#redomon

"Yeah, nice to see you too."

"Hey Carl! Nice to meet you, I'm Melissa!" She smiled as they shook hands.

"Hey Melissa! Oh man- sorry to leave you out in the cold like this, come in!"

The door clicked shut as they were lead inside, sighing in relief at the warmth. They took in the hallway and the hung family photos along it as Carl walked on.

"You guys are going to love everything I've got planned out for all of us! I've been working on this for like a month and I just now got us all snacks and-"

"Whoa, whoa, Carl. Slow down. A month? For what? I thought we were just going to play some board games?"

"Don't tell me this is one of those military or finance 'games' that go on forever..." Melissa murmured, dread seeping over her.

"What? No, no, no! Nothing like that! C'mon, I set it all up in here!"

He opened a door and lead them into the basement, where a long table was set with a board in the middle. Papers and pencils were scattered on each side, where some familiar faces sat.

Acacius got up from his seat, waving, "Hey Melissa! Hey Zachary! I was starting to think you got lost!"

A knight figure was sent flying as Usol waved around a much bigger one of a dragon, "Auuggh, the death dragon got me! We're doooomed!"

"But the death dragon's got a natural enemy, here to take its revenge..!" Solomon boomed, slamming down a shadowy beast, "The lord of souls! Raawwrrghh!"

"Nah, I found em wandering around outside!"

Zach lightly punched his arm, "We didn't get lost! Your ass almost let us freeze to death outside!"

"No I didn't!- I just had to set some things up-"

"So you did forget about us! Jerk!"

Carl laughed as Melissa and Zach punched his arm, laughing as well.

"Well don't beat up our host- at least not until we actually get to play the game!" Acacius pulled out two seats beside him, "Saved you guys two spots over here!"

They took their seats across from Usol and Solomon, smiling as the two unraveled their own made-up story before them.

"Hey, hey, please don't break any of those! They're custom made pieces for the game, and they're expensive."

Usol looked up at Carl, "But I thought you said we were playing dragons?"

Solomon picked up a miniature goblin from the floor, "Yeah, let the kid have some fun, Carl. Even if one loses a limb, we can glue it back, no sweat."

"I guess we could... anyways!" Carl took his seat at the end, where a wooden screen with runes etched into it was propped up. "I was going to start, but uh, a guest or two hasn't shown back up-"

A sudden thump shook the room, and muffled shouts and curses were heard from above. The voices subsided, then a orange light ignited the room as a Hellfire portal formed.

The room shook again as the Hellbeast landed.

"And we've reached a touchdoooowwwnnn!" Face announced in a showman's voice as Red released it from his claws, "You get the pizza bites! You get the cheese doodles! You get-"

Red spat out the plethora of snacks from his mouth, throwing a bag at them. "Just eat and shush..." He shuffled to Solomon's side and rested his head atop the bat's, trying to find comfort despite his size.

"Finally, some peace..."

Just with a small chuckle from Solomon he was calmer, "Heh, you're exhausted already? What happened to 'making everyone look like a joke', or did ya give up on that?"

Red only sighed in response and glared at Zach as Sol cupped his face and passed some snacks to Usol, who tossed the rest to the others. Face kept spinning while eating their snack- which was still in the bag...

A clap from the head of the table caught everyone's attention, Carl stood from his seat, "Alright! Now that everyone's here and we've got the snacks, we can finally begin... Our game of Dungeons and Dragons!"

The room was quickly filled with chatter again, most excited or curious about the game. Usol immediately began waving his hand in the air and asking if he could play, while Face asked question after question about it.

"Always kind of wanted to give this game a shot..." Zach murmured.

Acacius rubbed his hands together, "Sounds pretty fun to me! How does this all, uh, work?"

"I'm getting to that! First, I put some papers in front of all of you with some pencils." He walked around the table as everyone grabbed a sheet, "You can be whatever kind of character you want; a swordsman, ogre, wizard, or something else! It's up to you and your imagination!"

He chuckled watching how quickly Melissa got to work on her character, beaming. Everyone else got to work as well, Red sketched out a rough figure, harsh lines constantly erased and redrawn until he was satisfied.

"It doesn't have to be perfect or anything, Red-"

"Have made my mind."

"O-okay then... good for you."

"Oh! I'm gonna make a robot dragon! Or a shadow monster with a billion eyes! Oh! Oh! Maybe a volcano monster!"

Usol excitedly bounced in his seat, grabbing papers faster than he could loosely draw them all out. "Maybe this guy could have wings! Or maybe there's a monster made out of stars... can I do that?"

"You can draw whatever you want, Usol. It's your character, go nuts!"

Solomon smiled as he gladly watched Usol scribble three different beasts on the same page. He grabbed a spare sheet, "Mind if I join you, kiddo? I think I got a super cool one to add to your army!"

A pencil was spun about in Acacius's metal hand as he thought long and hard. Just seeing Solomon and the others sketching out ideas made his mind draw more of a blank.

