#henchmanxdevil

─── Boss∼ Wakey, wakey! ─── exclaimed the purple demon as he entered with a cart. ─── I brought you breakfast in bed~ ─── he crooned.

A twitch of the Devil's ears made him smile, but with a lazy yawn and a turn, he settled back to sleep.

Henchman didn't usually allow the Devil to eat in his bed unless he was sick. The reason was as simple as having to clean up the crumbs or, worse, wash the sheets due to some carelessness. However, that didn't stop the Devil from trying his luck from time to time trying to get that privilege out of him.

If he had listened, then why would he decide to ignore such an offer?...

─── Boss, boss, boss... ─── the purple demon began, shaking his head repeatedly. The Devil's ears flattened against his head knowing what was coming next: a scolding.

─── He can't just stay in bed all day doing nothing.

"Yes I can" mumbled the Devil.

─── What was that?

─── Yes I can! ─── the demon king replied before slipping between his sheets, Henchman gasped in horror. A mischievous smile grew on the Devil's face.

Until the sheets were ripped off.

─── Boss, up! ─── The purple demon ordered. The Devil's enraged look collided with his, but that did not intimidate him.

─── Or what?! ─── The Devil challenged smiling.

─── Or this will be war.

─── Oh yeah? The war of whatAHAHAHA!

...And here he was, with the Devil hiccupping and writhing under him.

─── I give up! I give up! ─── he begged him.

─── Really? ─── Henchman's eyes lit up.

─── No. ─── The Devil replied smiling. Henchman didn't have time to register it before his world spun.

Now the tables had turned, the Devil was the one who was lying on top of Secuaz, cornering him.

─── My turn. ─── and with an evil smile, he proceeded to "torture" the purple demon. Now it was Henchman's uproarious laughter that filled the room, tears soon rolling down his chubby cheeks. His plump body was the victim of countless spasms as pleas for mercy poured out again and again from his mouth.

The Devil couldn't deny that he enjoyed that sight.

─── Do you give up? ─── the Devil questioned amused, delight practically dripping from his voice.

─── I give up, I give up! Please boss! ─── Henchman asked between tears and laughter.

─── I like it that way.

The battle ended as planned, with him victorious.

Once sure that the game was over, the purple demon inhaled deeply before sighing in relief. After so much fighting she was short of breath, his chest swelled and distended making his belly sway like the waves of the sea. Soft gasps still left him, tears and spilled beads of sweat finding their way to the floor.

When Henchman lazily opened one of his eyes he found the Devil watching him intently.

He opened his mouth for an instant, then closed it the next, unable to form a coherent thought. The way his boss looked at him made him feel inexplicably exposed, to which his body contracted in an attempt to make himself impossibly smaller. Nervous butterflies fluttered in his stomach, his tail flicked from side to side.

He had never seen his boss like this.

The dark hairy chest was expanding and retracting in what appeared to be deep breaths. On either side of his head the king's serpentine arms stood steady as pillars, lifting him up like a moonless night. A pair of glowing ruby eyes held him pinned right in place, calm as candle fire in the dark.

─── B-boss? ─── Henchman emitted weakly, barely above a mutter. The usual pale face of his now flushed.

The Devil soon woke up from his reverie after hearing it.

The fantasy was broken; the reality of the situation hit him with the force of a freight train, the reality that this purple demon was just his assistant, his right-hand man! and he lay confused by the current compromising situation.

His eyes went wide and his throat went dry, his shattered confidence galvanizing him into action.

Oh craps...

The Devil pushed himself up with his hands to stand up in record time. The speed of the maneuver nearly cost her a fall if not for his trusty trident. But that couldn't matter less.

─── S-enough "dissuasion" for today! ─── he decreed with nervous bitterness in his voice, earning a startled look from the purple demon.

