This isnt what it looks like - Boadicea

As he was strolling the streets in his own thoughts, he felt it deep within him, the darkness that lured ahead. His mark burning like crazy, it had to be a powerful demon or more. He clenched his fist as he started following the feeling, hoping it would lead him in the right direction. Suddenly, he felt a pull at his soul and turned his head to an alley. He moved to the wall and peeked at the creatures. From what he could count, it was 3 demons, which all seemed to harbour a strong dark force in their core.
He pulled out his knife and drew a mark on the wall as he stopped at peeked again. That's when he saw a body behind them. Without hesitation, was the portal drawn and he stuck his hand in to pull out a dark creature, something that looked like a robed flying skeleton with no legs, and a big pair of uneven scissors in it's hands.
He looked at it and said a dark command, which sent it directly at the nearest demon, opening the scissors around it's body to cut it in half. Baal followed after, grabbing the other demon as he jammed his knife through it's neck with all the force from his sprint assisting the deep cut. The demon gurgled in it's own blood as it fell to it's knees. It wouldnt kill the demon, but it sure was painful. Baal grabbed the knife and pulled it out, just to impale it's heart in one stab. He rotated the knife before he pulled it out, leaving the demon to fall lifeless on the ground.
The ghost, Shade had already taken care of the last demon, leaving it crawling away from them. Baal grabbed him by his hair as he placed his lips over his, sucking out the soul and ingesting it.
He made a satisfied sigh as he rose to his full height and turned his eyes to the body. He walked over to it and crouched down as he checked for a pulse. But thankfully it was there and he let out a sigh of relief. He was all covered in blood from the demons, and by the looks of it, he would seem like the perpetrator of it all if anyone was to pass by.

Buffy hadn’t seen this coming, not by a long shot. She was used to her asignments, but three hungry demons at once was more than enough to overpower her. Like hell she was going to waste some of her lifespan on such low lives. One of the demons knocked her out and she could feel her energy and soul ready to leave her body. Was this really how it was going to end? All because she didn’t wait for back-up? Ace would freak, but this was apparently what was in her future. She closed her eyes, letting herself doze off sligthly, before she heard the noises. She opened her eyes carefully, just in time for the demon in front of her to be consuming the other demon. Barbaric, she thought, but didn’t move much, besides her breathing. Had they broken something in her? A bone, maybe. She didn’t really know right now, but as the demon leaned down and checked for her pulse, she made a fast move. Her balance was off, but she managed to get the arm away from her. ”Don’t touch me,” she mumbled. Her head was spinning and as she got to her feet she fell over and right into the tall demon. ”Eat my soul if you want, but I’m putting up a fight first,” she slurred out trying to move her body accordingly. Her hand grabbed her golden locks in a fist as she tried to stay upright. How hard had she been hit on the head? Blood ran down her forehead and she looked at her hand now soaked in blood.

He lifted his hand in surprise as she pushed it away and listened to her mumble, wanting to say something in return but there wasnt really any words that came to mind. It wasnt usual that someone would survive the demons he met, so whenever it happened, he was always a bit baffled. He got back onto his feet a bit faster than her, and put a hand around her as she stumbled into him, making sure she wouldnt fall back onto the ground. He raised an eyebrow at her words and then shook his head with a soft pull up in the corner of his mouth. "Why would I eat your soul?" he asked in confusion.
But then again, not all humans would think that there could be a demon like Baal that treasured the mortals like nothing else. A bit hypocritical for someone like the prince of hell, surely this would just add to list of disappointment his father had for his son. He looked at her head and clenched his jaw for a bit, "You're bleeding. Does it hurt?" he asked quite worried - Not realizing that his worrying could seem like a ploy. The shadow flew around them, clicking the scissors together as it made a ghastly laugh, "Fragile little huuuumaaaan," it gnarled though its barren teeth, which made Baal frown at it. He turned his eyes back to the human, that he still had his arm around, "Dont pay mind to my minion," he told her with a little smirk.