"Maybe... yeah, I think... Wait, no..." Zach tapped his pencil against the desk again, before erasing a bit and fixing another thing. He smiled once finished, proud with himself.

Carl made his way to Acacius, noticing the blank sheet, "Hey Ace, you doing alright? You need some help coming up with a character?"

"I could be anyone?"

"Well yeah, there aren't any rules to making a character. Heck, you could just make a standard swordsman like Zach did-"

"I'm not bland, Carl! His sword's magic!"

"-and you'll be fine. Like I said, you could be literally anything, man!"

Acacius thought for a minute, then started drawing. Pleased, Carl walked around the table once more, checking in with everyone as he went.

"Face, aren't you going to make one?" He'd noticed how Face stayed on Melissa's shoulder, watching her draw.

Face blinked, "I'm waiting for the game to start! When's it starting? When the wizard comes?"

"Uh, you have to make a character if you want to play. Even just a simple monster would be-"

They grabbed a sheet and a pencil, sketching out a figure. "All done!"

After being sure that everyone was done drawing, he took his place behind the dungeon master screen and explained the character stats along with the levels- he recommended starting with level 2. Once finished, he took notes of everyone's characters.

Zachary; a swordsman named Archibald with a magic sword and is on the run from a 'devil'. Has a strength of six; dexterity of three; constitution of five; intelligence of seven; wisdom of seven; and charisma of three.

Melissa; a guardian fairy named Marigold who protects Archibald, even at the cost of her own life. Has a strength of seven; dexterity of five; constitution of nine; intelligence of eight; wisdom of nine; and charisma of six.

Face; a shape-shifting blob named Irk who's travel buddies with Marigold and mimics anything that could help. Has a strength of three; dexterity of eight; constitution of four; intelligence of three; wisdom of four; and charisma of five.

Usol made so many monsters, that he couldn't decide which one to play as. So, just for the first session, Carl put him in charge of making enemy monsters.

Acacius; just... decided to be Solomon. He could not for the life of him be talked out of it- which Solomon found hilarious. Has a strength of eight; dexterity of six; constitution of eight; intelligence of nine; wisdom of nine; and charisma of ten.

Solomon found it even more hilarious how accurate all the stats were.

Solomon: a gargoyle named Indigo with the power of Hellfire and powerful winds at her command. Was crowned the best and most powerful of her kind. Funnily enough, her stats were the exact same as the ones Acacius chose.

Red: a devil named Crimson who was exiled from Hell for unknown reasons, and is hunting down specific souls. Has a strength of ten; dexterity of nine; constitution of eight; intelligence of ten; wisdom of ten; and charisma of four.

Finally, the game could properly begin!

*****

"After days of traveling alone in the dense forests teething with beasts, Archibald, Marigold, and Irk arrive at a clearing, a lively tavern before you. Entering it, you find adventurers of all kinds chatting with each other and resting from their own journeys.

Amidst all of them, some catch your eye; a bat kaiju sits at the bar chatting with the keeper, in the center of a crowded and loud table is a gargoyle beast. What do you want to do?"

Melissa raised her hand, "I want to go see what the gargoyle is talking about. I'm sure she's nice."

Zach nodded, "Yeah, go check on them. Maybe they know about a cool dungeon?"

"Alright! Archibald and Marigold approach the lively table, getting through the crowd, they look up at the gargoyle standing on the table. Indigo speaks boldly, claiming that she seeks a treasure of legends, one that, if found, will truly crown anyone the best.

You both talk to her, wanting to persuade her into joining you..." Carl tossed them some dice, handing the rest to Usol, "Go ahead and roll for persuasion! You might get lucky."

Zach rolled, "I got... a seven."

Then Melissa, "I got a eighteen! Is that good?"

"Oh hey! Yeah, it is! The gargoyle jumps down from the table, introducing herself as Indigo, the most powerful of her kind. You both talk to her, convincing her to tag along with you on your quest. Thr road to this grand treasure would be long and difficult on your own."

Solomon smiled, "Yeah, I guess I could tag along with you guys. Would be pretty tough to take on the world alone!"

Red rested his head on Solomon's, "Hm. Am I allowed to kiss him?"

"Uh, Red, you haven't met her yet."

"Right..."

Sol held his hand, "Don't worry, you'll be able to, soon! Then you can help me destroy everyone, how 'bout that?"

Red seemed pleased with this.

"Alright Face, your turn. What do you want to do? You could talk to the tavern keeper, or the bat monster, your choice."

"I take the treasure map!"

"Wh- Face, there is no treasure map."

"There isn't?"

"No, Face. We don't have a treasure map, we just started." Melissa spoke.

"Oh! Then I interrogate the tavern dummy!"

"Alright," The dice was passed to it, "Roll for persuasion."

Face gave him a confused look, before rolling. "I have... a two, wait... a five, or...?"

Melissa glanced over, "They got a five."