A pang of guilt pricked his heart, but he had no choice. At least that's how he felt. This was the best and only gamble he could think of now to safeguard his pride. With practiced disdain he dusted his fur and held out his hand in a hint of kindness.

Henchman was lost.

A moment ago he had been in the most claustrophobically excited moment of his life with his boss, and now things seemed to have returned to their normality as unexpectedly as a balloon bursts.

The Devil sighed, steeling himself with a small sip of patience. With one deft move he caught the purple demon's arm and hauled it to its feet.

Oh!

─── Heh... Thanks, boss. ─── Henchman added awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck in a nervous reflex.

The Devil's look denoted annoyance and impatience, avoiding him like the plague.

─── Yes, yes, yes whatever. Now, if there's nothing else you have to say. ───The Devil struck the trident from him.

───W-wait, boss! I...

A misty cloud of dust and he was gone.

Henchman's gaze fell, his heart lightening to him dejected at being ripped from the company so abruptly. Words he had wanted to say rolled out of his mouth.

"Where was Henchman?"

That was the question she had been asking herself for more than half an hour, also the time she had been looking for him.

This was not like him.

Henchman always responded to his call, regardless of its relevance, how far away it was or how long it took. His sense of duty and loyalty still surprised him, that's why this twist out of the ordinary worried him a bit.

While he was inspecting one of the tunnels, he came across two imps.

─── You! ─── he exclaimed, pointing to one. The indicated imp froze in fear while the other, noticing that it was the Devil himself, flew away in a hurry.

Once the Devil's shadow loomed over him, the little one came to his senses, establishing a practiced military salute.

─── S-sir! T-how can I help you? ─── asked the imp, sweaty and shaky. The Devil looked annoyed, and every imp who has been in hell long enough knows that he should never cross the path of the aforementioned when he was in a bad mood.

─── Take me to Henchman, NOW ─── he demanded. His dark fur igniting on fire.

─── Y-yes, sir!

And with that, they were off.

They passed through several caverns and tunnels before the destination became clear.

The imp was taking him to the imp canteen.

The place was a somewhat small and distant, the cavern colour of dark amethyst, had been redecorated to look more like a surface bar or diner. They had a stage carved into the rock and covered with ebony wood; on the ceiling, winged imps held searchlights.

The Devil had no idea why the imp was leading him there.

Before he could bellow his bewilderment, a pleasant noise came seemingly out of nowhere.

─── Do you hear that? ─── The Devil asked, earning a strange look from the imp. Frustrated, he took the little being by the arm and dragged him along, using his sense of hearing to lead him towards the source of said music.

Then came the clarity.

Music, not noise.

Music. Jazz...

─── What is that music? ─── he inquired breathlessly, fascinated by the way the melody made his hair stand on end and his insides tingle.

It was a trumpet. A trumpeter.

─── Don't you know? ─── asked the smiling imp, with a hint of amusement in his voice. Confusing him even more.

However, there was no time to take out his anger on this bold imp. The search for Henchman, leaving her forgotten somewhere else.

What kind of musician would be behind this?

He was intrigued, he wagged his tail side to side with excitement, pushing him to run the entire last stretch, forcing the imp to chase him.

If he was sure of anything, it was that he would discover the owner of that sweet melody. It sounded so familiar, so far away, so…comforting.

And, when he arrived, he was surprised at what he found.

There on the stage, accompanied by two other imps playing the piano and cymbals, was the lost purple demon.

There was Henchman... playing that lovely trumpet solo!

The Devil's gaze lit up.

The white light from the searchlight washed over him like moonlight washes over a lake. His eyes were closed in a soft wrinkle from concentration, his eyebrows were slightly curved, in indescribable emotions. Gloved hands seemed to work magic with the ease with which they slid across the buttons. His cheeks inflated and deflated with each new batch of sounds he emitted, blushing at times, making him look even more beautiful if he could.

The Devil's face suddenly goes up in flames.

It was so... beautiful.

The scene was so beautiful, until...

