Observing her children in his arms, Laura did pause, very briefly, before shrugging it off and turning to her brother expectantly. "I just want to go. I... I need some f-fucking McDonald's, some alcohol and twelve hours' worth of sleep."​
 
At this point, even Ivan was a little shocked to see how dismissive Laura was over the children. If - in some weird alternative world- he had a kid, he would have happily stepped up and at least look after one of them. To see this, instead? It was pretty heartbreaking. So, cautiously, the priest went to approach the children curiously.

"I know that you may not like me, Makai, but these are technically my family. Can... Can I hold them?" He asked lightly, while offering his arms. "I've always wanted a child of my own, but that won't be happening anytime. Look, I know you think I'm responsible for all of this, but I have no problem looking out for them? I mean, you've made it very clear that you would prefer to shove my face into boiling lava..."
 
Pursing his lips the instant Laura darted outside to the car, unable to leave fast enough, Makai's mood was hardly the brightest, so when Ivan approached, his scowl became a hell of a lot more venomous. Making sure to shield both his sons from Ivan, he took a deliberate step back and shrugged.

"My father was family and I just poisoned him, Ivan. Laura's your family, and she's abandoned you for a year. Of course, that's apparently my fault. It's all my fault. I'm a horrendous, vile man who mistreated your sister, according to you. You made her leave me, or at least had a hand in changing her mind against me. Why the fuck would I even let you see my sons' faces?" He questioned calmly, handing both babies to his mother without waiting to seek her approval. He knew that if she held them, Ivan wasn't going to get a look in. He was hardly going to approach the woman, after all. "I suggest you just run on after my sister before I get any madder, hm?"​
 
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"FIne," came Ivan's curt response, his short moment of sincere concern vanishing almost instantaneously. Dropping his arms to the side, the priest gave a final glance back towards Makai, with his cross necklace pressed tight in his hands.

"I hope you know that I'm not a device in your plan to seek revenge, Makai, especially not over some insignificant human. You've been alive for hundreds of years, do you honestly think that this girl was 'the one'?" Asked the looming demon, as she affectionately held the twins. "You have my genes, you could get any human you wanted."
 
"I know I could, Mother, but I loved her-- not that you understand love. You didn't love Father; he didn't love you. I don't expect you to understand what I have with Laura-- what I thought I had. Besides, why am I getting the brunt of your anger? Didn't my sister have a sexual relationship with our gardener before I left? Surely that's more demeaning to our reputation than what I've done," he grumbled as he watched the humans and Azaiah troop out into the night. With it disappeared the last of his upset. He was downright heartbroken, but he could switch it off and block it out, which he fully intended to do right now to stop his mother either a) chastising him for his tears, or b) attempting support, which she wasn't too accomplished with.

"...I just want to go home. Maybe I'll strike up a relationship again with one of my exes; one you approved of. I did love Laura, though. It wasn't... a game. I thought we were... going to be together a while, to be honest."​
 
"But, why? What made her so special?" She asked, her confusion genuine as was evident by her perfectly sculpted brow furrowing. "She wasn't very impressive, visually, and she clearly wasn't very nice. I know you seem to want to do the opposite of everything I ask you to do, but you know I can find you a proper woman. I really wouldn't be so heartbroken over her, Makai. I don't understand how you or Azaiah could be attracted to such weak humans."

In her grumbles, she hoisted the babies further up in her arms before glancing down at her dead husband's body. While she prided herself on her elegance, she couldn't help but kick the body curiously.
 
"That's... just rude, Mother. She was beautiful to me, and she was the funniest person to be around. Like I said, you don't understand, so I suppose it's just best to put this down to us agreeing to disagree, okay?" He retorted far more bitterly than he really wanted to be. It had been two years since he really saw his mother last, and he didn't want to start pissing her off when he would be heading home with her. He was a grown man now, but he knew she could make his life difficult if she really wanted to-- and he wanted to avoid any awkward situations. He just wanted everything to go by quickly and smoothly.

"I don't... mean to be rude. Maybe you can find a woman for me, then. I know you'll find someone suitable for me, and that'd at least take my mind off Laura," he finally admitted. He felt like he was just giving in to his mother, but it was better than fighting her. He knew he would just lose. "...Don't kick him," he quickly muttered, grabbing his father's body from the floor to toss up over his shoulder. "Honestly, I don't know why we even have to take him home. Why can't we shove him outside and burn him? I don't think he deserves to be taken home. He's been an asshole. He doesn't deserve an ounce more from us, Mom."​
 
"I would love nothing more than to feed him to the hellhounds, but I'm a queen, Makai. I have followers and, sadly, there were many people who looked up to your father." She reminded, her eyes locking on her husband's empty ones. Scoffing, she cracked her back with a grunt before wandering towards the door.

"We need to at least give him some form of proper burial, Makai. Maybe to a speech about all of 'his achievements'. Come up with some fake sob story and whatnot. It won't be hard, I've been telling lies to our people about this all for centuries."
 