Buffy felt his arms hold her up, but she was too dizzy to do much else. Of all days this was the day she ran into a demon looking for a play toy. It sounded like it by the way he spoke. ”I don’t know, because I look like a snack,” she said rolling her eyes and grimacing as the eyerolling hurt her forehead. Her hand shook a bit as she looked at the blood on her hand. ”No, humans bleed as a fun activity – I get’s us in a good mood,” she mumbled, still not able to keep her mouth shut when the oportunity came. ”Just wait, I’ll get real excited in a bit,” she said trying to push herself up in a straight position. The shadow spoke to her and she turned her eyes to it, not really bothered by the words it said. ”So what, I’m a human, big deal – You’re a stupid shadow with a little sewing scissor; ooooh!” she said raising her hands shaking them as if she was supposed to be scared. She got herself a bit away from the demon and stood in her usual fighting stance, however her balance was of, and her eyes flickered a bit. ”Come on, don’t hold back,” she slurred, ready for his attack.

"You all do," he said with a slight shrug with his shoulders as he looked at her. But the wound on her head really worried him, mostly because she shouldnt be out in the open if she had gotten a concussion. His love for the mortals truly showed.
Her sass made him scoff lightly and shake his head once again, clearly whatever he was going to say could trigger some sort of sarcastic remark. He was about to say something but she got ahead of him and promised him excitement. He sighed and closed his eyes for a bit as he thought of what to say. But quite frankly he felt somehow at a loss of words, yet the minion wasnt shy for talking, especially as she returned the mock, "I could eat your souuul," it hoarsely warned shortly followed by a high pitched maniac latter, "Oh how I want to consumee you! Itsy bitsy huuuumannnn," it sang through it's laughter and Baal lifted his hand towards it as he angrily mumbled a few demonic words. "For I am the consumer o...." it didnt get to finish it's sentence as it disappeared into thin air and left them alone for good.
His expression turned into confusion as she got into her fighting stance and he couldnt hold back a soft smile, as he tilted his head a bit, "I am not going to fight you, I just saved you from those demons," he said turning his head from side to side as he looked at the bodies. He turned his eyes back to her and took a step closer, as he really didnt want her to fall and hurt herself, "Let me help you," he said in a low tone as he reached out for her, quite careful in his movements, "Please," he added and made a worried frown.

She felt her balance go a little, but she hated to admit that she might need help. Why wasn’t her brother here? The shadow started taunting her, but it felt like the world was spinning. As the demon stepped closer she readied herself. ”Hey, I had that under control,” she said and took a step forward, not letting him dominate her. Her breathing was unsteady now, and a part of her was greatlful of the fact he held out his arms. She supported herself against his hands, trying to stay awake. ”You can take me to the ER or something,” she said. Why was this demon so willing to help her? She didn’t trust that. All the demons she had met were either soul hungry or power hungry, but this guy seemed to genuinly care. Why was that? It confused all of the things she had been taught growing up and made her question herself. Now was not the time for self-reflection, she thought and closed her eyes. It was getting harder to stay focused. ”I’m Buffy,” she mumbled, her eyes struggling to keep themselves open.