─── Henchman! ─── The little imp called breathlessly, the one who had been accompanying the Devil, finally arriving on the scene. ─── The boss ───gasp─── is looking for you! And... ─── He slumped over.

Henchman's eyes widened at that instant, the many imps that filled the place turned in the direction of the uproar; the peaceful atmosphere of union and camaraderie that he had, broke into a fragmented mixture of terror and surprise.

The deathly silence drew an annoyed expression on the Devil's face.

Henchman looked at a nearby clock, realizing that the time had passed. He had disappointed the Devil. Hastily he relinquished the trumpet to the pianist imp and scrambled down the stage, falling.

The Devil didn't need to look twice to know that the purple demon would follow him from now on.

─── I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry; I'm really sorry, boss! ─── Henchman apologized over and over again, chasing, while trying to match, the hasty pace that his boss was taking.

Since they found themselves, they had done nothing more than wander fasty through to the same circuit of caverns over and over again.

Silence, such flat, indescribable silence, the kind that seemed to bode ill.

Henchman wasn't usually the clueless type with schedules, however tonight he had completely lost track of time. It started with one imp asking him to play a song he liked too, and then another joined the first, even paying him to play another song, and the second was joined by a third and…and…

Who was he kidding?

Henchman covered his face in sorrow.

It had been so long since he had the luxury of playing to an audience, that he had forgotten the beauty of sharing music with the world...

He was selfish. His boss had needed him and hadn't been there for him.

And, now, they were most likely on their way to his place of punishment...

...Meanwhile, the Devil couldn't stop thinking about everything that had happened before.

The way his body reacted to the music was a sign he didn't get to see, to recognize that sprightly trumpet melody once he made it clear it was his duty, and he didn't reciprocate.

How could he allow himself to forget him?

In his defense, it had been too long since he had last heard Henchman play his instrument. So much so that he had almost forgotten that he could do it better than anyone he knew.

─── We arrived. ─── the Devil yelled, with a neutral voice, but dismayed inside.

Henchman opened the door for him to go in first. He often, could read the Devil's thoughts and feelings with just one look. Except this time his analysis turned up nothing, not even a pale idea. Only contributing to the fear keep growing.

─── Close the door. ─── exclamed.

Henchman couldn't do more than force himself to comply and swallow trough is parched throat.

Once sealed again, the room plunged into gloom. His eyes could barely register the silhouette of the Devil, standing in the center of the huge room.

─── Henchman, Henchman, Henchman...

The imp couldn't help but grab his tail and wrap its wings around itself. He didn't like the darkness, the uncertainty; not know. He had already disappointed his boss on previous occasions, he knew it, but since then, he knew that the worst of all was the ignorance of what the punishment would be instead of the punishment itself.

─── Do you know? I hardly remember the last time you let me down. ───he commented, laughing weakly.

Oh craps...

─── Tonight, you managed to refresh my memory.

─── Boss, I told him I'm sor-!

─── Shhh! I won't accept your apology this time. However, ───in the ceiling there was a sound, and then, a searchlight illuminated the Devil.───I'm willing to leave it in the past if you'll grant me anything.

Henchman looked at him confused, making The Devil smile with a hint of evil.

The purple demon approached cautiously.

─── And that... what would it be? ─── he asked.

─── Well, a duet! ─── he exclaimed excitedly.───What else could it be? ─── He feigned innocence, fluttering his eyelashes.

The classic click of the trident echoed through the room; two bright purple clouds gave way to two instruments.

In the hands of the Devil, a violin carved from a dark maple; And his own? a brass trumpet.

Little lights around him showed him the nature of the location.

This was the stage, and not just any stage, it was THE stage of the infernal amphitheater. Place where all the imps were summoned in the name of the culture and, more importantly, where the Devil was the only one allowed to act.

His jaw dropped.

The Devil smiled at him.