"Oh... Despite your best efforts, the keeper refuses to talk to Irk, telling you to go away. He claims you have no business chasing what awaits those who chase after treasure."

Face huffed, "Auugghhh, why didn't it work?! This game's stupid!"

"Hang on, hang on! Maybe someone else can convince him. Not everyone's a good talker. Acacius, what's your move?"

The Golden Light smiled, "I overhear the talk with the keeper, and try to talk to him myself."

"Alright! Roll for it!"

He caught the dice and rolled it in one motion, "Looks like... a nineteen. Yes!"

"Good one! Overhearing the keeper turn down the shapeshifter's questions, Solomon chats with him. He learns that there's a rumor spreading among travelers of a great treasure guarded by some beast in the mountains, though he doesn't know where exactly."

"Huh, well that's better than nothing."

"And... let's see... Red!-"

"I watch from the corner, listening. There's no reason for me to go with any of these idiots. They are weak. I can get this treasure on my own"

"Um, but you know, they could be pretty helpful. Plus, it's not fair to judge them when there hasn't been a fight."

The Hellbeast's tail swayed, "Then I charge Archibald- if he wants an ally, then he must prove himself worthy. No exceptions. "

"Well-"

"I stab him with my sword! And keep him from killing me-"

"Zach, no! I hold him back and protect everyone else!-"

"I jump between them and stop the fight!"

"Hang on!" Carl's voice rose. They hadn't even left the tavern and there was already chaos. He tossed die to Zachary and the Hellbeast.

"Figuring that he'd listened in long enough, the devil, Crimson, rushes from the shadows at Archibald. In a swift motion, the knight draws his blade and clashes against it's claws. The onlookers recoil in fear behind Marigold as the fight goes on.

Whoever gets the higher number here wins the clash."

They both rolled. Zach studied his die, "I got... a thirteen."

Red huffed, "Twelve. Pathetic..."

"The swordsman and devil trade blow after blow, until the demon staggers back from a harsh swing of the blade. Solomon rushes from his spot at the bar and stands between the two travelers, shouting that enough is enough.

The fight is pointless. The devil stands upright, steps back, and bows. He mutters that Archibald only got lucky this time, but, he supposes he might as well help out."

"Yes!"

"Can we go get the treasure now?" Face asked.

"Upon seeing the fight, a local warrior, looking tired but impressed, claims that he knows the path to this treasure. He tosses you a torn map, which directs you to the misty woods just a ways down a nearby path. He says you may be worthy.

Now, what's your move? You can try and ask for more information, or you could head into the woods."

Zachary's hand shot up, "We go to the woods!"

"I don't think I like the tavern..." Melissa murmured. "But why only a piece of the map?"

"Maybe a monster ate it!" Usol waved around a drawing of a beast with many teeth, "Raawwwurgghh!"

"Yeah, maybe! But that fight was pretty fun. I think I want to leave the tavern, though."

"Everyone else is weak."

"Okay! Out of the tavern you go... and into the forbidden forests!"

*****

The game had been going for a while now. They'd encountered goblins, ogres, evil slime beasts, and other enemies- all of which Face tried and failed to befriend. After many fights, almost getting eaten by living plants, and Solomon almost burning down the forest, they soon made it out of the woods.

"Finally, after defeating the last shapeshifter, you find a clearing at a cliffside. An old bridge hangs beneath a waterfall, broken in two. There's no other way around from here. What do you do?"

"I push Red off the cliff. We don't need him anymore."

"I-"

"I drag his ass down with me!"

"...Roll for athletics check." He passed a die to both of them.

"I got... a three."

"Nine. Welcome to Hell."

"Come on! How do I keep getting unlucky?!"

"Archibald attempts to shove Crimson off the cliff and to the depths below, only for the demon to take him with. Let's see... Melissa! What's your move?"

She thought for a second, "Since I have magic, and Indigo and Solomon can fly, I vote we save Archibald and Crimson."

"Can I be anything?" Face asked.

"Well, yeah. You are a shapeshifter, so you can become anything that you think will help."

"Then I become a birdie!"

"Alright, I think that could help. Solomon? Acacius?"

"Already ahead of you! I dive off the cliff and try to fly both of them outta there!"

"I fly after them both, and carry them up to safety. Teammates shouldn't be fighting each other, especially at this time."

"Okay, all of you, roll for it."

"I got... a six."

Solomon pumped his fists in the air, "Whoo! Got a eighteen!"

"Looks like... a eleven. Does that help enough?"

"Where's the number...? Oh! Found it! I got a five!"

"Let's see... Marigold, Indigo, Irk, and Solomon take off from the cliff and descend into the caverns below after their teammates. Amidst the fall, they manage to grab ahold of their teammates and start to pull them out. Suddenly, they lose their grip and get caught in the waterfall, taken to wherever it leads."

Face blinked, "Why didn't that work? I thought it would."

"Just because you think it would, doesn't mean it will." Zach spoke, "The dice can make the game go anywhere, and that makes it fun!"