"Clearly," he replied in quite a sassy tone as he shook his head. She sure had a spark in her, this human girl.
He couldnt hold back a smile as she accepted his offer of support. He listened to her suggestion on where to take her and he just nodded, "Of course. I am not so keen on the whole 'stitching a bleeding head'-sort of thing. So let's leave that to the professionals," he said as he tried his best to keep her steady, but he wasnt sure if he was much help. He studied her drowsy face and found that she was quite beautiful, it wasnt altered by supernatural powers like a vampire's, but she was genuinely beautiful. Not that he would tell her, it would probably just spark a sassy comment anyway.
"Belial. But please, call me Baal," he said, taking himself by surprise when his real name just flew out of his mouth. He lifted her into his arms and held her close as he took a moment to listen to her heartbeat. It was beating normally, so she wasnt dying. He started walking quite fast, here in southside were there no ER's to find, so they had to get to the good part of Gaia. "You'll get to the ER as fast as I can take you," he said as he walked, he would have ran if she was in immediate danger, but bouncing her around with the wound on her head would be a bad idea.
He rushed at the sight of the ER and stepped in, feeling all the souls, the strong ones, the weakened ones. He exhaled shakingly after the long walk and turned to a doctor, "Her head is bleeding," he just said which made the doctor call for people on his radio and show them to a room where she could lie down. Baal stood at her side till the doctor's came in and gave them the space they needed. But he wasnt next of kin or someone close to her, so he just assumed that she didnt want him to stay. He walked into the waiting room and sat down leaning down over his legs as he folded his hands and rested his worried face on top of his hands.

She felt herself getting lifted up in the demon’s arms and rested her head against his shoulder. Things were still spinning, but she managed to press her arm with her stake close to her body. It was like a safety blanket at times, but it also was the one thing holding most of her powers. ”I’m glad to hear my parent’s weren’t the only one giving weird names to their kids,” she mumled, just laying in his arms. She drifted off from time to time, and every time she opened her eyes, she felt like they had moved far. The smell of hospital hit her nostrils and she scrunched her face. She hated that smell, but was soon taken to a private room. She barely got time to say anything before the doctor started examening her vitals and touching her head asking where it hurt. She complied mostly, because the doctor was just doing his job. ”I think I have a bent rib and my head was hit by a blunt object,” she said a bit slurry as the doctor looked at her eyes. She smiled a bit to herself at the notion about a demon being a blunt object, but she was soon put to focus on a harsh light. Though she was only human, she could hear the demon disappear out of the room. She placed a hand on the doctors arm and looked at him. ”I’ll just need some vicodin and supervision,” she said looking towards the door. It wasn’t her first instinct to let a demon watch over her, but her brother was off on a mision, and her parents … Well her parents weren’t really available in this situation.

The doctor simply nodded and went out to the waiting room after Buffy had explained the situation, as human friendly as possible. ”She says you’re her boyfriend so it means we can set up some accomodations for you, if you wish to stay and keep an eye on her,” the doctor offered, then left to take care of some business.

Buffy pulled a face as she touched the part of her head still hurting. He had put some compression on it, but a nurse would soon come to sew her skin again. She sighed and crawled up further on the bed, feeling her body shake a bit. Her hand flew to her stake, just touching it made her feel more safe.

He scoffed and smiled a bit to himself, "My father probably had a whole life planned with how my life was supposed to be, but he couldnt be more disappointed in me than he probably is now," he explained and noticed how she was drifting off. He got quite worried and hurried his pace to the hospital.
In the waiting room he felt a lot of the dark energy, but it was mostly in the form of people's deepest worries coming to life. Someone was hoping for one to live, another was hoping for a birth to go well. It was making his head spin a bit and the mark burned like fire in his hand. He lifted his eyes as the doctor approached him and kept a calm expression as the human had referred to him as boyfriend. It was a bit odd, but if it what was needed to let him be close to her then so be it.
He stepped into the private room again and walked over to her side, as he noticed the doctor's glance, he put a hand over hers, "You'll feel better soon. Do you need anything?" he asked in a soft tone, entangling their fingers as he pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down. He exhaled deeply and put a hand to his forehead as he made a slight pained expression. All the negativity in the air was making the artifact unstable, yet he felt some sort of relief from it when he was close to the human. Would it be her soul that was balancing out his dark spirit he wondered?