─── Did the cat get your tongue? ─── he commented playfully, leaving his position closely followed by the ghostly glow of the searchlight.

─── N-no. ─── The purple demon responded awkwardly, looking nervously at the instrument. ─── I was surprised. It is just that...

─── What surprises you? ─── he arched a thin brow, curious.

"I'm surprised you're not upset"

"I'm surprised you remember it"

"I'm surprised you want another duet"

“I am surprised for...”

───...I'm surprised you want a duet. ───Henchman muttered.

─── Hey! Henchman, since I heard you, I have those notes going around in my mind. ─── him confessed expressively.

─── I don't just want you to play along with me, Henchman. I want ───a snap and a light to bathe it.───to razzel dazzle me.

Henchman felt a chill run down his spine.

─── And?... What do you say? ─── The Devil wagged his tail curiously, looking haughtily at him without blinking.

─── Deal!

And here it was...!

With my throat drier than a desert and my hands drenched in sweat than ever. He could feel the Devil's intense gaze on him, expectant.

He licked his lips and blew.

The first note broke, earning her a blush and an unwanted reaction from the Devil.

He could do it.

He played a short but clean tune.

The Devil smiled and imitated the melody with his violin.

This time he played a more complicated, more daring composition.

The Devil seconded him with precision and agility.

And so he began.

Every time he finished his humble offering to the Devil, his eyes couldn't help but open and look at him. He discovered that he had been missing something in his life.

The image of the Devil playing his violin was burned on fire in his mind and yet, every time he presented himself with the opportunity he couldn't help but drink of that sight anew.

...How could he not do it?

The way his entire body swayed to the violin's song just as trees sway in the wind, with the intensity of waves breaking on a cliff.

His arm was like a monument, like a mighty column of onyx that, atop it, was crowned by the fleeting work of his fingers on the strings. The way he guided the violin bow was as natural as the air that filled and emptied his chest with each breath he took.

He had always thought that violin bows were similar to a sword in appearance. That and, although not all but some violinists, seemed to struggle to play precise notes rather than let the music flow through them.

Now he was seeing something completely different.

He was seeing something delicate, something... majestic.

The beat of a bird's wings languished and the glow of a sunrise paled in comparison of him to what he had seen.

He was worthy of worship.

And his face...

Oh, God, how could he even begin to describe that beautiful face?

His face was like a work of art.

That face, which pitifully often betrayed annoyance and arrogance, was now solemn; placid, as if he were immersed in the deepest and most beautiful of dreams.

There were so many emotions, so many feelings in him. He could tell it, he could feel it on his own skin whether from his position as a musician or a right-hand man: El Diablo had a unique way of playing. She could see it in every line of his lip twitching, in the way his brows furrowed and his thin brows flexed. Micro expressions swarmed under that almost calm face...

It was as if his entire being was compressed at this moment. As if, in each note, his soul told the story of him one more time...

Henchman could barely contain himself.

This new facet of the Devil was sowing so many heartbeats and butterflies in his stomach that it was hard for him to breathe, he felt as if he was going to faint...

Until, finally, the duet ended.

Henchman couldn't help but sigh in relief, taking the opportunity to regain all the air he had lost.

The Devil sighed through his nose. He widened his eyes, embedding the rubies into the purple demon before smiling.

───Not bad, Henchman.

─── the Devil whispered.

───Not bad...

─── Are you serious, boss?! ───The aforementioned he couldn't help but wag his tail and flap his wings in joy.

─── Don't let it go to your head. ─── he warned.

─── Too late! ─── he replied happily before beginning to fly and spin, playing a festive tune on his trumpet.

The Devil couldn't contain a soft laugh at his enthusiasm.

───You still have it… ─── he muttered himself in a confession, making the violin disappear. Regret seeped out instantly, making him cover his mouth as if he had said the sanctify prayer.

Talking about the past was not allowed...

───...You still have it too, boss.