"Fun... yes! This is very very very fun!" Face started spinning in circles again, which Melissa stopped.

"Come on, you can't focus if you're dizzy."

"Well! Let's see where it'll go from here!" Solomon rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"I'm guessing we don't fall to our deaths? That'd suck."

"Although your fellow teammates' efforts to carry you to safety failed, it made the plunge into the water below less painful. You find one another and spot a nearby shore, leading to a path up a mountain. What do you do?"

Zach scratched the back of his neck, "Well, first, I apologize to everyone for starting this... and getting us lost."

"I dropkick Zachary back into the water."

"Wh- I just said I was sorry!"

"I put a magic spell on Zach and Red, and make them stop fighting!" Melissa declared.

Solomon's eyes lit up as he smiled, "I got a better one! I put an arm over Crimson's shoulder and use my charms to convince him to stop trying to kill Archibald."

"Okay, both of you, roll!"

"I got... a two. Darn..."

"I got a twenty! Guess your luck moved over to me, Melissa!"

"Oh! That's the highest roll! Before Archibald and Crimson could get into another fight, Indigo pulls the devil aside. She tells him how impressed she is with his fighting skills, and how she is greatly honored to travel with him."

The smile on Sol's face got bigger as he went on, Red mumbling under his breath.

"You convince Crimson to focus on the adventure, and stop trying to murder Archibald."

"At least there's no kissing..." Usol murmured.

"I give him a kiss-"

"No! No gross kissing stuff!" Solomon burst into laughter at the small monster's shouts, "Stop being gross with each other!"

"Fair. Then, I hug him as thanks."

"Alright, fine. Marigold's put a spell to keep Red and Zach from killing each other in and outside of fights. Now, what's your move?"

Acacius tapped his claws against the table, "Well... Do we still have that map? Maybe it could be useful here once at the top of the mountain..."

"Yep, we sure do!" Face floated upside down, "Took it from the tavern dummy."

"Just to your luck, the map wasn't lost. But it doesn't seem to match up with your current surroundings, but more for a dungeon. It was a good idea, though!"

"Then... we continue on the mountain path. Hopefully that'll get us back on track. Or at least closer to where we're supposed to be..."

"You all make your way from the shore and climb the mountain, the air slowly getting colder and colder as you climb. Just before you think you might freeze, it warms up again, and you find yourself at another path in the woods near some ruins of a town. The ruins look old, so you might find some treasures of some kind in there."

Face perked up, "Oh! Oh! I go and look around treasure hunting! Maybe there's a magic flying penguin!"

"Alright, roll for it!"

"Lessee... A thirteen! Did I find a magic thing? Did I? Did I?"

"Stopping to search through the remains, you find various burned weapons and objects that crumble at the touch. But, hidden in one of the homes, Irk finds a chest in good condition. It looks like you could break the lock open if you-"

"I open it! I turn into a hammer and I open it! Gimme the treasure! Pleeeaasse?"

"You might, roll to see if you broke the lock and found anything."

Face practically threw the dice, "Hmm- a ten! Did I get the treasure? Did I?"

"Hang on, I'm getting there. Irk, taking the form of a powerful hammer, breaks open the lock with a few swings. Just before they could open it, the chest thrashes around and trying to bite you! The treasure chest was a mimic trying to trick you!"

"There's no treasure in there?! Nothing works today..."

"But! Some of the treasure in the mimic's mouth looks real, it stole small bits from other chests and travelers to deceive you. Maybe if you defeat it, it'll drop what it stole."

Face immediately rushed into fighting off the monster, with Solomon and Acacius jumping into the fight as well. Just as quickly as it had begun, the shapeshifting beast had been defeated and ran into the forest. Both Usol and Melissa cheered for Face's victory.

"We win! Whhhhheeeeeeeeee!" Face begun spinning again, "Do I get some magic treasure?!"

"In the mimic's escape from you and your team, it dropped some gold and some strangely-shaped jewels and artifacts. One of many catches your eye- a medallion with orange and ruby gems along the side. It feels cold enough to put out even the most powerful fires. It might be useful in a later fight!"

Face glowed brightly with excitement and happiness, darting around the room, "Finally! I finally woooonnnnn! Fffiinnaallllyyyyyyyyyy!"

After everyone had congratulated Face on their first grand victory in their quest so far. Taking the flamebreaker medallion with them, they dug around for more treasures and only found a key.

With nothing more to do at the ruins, they headed onwards, towards the misty mountains ahead.

*****

After trekking through the mountain range, fighting off a gang of bandits while catching a runaway horse for a traveler, and making their way through a series of paths and traps... They made it to a large cave.

"You all enter the cave, the pieced together map having lead you through the dungeon and to your reward. You make it through the final tunnel, where the sun lights up the cave.

A pile of gold, silver, gems, and chests with treasures of all kinds sits in the middle. Nothing but this treasure sits in the clearing, almost inviting you."