Buffy looked to the demon as he entered and it was like her face lit up. She was scaringly good at playing off of these lies. As Baal reached her she let their fingers entangel and looked him in the eye. She still felt the doctor’s gaze on them and bit her lip slightly. ”I just need you close, you know I’m not good at hospitals,” she said with a soft and slightly weak smile. The doctor left and she leaned her head back against the pillow breathing out. ”I hate lying like this, but I got no-one to stay with me,” she said. She hadn’t really noticed that their fingers were still locked together. ”And as long as you behave I won’t have to stab your heart,” she said closing her eyes. She wanted to drift off and sleep, but a concussion was not something you could sleep from so easily. The nurse knocked on the door, and she opened her eyes, looking to the male nurse stepping into the room with a small tray. ”Shall we get you stiched together?” he asked in a friendly tone. Buffy nodded, but she was not a big fan of needles of any kind and felt her hand clench Baal’s. The nurse smiled at got closer, removing the small pressure bind and started numbing her forehead slightly. Buffy didn’t like it and closed her eyes, just holding Baal’s hand as the nurse started sewing small stiches. As the nurse was done he placed a small piece of gauze and a few pieces of tape to keep the stiches covered up. He then removed himself from the room, before he turned around to the demon. ”You can’t let her drift off yet, we need to observe her for the next few hours,” he said with a warm smile and left.

He nodded as she said she wasnt fond of hospitals and smiled a bit, "We've always been awfully alike in the matter, darling," he replied and let his index finger gently caress her skin on the back of her hand, just so the doctor wouldnt raise suspicions and leave. He exhaled deeply as the doctor left and turned his eyes to hers, completely forgetting their entangled fingers, "It's alright," he assured her with a slight charm in his smile. Her words made him scoff followed by a faint laugh, "By nature, I cant make any promises. But I'll try my best. If I have to be honest, then getting out of this place seems way more appealing. The dark energy in the air is uncomfortably tempting," he said quite blatantly at the mention of his inner darkness.
He turned his head as the nurse walked in and felt her clench, which made him lift his other hand and put it over hers as an assurance. He wanted to keep her safe, even if it was from her own fears. He watched the nurse carefully, like he would know if he stitched it wrong, his eyes wandering to hers from time to time. When it was over with he smiled softly and squeezed her hand, "That wasnt so bad was it?" he asked with a charm and teasing smile. He looked at the nurse as he told him to keep her awake, not quite happy about his suspicion on the concussion being confirmed.
"I promise," he told him and looked at her when they were alone again. He looked at their hands for a bit and really felt like he didnt want to let her go, not that he understood way. But he forcefully made himself let go and sighed deeply as their connection was broken. "Why were you out demon hunting then?" he asked rather curiously. He wouldnt have thought that humans could be hunting demons, but he found it somewhat appealing.

Touching her hand had felt so natural, and it was odd. He found it somewhat scary, because he still hadnt fully healed after he had tried to open his heart to someone else. So feeling this sense of comfort and the longing to just hold her hand again right after letting it go, it was a bit overwhelming - But he wasnt going to let it show. And still he glanced at her hand, despite the fact that he knew that his heart needed healing.
He narrowed his eyes at her for a bit as she called it her thing, "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." he cited from the bible with a small smile. He tilted his head and listened intently to the rest of the explanation, feeling all the questions bottle up in him. Most of them were pure curiosity to why she was doing it, but he felt that it wasnt quite his place to ask. Many people did things for their own reasons, like he did himself. However she seemed to want to know his reasons, and a small smirk spread on his lips, "Would it be weird to believe that I'm a demon with a care for mortals?" he asked and leaned back into his chair as he placed his hands on his thighs.
"My father, would probably call me crazy, but I wasnt raised in his arms in hell. I was brought up to the humans, and raised like one. I knew who I was, but some part of me liked belonging," he then explained as his eyes moved over to the window, watching the sun start to set, "Us immortals? We live forever if we want, and that drains the purpose of living. We kill and feast on you like cattle, because to us, your lives have no meaning. We dont quite understand how a life could bear so much meaning when it's ever so short. But yet, your lives are all so short, filled with joy, anger, pain and a sense of purpose." his eyes wandered back to hers and he shrugged, "But I dont share the same beliefs as the rest of my kind, so I've made it my purpose to save as many as possible," he then said and sighed deeply.
He lifted his hand and put it over his chest as the darkness still tried to pull at his soul, "I will always be a demon, and there's a darkness in me that feasts on the goodness of my soul. I just hope that I can shun the darkness of my core and stay true to my purpose," he then said as he let his hand fall and moved his eyes to the window again, this time with a sadness to his eyes.