─── Henchman responded timidly, holding out the summoned trumpet.

The Devil was pleasantly surprised once more on the same night. When he turned around, he gave her a warm smile before accepting the instrument and making it disappear as well. Once everything was ready, he took the handle of the door, ready to leave. More, before leaving, he added:

─── I hope to see you tomorrow, Henchman.

The closing door echoed in the huge, acoustic room.

Clusters of evening twilight, elenfantid essence, selflessness, loyalty and much love. That's all it took to make him who he was today.

A living being, a cherub, made solely for one purpose and only for that one purpose.

Being a servant.

Behind every creation there is a purpose, a mission. Every living being knew it and felt it in their essence, they were inclined to meet that destiny. His was to help God, the angels and other cherubs in any way he could. A heavenly worker, a low branch in heaven's hierarchy. He was designed as such, planned as an assistant and his work was limited to that. He shouldn't be able to aspire to more.

And yet "Helper" somehow aspired to more.

From the moment his eyes beheld the great unified temples that made up the house of God, he knew he wanted to go. Carrying packages over and over again bored him, building divine inventions day and night did not satisfy his restless spirit.

He knew he had to make do, that cherubs weren't made to bite off more than they could chew. But he wouldn't, and he didn't.

He worked hard, talked to everyone he met until they became friends with him, met more and impressed them with his disposition. And, once he had the best references in his file, he asked for an encounter with God.

He got it.

Today, he would meet the angel he would work for.

With sweaty hands and fidgeting fingers, he wandered; his bright sky eyes appraised everything and anything around him: the yellowish glow of the sun illuminating the temple columns, the white doves carrying messages, the cherubs flying close to their respective angels...

He couldn't help wondering how it would feel to fly next to his angel, to talk to him, listen to him, advise him. That's what he was destined for, to be the servant of God's firstborn angel. He expected to be up to the job, to make a good first impression on her. Father put so much work into it, it would be a shame he worked so hard for nothing if he messed it up.

But how did you prepare for the unknown?

It didn't take long for this concern to manifest itself, transforming the cheerful smile she wore into a tight line. In an attempt to distract her mind, her gaze wandered around the throne room, searching for something to focus on. Until, up on the only great wall of the temple, she saw the huge paintings of angels. They were each and every one, and below, on small plaques rested their names engraved in gold.

Michael, Gabriel, Zadkiel, Raphael, Camael, Jophiel, Uriel… "Lucifer," she read, running her fingers over the serpentine cursive relief.

A warm smile spread across her face, his gaze drifting up to the canvas to appreciate the graceful angel wielding the silver trident.

"Helper" would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit attracted to him. Since he saw it for the first time, he felt like he was spellbound.

Softness emanated from the sky-colored features, fur, and plumage, making him tingle. He wore a short blue tunic, his wings were tucked in, and a shimmering halo like hers floated above his head, from which a pair of tiny horns protruded. His eyes were what stood out the most in the work. beautiful? No! Beautiful! Hypnotic... Those eyes were like sapphires. Somehow, the paint had managed to give them unusual depth. As if it were a well of water, the cherub leaned closer to the painting, contemplating intrigued the darkness of that gaze. An invisible rope pulled him and tightened, inciting him to look into them; inside.

Something was hiding in the background, something he didn't know how to name...

The cherub had been so lost in thought of him that he hadn't noticed when the huge golden door opened.

The ominous doors groaned loudly, opening him to reveal a being as gigantic as a mountain, in robes as white as sunlit snow. Long silver hair as a mane and beard danced in the air. With each step, the room trembled.

God was here, and he was not alone.

━━━ W-what do you want from me, father?

"My son, you are full of grace" he began, as dramatic as ever. The thousands of deep, booming voices in chorus always moved his insides.

"You see... that with each creation-"

━━━ There is a purpose, a mission. ━━━he completed the angel, his voice listless. He knew the sermon, it was recited to him and his people so many times that he knew it by heart.