Melissa looked uneasy, "Sounds suspicious..."

"Yeah, isn't there usually something guarding treasures?" Acacius noted, "It's very strange."

"So!" Carl clasped his hands, "Who wants to get their share first?"

Raspy chuckling filled the room, everyone looked at Solomon. He smiled like this was the most fun he'd ever had.

"Dice me! I'll take a bite at it!" He caught the die and rolled it.

"And?"

"Thirteen! What's my shot?"

"Indigo rushes for the treasure! She grabs handfuls after handfuls, when suddenly, a roar shakes the cavern. The growls and smoke startle your souls, and a great dragon, with scales of obsidian and eyes of gold, crashes upon the horde. It towers over all, wings blocking the light."

"Now this is what I've been waiting for! A real battle worth fighting!"

"Acacius, what's your move?"

"I grab Indigo and get her out of harms way!"

"Roll for it!"

"...Eighteen."

"The dragon snarls and swipes at Indigo with its claws. She dodges one, hitting it with her Soul Inferno, before another comes. Before it could hit, Solomon grabs her, barely missing it."

Acacius sighed in relief, "That was close."

"Thanks, Ace! Though, I thought I'd get to fight it more!"

"Red? What's your move?"

"I bite it's head off."

"I- y'know what? Roll for it."

"...Hm. A twenty, naturally."

Zach buried his head in his hands, holding back laughter, "Oh my god..."

"Nobody got to fight it!" Usol shouted, "That's unfair!"

"How does that even work...?" Melissa murmured.

"Somehow, Crimson bites off the head of the massive dragon. It stumbles, then falls atop of the treasure horde. What is left of it is consumed by an orange light..."

Ringing cut through the room. Zach checked his phone and Melissa leaned over smiling. He stood from his seat, "Oh, hang on. I'll be back."

He stepped out of the room for a minute, and took a deep breath. Something in him bet this was some kind of joke.

"Hello? Hey Billy. Something going on?"

"Hey man! Just the usual. I was just wondering how you were doing."

"Oh, well thanks. I'm doing pretty good, just playing board games with Carl. I thought Melissa told you?"

"She did, you guys playing Dungeons and Dragons or something?"

"Uh... yeah? Why?"

"Put it on speaker phone, I got some killer advice!"

"Okay...?" With a few taps, the phone was on speaker mode, "What's your-"

Muffled laughter was heard on the other end, "SEDUCE THE DRAGON!"

"About that-"

"I just killed it."

Melissa stood, "I bring the dragon back to life for Billy!"

"No."

"Why not? You got to bite it's head off!"

"It cannot think to reject if he did seduce it."

"Reject?!-"

More muffled laughter. Then he hung up.

"You can't do that!" Usol shouted.

"Like he said, we're not doing that!"

"How would I even seduce it...?"

More chatter filled the room, joking and laughing and betting on what their next quest would be. Pages of a notebook were flipped behind the dungeon master screen.

"Aah, there we go...!" The demon bat mused, taking some garlic bread out of of oven and shutting the door.

He cooked it just the right amount of time this go around! He was sure it'd go amazingly with the pot of chili he'd made for the both of them.

"Hmm... Solomon?" Red called from above, his tail audibly thumping against the stone in excitement. No doubt he already smelled it, "What're you making? Can I get a hint? Just a small one?"

Solomon laughed a bit, "Nice try ol' buddy, but you have your surprise and I have mine! Unless you wanna give me a hint for yours...!"

He heard Red sigh, earning another laugh from him. Yep, he was absolutely sure this would be amazing! He stirred the chili some more as it cooled, pouring enough into their bowls and being sure to give Red some extra alongside the bread.

He couldn't wait to see the look on Red's face!

He called out as he carried both dishes through the kitchen, "Alright love, now close your eyes...! Get ready for the surprise!"

Red perked his head up, making him stop moving around the candles. Reaching to a nearby branch, he untangled a string of the hanging lights from it and taped them back into place, then reached under the table.

Pulling out a CD case, he grabbed the disk and slid it into the radio, smiling once calming music drifted out of the speakers. His tail swayed in glee, proud that he'd finally finished this project for today.

"And here it iiiisss!" Solomon announced, walking out and holding up the food like some sort of grand prize. A grand smile spread across his face as he took in the scenery.

Red flicked his tail, giving a shy-looking smile. "What do you think?"

"Man... you really know how to make a nice setup outside, huh?" Sol set down the food for the both of them, and sat cross legged on his side.

He admired how the lights glowed amid the evening skies. The now redish-pink plant life swayed with the winds all across Zenith, leaves and blades of grass swept in it all.

He could almost feel the pollen in the forests, the feeling of laying amidst the flowers... All of the peace he remembered feeling when he was smaller.

The rare moments he was down, this view always picked him back up. His eyes drifted back to Red, his happiness bubbling up even more.

"It's impressive as always..."

He knew Red already loved this moment.

"So are you..."

Red's face became pink as he smiled, like every word meant more than the world to him.