”For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms,” Buffy said raising an eyebrow at her. She knew the bible well as it was an exellent weapon against the supernatural beings she often fought, and felt like if he was going to quote the bible at her, she might as well continue where he left off in that verse. ”Would it be weird to assume I was curious about that fact?” she said, a faint smile on her lips. She still had some bite in her, even though she felt the world wobble. She let him talk, and for the first time found herself actually listening when a demon spoke to her. Normally they were yelling stuff or degrading her. That was until they saw how she could actually fight them, but that was mainly because of her stake. Without it, she felt like she had nothing special to offer, besides being in good shape and having a lot of wittiness. ”We are neither cattle nor items to be saved – we live our lives because that’s what we are programmed to do by nature; but nature hasn’t created your kind,” she said finding herself look at him. He was handsome, but she also knew that was often the case with demons. They had to be alluring to some, and she found herself staring a bit. She sat up in bed and reached out, placing a hand on top of his, the one he had over his chest. ”I can’t say I know your feelings – hell I didn’t believe most demons had any feelings left – but darkness can’t exist without the light, and if we had no darkness, then what would the light cast as a shadow?” she said with a smile. It was weird, feeling the need to be close to him, but she let it slide for now.

”The closer you get to the light, the bigger your shadow becomes,” she said looking into his grey eyes. She felt like she was searching for something in the demon. She could feel the humanity from him, that was clear as day, but he spoke of a darkness inside him. ”How about we start over?” she said after a bit of silence. Buffy moved her hand from his and instead held it out for him to take in greeting. ”Boadicea Kinsley, but call me Buffy and you’ll be on my good side,” she said with a smile.

A small hint of a smirk spread in the corner of his mouth as she finished his sentence. "The Bible is a worthy read. I catch myself rereading it from time to time," he explained with a small smirk. It was deeply ironic, a demon knowing the bible that well, but he didnt enjoy stereotypes, clearly. When she turned his own words against him, he made a soft chuckle that made his adam's apple move ever so slightly. He shook his head and carried on explaining.
"You are neither of those things to me. But you are the weakest race and the strong are bloodthirsty," he remarked and shrugged. He found it bugging that she thought he thought of them as items, he never really meant for it to sound that way.
He felt her hand on his and moved his eyes up to meet hers, clenching his teeth as she spoke of light and dark. "Sure that is how light and dark works for most. But we demons are born in darkness, shaped in it and made to never see the light. I was lucky to have someone pull me out of the dark, but that left an empty space in the everlasting dark, waiting for my return," he then said tightening his hand at his chest like he was feeling it now, because he was. He wanted to believe that there was a place in the light for him, but he feared that his time was nearing it's end. Staying in the light for all these years hadnt been easy, and regaining his soul that had taken so much from hell, made his core conflicted. He wasnt sure he could explain it to her in the moment, or if he even wanted to. It wasnt a comfortable topic for him.
His expression turned dreadful as she mentioned her full name as he wasnt certain that he could speak his without feeling the curse of it. He took her hand and looked her into the eyes, "Belial... I cant tell you my whole name, because doing so could end badly," he then said as he once again felt the comfort from her touch. He sighed deeply and let go even though he truly didnt want to. But he still didnt feel quite ready to seek out comfort in someone else. His eyes moved away as he knew that not telling her his full name would spark questions. He looked at his hand and showed her the mark, demonic lettering would spell out his name, but he didnt know if she could read them. "Whenever someone says my full name, the hellish artifact in my core gets unstable... It wants to get out and be reunited with hell once again," he then said and closed his hand as he pulled it back to him, turning his face away from her as a feeling of shame spread within him.
"I wasnt always like this. Protecting people. I protected the ones I loved, but by nature, I felt a craving for something more. Power." he then said as he frowned in sadness and clenched his jaw. "It is a story for another time. I lost everyone I loved in my pursuit of power and were left in darkness once again," he then explained as he moved his eyes up to meet hers, his eyes filled with the pain of remembering his losses. He felt his breath tremble and rose to his feet as he walked over to the window to look out of it. "I am the son of the devil, and nothing will ever change that. My whole existence is with the purpose to destroy the humans that inhibit this world and send them down to my father's realm...." he stopped himself and just stared out of the window with a blank expression.