God was not amused by his interruption, glaring at him with hidden eyes behind his veil until the angel cringed.

"...A mission that this being, with the life I gave him, must fulfill with his heart." The great creature leaned over the angel, letting the silver curtain of him tickle her face.

━━━I see, father. I see what you say. I will comply with it, I will, no matter how long it takes me. ━━━The angel promised with her eyes avoiding him, hoping that the tedious but disturbing conversation would end soon and without incident.

God stared at him for moments that seemed eternal...

"I'm afraid you don't see it, my son." he announced grimly, drawing himself up again to his full height. The distance brought relief that words soon destroyed.

━━━ Wh-what am I not seeing? ━━━ he inquired, afraid of the possible answer; of possible punishment.

"The path." he replied. "So, I'll give you a tool so you can see it."

The cherub peeked out of his hiding place to sniff around, just at the time when God stepped aside, revealing his companion...

Can not be.

He hadn't realized when it happened, but that was the first time he was so close; the first time her heart pounded even harder until she felt like it would jump out of her chest. Now that she knew it she couldn't relax, no matter how hard she tried with all her might...

God chose him to serve Lucifer...

"My son, I present to you your very own cherub."

Heavens, and right now was his time to shine.

Waving aside the curtain, he emerged with his brightest smile and in a clear voice exclaimed:

━━━Greetings, master! I'm your new-! ━━━but before he could finish, the world spun in barely a second.

Dad's job, the perfect entrance, and any chance of impressing that beautiful angel went down the drain just because his second leg got tangled with his first.

A little roll later, and the cherub was belly to the ground, legs up and with his fluffy tail covering part of his eyes.

This couldn't be happening to him!

A wide grin nearly split the cherub's face in half, a barely audible nervous giggle, and cheeks as red as ripe apples. Even God's austere facade collapsed after a long silence in the form of a huge sigh.

And suddenly, a harmonious melody.

“Lucifer! Stop laughing!” God commanded scornfully.

“Is that a laugh?...”

━━━Sorry, sorry, sorry, father!━━━ tried the young angel while his body bent in a scandalous attack until he fell to his knees on the ground.

“Apologizing has no purpose if you keep doing it!” was reprimanded again. The calm wave of the giant's hair was now more like fire as an indicator of his annoyance.

But that didn't dampen that beautiful laugh.

The cherub was stunned. Just a few moments ago, he felt that he was going to die right there from embarrassment. Now, he felt that the only thing he was alive for was that laugh. It evoked in his heart a feeling of ineffable joy. He didn't know that a laugh had the capacity to be so charming. The way that withered face lit up because of her was magical.

Not even the thunderous, annoying slamming of God closing the doors changed that.

Finally, once it was just the two of them, the angel seemed to calm down a bit.

The cherub watched as his breathing calmed little by little until it disappeared. Two small stars fell from his face and crashed to the ground. Tears. With laughter, the cherub mistakenly assumed...

━━━Hey.

Then those eyes looked at him, lips smiled at him. His face burned.

Right, his mision, right!

The presentation! He had to introduce himself!...

Oh, Holy Mary.

━━━I'm so sorry I fell, master! I do not know what happened to me!━━━ The cherub provided with his hands together and his forehead glued to the ground.

━━━Woah, woah! Take it easy, buddy. There's no need to apologize.━━━said the angel with an understanding voice.

The cherub looked up warily, opening one eye to look.

━━━R-really?

━━━Really. ━━━ he assured him.━━━ And, to tell the truth..., you just made my day.━━━he confessed embarrassed.

━━━Really?!━━━shouted the exalted cherub, echoing throughout the temple.

━━━Shhh!━━━ the angel chirped, looking nervously to both sides. ━━━Father can't hear me but... Yes. Yes, hehe! It's been a long time since he laughed at me like that.━━━the angel admitted, holding nervous his arm.