He wanted to freeze this moment in time forever; the sky, the music, and just being here with Solomon.

He heard Sol giggle as he licked his lips, bouncing in place in excitement over the food. He hadn't had this in forever and wanted to scarf it all down!

"Go ahead, love. It's all yours!-"

A sudden ringing echoed from inside, making them both flinch. Red sighed as Solomon got up and went in to get the phone, "Hang on, it's probably Carl..."

He rushed through the living room and kitchen, wondering what the guy could possibly be calling about. On it's millionth ring he picked it up.

"Hello? Hey Carl, what's up?"

"Yeah, hey! Solomon, uhhh, just wanted to double check something to be sure and everything." Carl spoke, Solomon swore the man always sounded nervous about something.

"What is it?"

"So, Usol's not allergic to anything as far as you guys know, right?"

"No, Usol doesn't have any allergies. He can eat pretty much anything a human kid can eat, why?"

"Oh, good, good! Cause he said he wanted something for dinner and all. I didn't want to make him sick-"

"I already told you I can eat the chicken nuggets just fine!" Usol's voice piped up.

"Hey little buddy! Having fun?"

He heard what he thought was Usol taking the phone from the man's hands, "Wh- Hey!"

"Yeah, lots of fun! Carl showed me all of these games he played when he was little- like Street Fighter 2 and- Oh! I have to show you when you come over! There's some you'd really like!"

"I bet there are, kiddo. It'd be nice to see them! Just keep yourself and Carl outta trouble, okay? Me and your dad are having a really nice dinner..."

"You're doing gross kissing stuff, aren't you?"

Solomon held back his laughter, "No, no! We're just eating dinner over here and playing games-"

"Sure you are..." Usol deadpanned.

"Ppffftt- Anyways, we'll pick you up later, buddy! We love you! Bye!"

"Bye, love you too! And stop being gross!-"

Solomon slumped over wheeze-laughing for a minute after he hung up, taking a while to compose himself. While there, he grabbed glasses of milk for him and Red before heading back outside and taking his seat.

"Something wrong?" Red tilted his head, taking his glass.

"Nah, Carl just wanted to make sure Usol didn't have any allergies. Little guy's having fun, though!"

The Hellbeast smiled as Sol shifted, getting comfortable. "Now, where were we..."

"Dinnertime!" Red bellowed, before digging into the spicy dish and bread with his claws and spoon, practically feeling the spice through the steam in his mouth.

He savored every single bite. It was just as good as he'd remembered with how all the flavor blended together so well.

"Dinnertime!" Sol chuckled.

The demon bat took a bite of his own, taken aback by the spiciness so much that he quickly began eating his bread.

"Whoo boy- added a bit too much this time, heh... What's the verdict, hun?"

Red slowed down his eating, taking a second to try more of the bread. "Delicious."

"Really? It's just as good as you remembered?"

"Mm-hm!" He nodded.

"I thought so! It's not too spicy for you?"

He swallowed a few more giant bites and shook his head. His bowl already half empty.

"Really? Cause I thought that stuff was gonna set my heart on fire... kinda like you do."

Red had stopped eating halfway through his bowl.

"Oh? I do that? Thought I stopped burning things a while ago..."

Solomon rested his chin on his hand, leaning closer to Red, both giving each other flustered smiles.

"Nah, you do it all the time. Always lighting it ablaze when I least expect it."

"You did it to mine first."

"I did? Well, you want me to help cool you off?" Sol interlocked his claws with Red's, seeing how pink his face was along with the smile he tried to hold back.

"You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah, it's the least I could do for you..."

"The least? Then what would the most be?"

"What'd you think it'd be? Hm?"

"I- Just- you- ughhh..." Steam emitted from the Hellbeast's back, stumbling over words, flustered. God dammit, how was this bat so good at flirting?!

"Ran outta smooth things to say, huh big guy?"

He gulped down most of his drink, trying to stop his overheating, "Shut up, you stupid bat..."

"Ha! You're gonna have to make me!"

"Why do you always do this to my heart...?"

"Do what? Make it full of love for me...?"

The Hellbeast cupped Sol's face with a clawed hand, caressing the softness beneath his claws as he pulled him closer. Both of them smiled.

The setting sun was frozen in the orange skies and petals flew slower in the winds of the summer afternoon, all as he stared at his husband.

A welcoming and loving sense of warmth spread from the fire within his stomach, feeling one of Solomon's hands snake to the back of his head as they both closed their eyes and-

The phone began to ring, again.

Both demons were slammed back into reality, sighing in annoyance. What could Carl possibly need now?

Solomon let got of Red -to his disappointment- and headed back into the kitchen to the ringing phone, muttering to himself before picking it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Solomon, it's me, Carl! I just wanted to check to make sure-"

"What's up now, man? Something else about Usol, I'm guessing?"

"Actually, yeah. I just wanted to ask what games he's allowed to play..." Some shuffling was heard on the other end as he looked through a pile of games.