Buffy smiled at his comment and couldn’t hold back a short chuckle as she imagined a demon reading the Bible. She just listened to his respons. She might not agree with everything he said, but somehow she was captivated. His speech manners were different and his thrilling dark and mysterious voice lured her in. Buffy let her hand rest on his on his chest and felt the hand clench slightly at his chest. Then she gave his hand a squeeze and looked at him. Shorly she swallowed, searching for her words. ”We humans aren’t much better, and at times I wonder why I keep draining my own life for that safety that they might get,” she said quietly and with a small smile. She didn’t mind offering some of her life span for the greater good, but what if her sacrifice was in vein? A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked down. She moved her hand away and instead focused on introducing herself anew. His comment about his name made her curious, but she didn’t even need to ask. She looked at his mark and recognized some of the letters, spelling out the name in her head but not saying it. She watched his face carefully, wanting to reach out and comfort him. What a weird feeling to have towards a demon, especially one who was the son of satan. Buffy watched him, listened, because that was sometimes the only thing she could do. Slowly and carefully she moved her back slightly to turn towards him. [color=#9370DB]”I know a thing or two about being drawn to power and a need to protect,”d with a faint smile and looked down at her stake, biting her lip as she thought about her words.

[color=#9370DB]”And I would never let you destroy any humans, I would be there to stop you,” she said. She gave after for the softness of the bed and layed down, resting her body, but not falling asleep. She turned to her side, watching Baal as he looked out the window. ”Don’t be offended, but I’m actually amazed at the fact that a demon can feel love,” she said, looking at him. His tall body blocking the sun’s last rays of light before it went away for the night. She would have to report back soon, but she had to figure out a story first. ”I guess it’s in my nature to not trust anyone who is of supernatural descent, but I think it’s weirdly nice that I can talk so casually with you,” she stated and looked up at the ceiling. The small dots slurring around, and she quickly turned her head back to the demon in the room. ”Can I ask you something?” she said, fiddling with her fingers and biting the inside of her cheek to distract herself slightly.

"You may not be better, but you are not deserving of what the bloodthirsty are doing to you. At least I dont think so," he said with a shrug.
He turned his eyes to her as she said she wouldnt let him destroy any human. A sign of relief spread in his face and he smiled softly at her, "And for that I thank you," he just said and let his eyes stay on hers before they moved back to the window. Surely it was odd that he wasnt going to deny it or even attempt to believe that he wouldnt ever turn on humanity. But he just couldnt believe it, not with the artifact filling him up with dark energy. He watched his mark grow darker in his hand and gulped quietly to himself. Her words pulled him out of his head and he looked out of the window again as he listened to her. Her words made him smile, "I've felt love, and many sorts of it. The love of a home, the love of friendship. The love of a girl..." he pulled on the last sentence and sighed. He didnt want to think about her now of all times.
He chuckled lightly as she said she rarely trusted demons, and that it was nice that she could talk to him. Why did she have such an easy time lifting his mood that had seemed to darken quickly at the mention of his darker times? He wasnt sure how he felt about it. "Of course. We're two beings with the ability to think. It would be odd if we couldnt talk, wouldnt it?" he then said in a slight tease with the chuckles spark of feelings lingering in a smile.
He rested his eyes on her as she watched the ceiling, but moved his gaze away as their eyes met, he didnt want her to think that he was starring at her for too long - Only that that was what he wanted in the moment. He raised an eyebrow as she asked for a question and gave her a short nod, "Ask away," he replied and returned to his seat next to the bed as he looked at her. "I am afterall supposed to keep you awake,"