The cherub smiled honestly at him until the angel managed to give him his sapphire gaze.

Then the cherub's heart quickened.

━━━Hmm... Are you going to get up?━━━teased the angel with a small smile.

His face caught fire at the reminder that he was still on the ground.

━━━O-of course I do, master!

Quick as lightning, the cherub pushed himself upright with his hands.

━━━Hey.

━━━Yes?

━━━Please... don't call me master.━━━asked the angel kindly, looking away.

━━━Why not?━━━The cherub took a chance, wide, curious eyes watching him.

━━━I just... I don't like it. That's it.━━━ lied.

The cherub's brow furrowed, but he accepted the angel's silence for now. Things like that come with time, and as immortal creatures, they had all the time in the universe!

The cherub changed the subject.

━━━D'uhh, so... what would you like me to call you?━━━he asked sheepishly, fidgeting with his fingers.

━━━How about my name; Lucifer?━━━he proposed, half joking and half serious, as he enjoyed.

━━━Oh! Well... I guess that makes sense, heh.━━━the cherub scratched the back of his neck, feeling rather foolish.

He was about to agree until…

━━━Wait! God says it's rude for cherubs to call angels by their names...

━━━Oh... that's right.

Certainly that was a rule, and breaking the rules was not allowed, plus every rule existed for a reason.

But... does it matter?

This tiny ruler is nothing compared to what these few minutes with the cherub have been to him. Much more after all the bad times...

The angel finally made up his mind, smiling with a hint of mischief.

━━━Maybe so, but...━━━he looked both ways to make sure.━━━God isn't here, is he?━━━he offered, covering his mischievous giggle with his hand.

It didn't take long for the cherub to catch up, catching on to the angel and also covering his laughing uproar with both hands.

━━━I-in that case..., I'm glad to serve you and only you, Lucifer!━━━ proclaimed the cherub, happy.

━━━And how do want I tell you? ━━━Lucifer asked cordially.

━━━D'uhh... I-I don't have a name. ━━━confessed the cherub, moving his paw in sorrow.

━━━Create one. ━━━the angel responded.

━━━What? But only God can-

━━━Just do it. ━━━the angel ordered him, preventing him from objecting.━━━I wait for you.━━━he added, softly.

━━━...Helper.

━━━"Helper"?━━━the angel asked, curious.

━━━Yes! Because I help!━━━answered the cherub simply.

The angel smiled.

━━━Nice to meet you, Helper.━━━Lucifer proclaimed, bowing to the cherub as he had only done to his father before.

━━━The pleasure is mine, Lucifer.━━━Helper graciously reciprocated, bowing as well.

The darkness of his unconscious was invaded by sparks of pain.

When he opened his eyes, it didn't take long for them to become watery due to the unbearable light and heat.

He rubbed his eyelids until the tears stopped drawing kaleidoscopes.

It was then that he noticed that he was no longer wearing his bracelets, and not only that, his naturally rosy complexion had been seared a shadowy purple.

Desperately, sight and touch searched his entire body for his old self. Recognition boarded him. His body was no longer what he used to be. This was part of the divine punishment.

He had been corrupted.

The fear of the situation made him surround himself with his arms and wings, but when the latter flexed, excruciating pain invaded them. From the periphery of him, a vestige of his former pink self caught his eye.

They were feathers falling.

Henchman looked at the ground around him.

All those were the feathers of him...

How did he look now without them?...

Henchman forced himself to push that train of thought away and stop looking at the feathers, scrambling to his feet.

If he continued to regret himself he would lose his way, his reason.

Perhaps his mind was doomed to lose itself in the gravity of the situation, however, his body would not rest until he found that only reason he had left.

The one that had brought him here in the first place.

Not far from him, other feathers lay lifeless on the ground. Celestial, like the brightest sky...

Henchman followed the trail through the caverns and tunnels until a sound stopped him.

It was a cry.