"Why are you asking? Just stick to the ones you'd know the kid would like. As long as there's nothing a kid shouldn't see in them, anything's fine."

"I thought so. Uh, sorry if this was a bit dumb, I haven't watched over a kid in years. I just don't want to f- mess anything up."

"You're not messing anything up, Carl. Just make sure nothing bad happens to either of you, okay?"

"Okay, okay..."

"That's all I need you to do for me. Go and enjoy your dinner, Red's a bit frustrated now, actually..." Solomon laughed a bit.

"Oh, shit- I'm sorry man. Go and enjoy your date and all!-"

"Just leave them alone, you stupid goose!" Usol was heard shouting from across the room.

"I'm going to! Sheesh... is the kid usually like this?"

"I think he's just concerned with how much you're worrying today... But seriously, go relax and have a nice time, Carl. Everything's going to be fine."

"Yeah, you're right. Have a nice time, Sol!"

"You too." He quickly hung up the phone. He really didn't want to be a jerk, but now he sort of understood why Zach sometimes didn't like Carl.

The Hellbeast impatiently tapped his claws against the tablecloth as he scarfed down the last bit of his food. It was still delicious as always, but it was hard to enjoy all by himself without showering Sol with praise.

He always loved everything that Solomon had cooked, from full-on dishes to small snacks he'd thrown together, it all tasted like it'd come right from heaven. What made it better was how Solomon's face lit up at other's enjoyment of it.

That fuzzy feeling in his stomach returned as he remembered how Sol would give that same toothy smile and laugh. He used to hate that look on his face, he used to want to kill him.

But now, he wanted his bestest friend, his old enemy, now his husband, right before him. The lavender candles and music weren't nearly as calming as when the demon bat was here, intwining their claws tougher or making silly jokes...

"Hey there big guy...!"

The Hellbeast blinked in surprise as Solomon wrapped an arm over his shoulder, his wing draped over him.

"Aww, what's that handsome face of your so pink over? Is the spice finally getting to you?" He poked Red's cheek with a claw, giving that smile he always did.

"No? It didn't taste very spicy to me..."

"Really? Hm, guess I forgot you can't really taste most spices. Is that a Hellfire thing, or-"

"There's this one in there, that's-" He coughed, "Really starting to seep in..."

Solomon leaned closer, "That's odd, I don't think I remember putting that one in..."

"Maybe something sweet could help me out? Something we could share?"

"Yeah? You've got anything specific in mind? Maybe some desert, a game, or...?"

Red's head perked up, "How about a movie? With popcorn!"

"That sounds sweet enough to me, how about some snacks too? Would that make ya happy?"

The Hellbeast's chest rumbled with a purr when he scooped Solomon up into his arms and carried him inside, earning a small laugh. They considered what movies they could watch as they headed into the living room.

One suggestion was rewatching Evangelion, but that would take too long. It wasn't good for a date, kaiju fights and all.

Another was one of Red's many horror movies. The more serious and bloody ones wouldn't fit for tonight, either.

Solomon asked about watching one of the sillier bootleg horror films as he made the popcorn. Red dug through his collection for one. It wasn't a half-bad idea since they were always laughably horrible.

So, after some joking around, Red slid a slasher movie into the player and found a spot on the couch amid all of his snacks. He purred in glee as Sol sat and nestled at his side, a bowl of popcorn between them.

"So! Which one did ya pick for tonight? That crappy Friday the 13th one, or what?"

"Chopping Mall. That one's fun!" Red smiled, wrapping his tail around Sol's side.

"Ooohhh yeeaah! This is always a riot, haha! How could any of these teens find these robots scary?"

"I would survive, even if I was their age. Easily."

Solomon burst into laughter again, "I don't even think you'd need to be a kaiju to survive these things!"

"They die because they're stupid."

"Yeah, yeah, all horror movies are like that! It wouldn't be fun otherwise!"

The movie went on, past the intro and the security robots getting electrocuted and corrupted. The technicians had already died along with the cigarette guy and his girlfriend- all of it laughable as always.

How could anybody be afraid of three little robots you could just push over, or throw off the top floor of the mall? The characters probably didn't need guns or anything.

"Really, these guys could probably just keep hiding until the place opens!"

"Or set it on fire. Burn the tiny thing down."

"Yeah! Or they could hit it with-"

"Oh! Oh! This is the best part!"

While the other characters were off to the control room, another hit a robot with a golf cart. Although the shock killed him, the cart had taken out the killer machine.

"That's what I was gonna say! Hit the tiny thing with a golf cart...!" Solomon's shouting devolved into more laughter.

"See, the writers thought the same."

Sol clapped amid his laughter, making Red smile. What did he ever do to deserve such an amazing companion?

He waited a bit as Sol's laughter began to die down, coughing on some popcorn. He patted Sol's back as he caught his breath.

"Breathe, breathe."