Buffy chuckled at his comment and shrug. He was so casual about it, and she only felt this type of casuality with her brother. As she promised to stop him and he thanked her she couldn’t hold back a smile. Damn that demon and his ability to make her smile like she had no worries in the world. ”I’ve never been in love, so I don’t know the feeling, but I love my brother,” she said looking at him. His last sentence hit her in some way. It was almost sad to hear him like that, and she felt the need again to comfort him, but stayed in the bed. She pulled the covers up beside her, slightly hugging it as she looked at him. It was hard balancing her job, studies and to throw a boyfriend on top would maybe just stress her more. It wasn’t really that she had even tried dating much, though some of her classmates had put her on a few dating apps. She found the concept weird. She hugged the blanket closer as he sait to ask away and she smiled softly, yet looking tired as well. ”Why didn’t you choose a crazier name than Baal? I mean you could have named yourself after an awesome character from fiction,” she asked with a teasing grin as she looked at him. She looked to those grey eyes that looked at her, almost begging to be looked at closer. ”And do you think a demon and a human could develop a friendship?” she asked a bit more serious.

She wanted to hear his opinion, because if he was not for it, she would have to cut herself off here. Buffy was not one to want to hold people back, and especially not when it was her literal enemy she was trying to get closer to. One of her hands ran up to her hair, moving a few locks away from her face and scratching her scalp slightly. ”I’m not good at analogies, so; do you think we could be friends, Baal, with a love for humans,” she said with a small smile. It wasn’t a safe place they were moving to if he wanted to give it a shot. She was trained to kill his kind, and he spoke of eventually giving in to the darkness and consume the humans like his kin. She wanted to know him, even though her training and learned behaviour had thought her to never trust demons. But how could she not trust this man? He had saved her, there was no point in denying that, even though she had tried to play it off when they met. ”Oh, and I guess I owe you a thanks, for you know – not letting my soul get consumed,” she said and giggled silently.

"Suppose you've been too busy out there slaying all the demons," he said neutrally, couldnt really bring the teasing tone out at the state of emotions he had suddenly stepped into.
When she asked her question, he raised an eyebrow at her and then made a teethy smile as he shook his head, "I suppose I picked a rather lame name for cover. I wanted something that was slightly similar to my real name, so I wouldnt feel as if I was a whole new person. And honestly, I've never felt as alive being Belial, as I do when I am Baal," he then explained and made a crooked smile. It seemed silly to admit.
Her question made him turn his head up towards the ceiling just a little bit as he considered it, "Hmmm. Depends on the human and the demon. But it is always possible," he said as he lifted his hand and scratched his neck. It wasnt really a hard question as race shouldnt have a say in the matter, if you asked him. He moved his head down to it's normal position as she elaborated the question, making him laugh as he realized that he hadnt caught the hint right away. "A possibility. If your intentions arent to kill me at any given moment," he said with a charming smile as he looked at her. He shrugged as she said she owed him a thanks, "You dont have to thank me," he then said with a more serious expression. He wouldnt have any thanks for what he was doing.
But his serious expression didnt last long as he leaned back in the chair and lifted his leg to place it elegantly over his knee. He was quiet for a bit and seemed to space out before he looked at her with a slight smile in the corner of his mouth as he was about to say something. A nurse walked in for the checkup and Baal reached out for her hand again just as the nurse turned his eyes up from his notes. He glanced at their hands and wondered why it felt so right to hold her hand. He turned his eyes away and felt somewhat guilty for feeling that way. He looked up at the nurse after a bit, "When is she ready to be discharged? I'd love to take her home so she can be somewhere familiar," he then said with a little smile. What was he doing?