Henchman ran towards him.

And he saw it.

A figure dark as midnight, with claws and horns of gold, his tail also ending in an arrowhead. He was kneeling on the ground.

He was the owner of those regrets.

The creature trembled violently as he became aware of his presence. An expression of sheer terror plastered his face.

─── Boss?... ─── Henchman asked hopeful and incredulous.

The creature's rubies seemed to glow in recognition.

─── Henchman?... ─── Then the soft voice of the angel he had known since it all began answered him.

─── Yes... Yes, it's me, boss! You don't know how worried he was! ──── Henchman ran and captured the taller one in a hug as gentle as it was firm. He felt that if he didn't hold it right there it might disappear like an illusion.

He had already lost it once...

He would not lose it again.

Lucifer didn't take long to cling to him.

So much pain had torn him to pieces from the inside out.

His nightmare had come true.

His father had abandoned him for not being who he wanted him to be. For not meeting his expectations and being brave enough to rip off what made him different from the other angels.

And yet, even if this was the worst moment imaginable; the worst in which it could exist..., Henchman was here...

Because like?...

─── What... what are you doing here?...─── murmured the angel, afflicted, shocked. Henchman was perfect, one of God's many truly perfect creations unlike him.

Why? Why would he banish him too? Did the mere fact of having been his servant make her an accessory to his putrefaction? Or was there more cruelty in his father's heart than he had barely witnessed?

As if the little Henchman had read his thoughts, he answered.

─── I came for you. ──── Lucifer did not believe that in so few words in an instant, such sincere and disinterested affection would fit inside. So strong, that he soaked him to the bone. Thus freeing him from his stormy trance.

─── Why did you do it?! ───Desperation ran freely in the form of tears down his cheeks.

─── Because I care about you, Lucy. ───

Henchman tried to calm the pain with soft caresses on his back.

But the angel hissed.

Even the slightest touch burned him like hot iron.

It was then that Henchman noticed Lucifer's wings... or rather, the absence of them.

Henchman's face contracted, his heart felt pierced by daggers.

─── T-t-take it easy. I-It's okay! I-I'll take care... ─── he promised him in a broken sweet whisper.

Henchman didn't know how to fix any of this.

However, the way the angel clung to him as his only lifeline in the infinity of this sea, gave him enough strength to try.

I would...for him.

A short time later, the imps found them. One of them, with greenish skin and a hiss on his tongue, welcomed them, leading them to a room where Henchman could treat the angel's wounds.

When Lucifer's wings were bound, a hint of tranquility was allowed to breathe in the air. Blood continually stained the white, but at least, covered now, they had a chance to heal.

They had to...

─── You didn't answer me. ───Lucifer spoke.

───Why are you here? Was it father's decision or... your decision?... ─── he asked again. Nervous fingers playing.

─── Boss... That doesn't matter. ─── replied the now purple demon solemnly.

─── What matters is... that we are together. ─── And, despite the gloomy situation, Henchman gave him one of his most beautiful and brilliant smiles.

It was thus that he knew that Henchman would never say a word to him about what happened after his fall and before their reunion.

And, one day today, Henchman appears the secret.

He never knew if it was his own rebellion that earned her banishment from him or... his unmatched loyalty.

The Devil admitted that there were nights when, sheltered from loneliness, he still found himself thinking about it.

Thinking about how time had passed.

How his life changed...

A soft knock on the door.

─── Boss~!

And how some things just... stayed the same.

Every smile, compliment, touch, encouragement, comfort... Everything Henchman ever gave him shot through him like a shooting star through the cold emptiness of space, lighting up the darkness around him...

───Thank you, Henchman... ─── he muttered weakly, closing the book he had been pretending to read.

─── Duh. Why, Boss? ─── the purple demon questioned smiling, thinking that this was one of the Devil's tricks.

Until he felt arms encircle him with gentle firmness; and warm tears falling on his head.