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"I don't think I can stand and force out tears at his funeral, I'll be honest. The bastard used to beat me up, made my childhood hellish. I don't think it's a surprise I ended up killing him, to be honest. I'm actually disappointed in his stupidity to come tonight. Didn't you find it odd that I invited you out of the blue like this? Your life was safe, of course. I'd never hurt you, Mom. Him, though? It's decades too late, really," he sighed, trudging outside with his eyes constantly flickering to his twins. He was at least thankful both the boys were practically asleep, because if they hadn't been and were fussing about, he wasn't too sure how his mother would react-- and it was key he kept her onside. After everything he had done, he did need her to support him.

"...Do you like being a grandma, at least?" He cooed teasingly. "Unless you're already one. I haven't paid much attention to what the others have been up to. My brothers and sisters aren't really people I plan on being around much. Why you had so many children is beyond me. Wasn't I good enough?"
 
"Your father wanted more, what was I supposed to do? You of all people should know how obsessed he was with his 'legacy'. Sadly, it doesn't seem any of your siblings are particularly interested in having children yet." She explained, while glancing at her son with a light nudge to open the portal to their home. After all, she was pretty preoccupied with the two sleeping twins.

"I'm very proud to be a grandmother, Makai. While I'm a bit concerned that they're halflings, it's nice to be able to help take care of such cute babies again. I know you think of me as some heartless monster, like your father, but nothing made me happier than to look after you while your father was off screwing some maid. Do you think they'll have horns, or will they have soft tops like your human friends?" She questioned, while gently readjusting the soft fleece hats that protected them.
 
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"I don't think you're heartless, Mom. You took pretty good care of me. I mean, you always patched me up when Dad lost his temper with me-- Me leaving home was nothing to do with you, alright?" He quietly encouraged, though, despite wanting nothing more than to head home and go straight to his childhood bedroom, he did hesitate for a few seconds. The one reservation he had about taking Laura with him was his mother's apparent rule that she would just be treated like every other poor soul down there: tortured and tormented hourly and daily. Makai would have happily stayed on earth with her-- though her reaction to separate instantly and insult him so vitriolically meant he really didn't need to continue to respect her, did it? And god, he wanted to break a few bones in Ivan's body...

"Mom, I... I need to go get them. Why the fuck are we letting them just drive off? I have no fucking sympathy for Laura left, I hate Ivan, and Azaiah deserves every ounce of punishment he gets for disobeying you and upsetting me, right? When did you ever let him disrespect you int he past? You head back with the twins, okay? I'll... head over to Ivan's place before he even gets back and surprise 'em. I'm... not going to let some pathetic humans and one disrespectful servant get the better of me. Hell, the better of us."
 
"Don't you think this is a bit time consuming? They'll get what they deserve at the end of their life, Makai, and from what I've seen from that girl? She'll probably going to wander into some bar and get beaten up. Please, just... Your father and I have wanted you home for nearly two years now, can't you at least come home for an hour? Your obsession with these three is unhealthy..."
 
"I'd be comfortable knowing they were rotting down in Hell, having red hot pokers shoved in them, I'll be honest. I don't like the thought of them living their lives happily, Mom, how's that fair? I don't care if you hate Laura-- I love her. Loved her, a-anyway-- whatever. I've already fucking said I'm coming home, haven't I?" He responded bitterly, though none of it was directed towards his mother particularly. He was just mad that she was right. Of course she was - she was rarely wrong. She told him that him leaving would end in disaster, and here he was, heartbroken and forcing back tears at the simple thought of Laura hooking up with someone who wasn't him.

"I... I will snap the neck of anyone who dares insult the boys, Mom. They will, of course they will. They're halflings. They'll be teased, and I swear I'll lose my mind if the others make fun," he reminded sternly, while taking one of his sons from her in the arm that wasn't holding his father up. As he did, and placed a gentle kiss upon the little thing's forehead, he strolled cautiously through the portal. He wanted to chase after the others, drag them in after him-- but if his mother said to forget about them, he was willing to take her advice... for once.
 
Meanwhile, Ivan wasn't in any better of an emotional state as Makai. He gripped the steering wheel of his truck tight enough for his knuckles to be nearly blindingly white, and his eyes were locked on the road ahead of him. Within the past hour, he not only experienced a murder, but was threatened by Makai with his life, saw his sister in a way he never saw before, and found out he was an uncle. He didn't find it strange that he wanted complete silence in the car, as he said as calmly as he could once first hopping in.

It wasn't until they were no longer on the outskirts of town that the priest's eyes drifted towards Azaiah's, his thin lips pulling into a frown. The fact that the demon was so willing to just leave him because they weren't openly affectionate was upsetting, to say the least, but he wanted to keep it to himself, until they were alone.
 
While Laura took the opportunity to doze in the backseat -she couldn't breakdown and cry if she was sleeping-, Azaiah had stayed in absolute silence, as directed. His jaw tensed, his teeth ground together, but he obediently remained quiet for the duration of the ride... until the silence became deafening and, to overcome it, he glanced over to his boyfriend to speak.

"We're alright, aren't we? I mean, I... didn't go with them. I stayed with you. I know tonight's been... fucking insane, but you're not mad at me, are you? I... I have just lost the one mother figure I had in my life, Ivan. Not to be selfish, but I'm fucking suffering too."
 
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