"I'm alright, buddy. I'm alright... whew... Heh, like I said, this one's always a riot..."

"So are you, sometimes."

Solomon turned to him, then smiled. "I am? Never heard of that from you before. Anything else you wanna tell me...?"

Red leaned back as Sol got closer, "I'm sure you already know everything..."

"Like how much you want something sweet? Cause I've got you something!"

Solomon grabbed a box of pocky and put a stick to his mouth. A massive grin had already spread across Red's face, his tail wagging in anticipation.

He looked back to the kitchen, glaring at the phone. It hadn't rang in well over an hour. But it could ring again at any minute.

He felt Solomon place a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, don't worry about it. He won't interrupt this time, I'm sure of it."

Red sighed, feeling all the weight around him vanish as Solomon interlocked their claws together again. Together like they've always been, for as long as they've know each other. Red took his side of the stick, and gladly began eating it. Solomon did the same, trying to keep up.

Faster than expected, they got closer and closer. Once they were, Red chuckled in excitement and cupped Sol's face with his free hand, both pulled the other into a kiss. A calming warmth washed over the both of them, melting into the kiss.

Nothing else mattered now, only that they savor this moment for as long as they could-

Ringing murdered the silence yet again. Solomon tore away from Red as the Hellbeast grabbed his phone from the table. He didn't need to look to know who it was.

"What." He seethed, forcing down his rage.

Carl's voice sounded nervous on the other end, "Is this Red?-"

"Yes. What do you want."

"Okay, how do I explain this? Uhhhh... Usol set my TV on fire- the fire's out and all-"

Red's anger vanished, "How did that even-?"

"What?!" Solomon snatched the phone from Red, "Hang on, Carl, what caught fire?! Is everyone okay?!"

"Everyone's fine. Usol just got frustrated about a game while I was cleaning up. Thank God I hid an extinguisher in here... so the fire's out."

"Is Usol alright?"

Sniffling and muffled crying was heard on the other end. "Yeah, but the kid keep asking if he can go home now..."

Solomon sighed, "Don't worry, we'll get him in a bit. You have the money to replace the TV?"

"I- I think so, yeah. I'll try to keep us both calm in the meantime."

"Alright, Carl... See you in a bit." Sol flipped the phone shut. Red pulled him up from the couch, palm lit ablaze with a Hellfire portal ready. They both stepped through and knocked on Carl's door.

After some talking, and getting the now broken television out of his living room, they hugged and comforted Usol as much as they could. The small monster stayed in Red's arms and refused to leave.

"Are you sure you'll be fine? I can give you some money to replace it if you need it."

Carl shuffled through the cash in his wallet, "Oh, you don't have to-"

Sol placed a pile of silver and gold coins in his hand. "Please. Trade these into a shop, and use the money."

Carl closed his hand, "Thank you. Really, thanks."

The kaiju then took their leave, wishing Carl well, stepping back through another portal and into the living room. Usol yawned before he looked over the room, then at the TV, "Were you having a sleepover?"

"Yes, one with a lot of funny and scary movies!" Red patted Usol's head as he set the small monster down.

"Can I watch one with you? Please?"

"Isn't it your bedtime now?"

"Yeah, it's kinda late kiddo, but..." Solomon paused, thinking. Maybe they could stay up with Usol, just to let the night end on a good note. "Actually, we were gonna watch another movie, but there's just too many good choices. We'll let you pick!"

Usol's face lit up at that as he ran to Red's movie collection, the Hellbeast following as he looked through the shelves. After a bit of searching, he grabbed one and held it up, "I wanna watch this one!"

Red took it, "Home Alone? Hm, good choice."

The small monster giggled and rushed to the couch as Solomon finished tidying up the snacks and sat beside him. Solomon pulled him into a hug, "What'cha giggling about little guy? Find a good one?"

Usol nodded proudly as Red took his spot, wrapping his tail around them. The movie went by just as quickly as it started, with Solomon and Usol sharing snacks and playing around. At one point, they were trying to see who could balance more chips on Red's head, only to cheer when he devoured the whole stack.

Then Red asked Usol how he'd design traps, spiraling into a whole talk involving cooking ingredients, sharp tools, rocks, and other random objects. Even some loud movies were thrown in after seeing how it scared the bandits in the movie, getting more laughs out of them all.

Before they knew it, the chatter and snacks had slowed down and Usol drifted to sleep in Solomon's arms. The demon bat hugged him closely and perked up to kiss Red, just as his own tiredness caught up to him as well, their embrace too comforting.

The TV only now cast a faint glow on them all, credits rolled while Red rubbed his tired eyes. The living room was now a mess, snacks, crumbs, and wrappers surrounding him, with the two monsters he cared for the most sound asleep beside him.

The Hellbeast only sighed and smiled, hugging them closely, the Hellfire within keeping them warm. Sol and Usol only nestled closer to his side, he felt Usol hug his arm tightly, his heart now light. Sleep drifted over him, all three kaiju wrapped up in one another.