”Is that a bad thing? You make it sound like it’s a bad thing, anyways,” she said looking down a bit. Why was one person doing something for the greater good and putting others before her so frowned upon by the people around her. Few knew what she actually did for work, but she sometimes wondered if she wasn’t as good at hiding things as she thought. She was happy when the subject changed, however, and looked at ham. His crooked smile was something to behold. Demons are natural predators, she reminded herself, but it didn’t hold her away from looking at him and finding new details she hadn’t seen before. She looked away as he answered at first, and felt it hurt a bit, but maybe it was because she wasn’t being clear. As she elaborated he laughed and she looked at him a bit in confusion. His words and charming smile made her chuckle. ”Isn’t it more exciting if I don’t tell you my intentions?” she said a bit in teasing. To be honest she couldn’t promise she would never try and kill him. He had after all warned her about his darkness, and if it came to it, she would have to be the slayer first and friend second. She looked his shoulders move up and down in a shrug and she breathed out a bit annoyed as he said not to thank him. She opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again. She wouldn’t have liked a thank you either. Maybe she would just have to show it. Buffy just layed on the bed and looked at the light coming in from the big windows. She barely heard the nurse, but suddenly felt Baal’s hand in hers. She breathed out and gave his hand a squeeze. Such a weird feeling holding his hand. It was like her body was going crazy – at least her heart was. Baal spoke to the nurse and she swallowed as he said home, but a faint smile was to be seen on her lips.

”She should be fine to leave by now, but if you feel strange in any way, you need to return,” the nurse said with a serious tone, however he had a nice warm smile on his lips. Buffy smiled in relief and got up from the bed, but couldn’t stop holding the demon’s hand in hers. She still needed rest, but she felt better as she leaned her head against Baal’s arm for some balance. ”Let’s go home, babe, I can’t stand being here anymore,” she said looking up at Baal with a hopeful smile. She didn’t know what awaited when they got out of the hospital, but she signed a few papers and were then allowed to go. She kept holding Baal’s hand as they moved to the exit and breathed in the fresh air as they stepped out to the street. The wind was mild and she could smell the dew laying itself in the grass. She didn’t want to let go of the demon nor part ways with him, and she felt a bit selfish because of that fact. Buffy turned her body and faced Baal with a half smile on her lips. ”This human can’t let go of your hand,” she mumbled a bit flustered and looked down at their hands. She was being stupid and stalling, she knew that, but part of her wondered if he wanted to just stall with her. ”I know you just ate before …” she couldn’t really finish her setence. ”Do you eat human food too?” she asked with a hopeful smile.

“What would your god think if he knew you were spending all your life doing what he made the angels do for you?” He asked as he starred out the window. He couldnt really judge her as thry were quite the same. He thought she had seen that by now but it must have been his tone. “I am not judging you,” he then clarified.
“I suppose it would. Bet your stake there would end my life in an instant,” he said as he eyed the stake attached to her arm.
He felt her squeeze and moved his eyes to her face as the nurse spole, smiling softly at the words. He had no idea what this would mean, but he was hoping that their meeting wouldnt come to an end. Another hope he didnt understand why he was clinging onto. But she had said that she wanted to be friends, and so did he. Her calling him babe, felt so oddly natural and for the first time, it seemed that the shadow of the person haunting his mind was slowly fading. How was that with just a single word from the human, calling him babe? He held her hand as he helped her out of the bed, smiling at the nurse, “Thank you for taking care of my girlfriend,” he said as he nodded a farewell.
Stepping out of the hospital made him sigh in relief as the dark spirit calmed down and finally gave him a chance to relax. The hospital was definitely not a place that he liked, and the ER part of it even less. All the souls leaving their bodies, the negativity harbouring the worried. Being free from that was
He didnt mind the fact that she couldnt let go of his hand but noted how flustered she sounded at her own realization. He smiled softly and shool his head, “I do think that the nurse is still starring at us, maybe hoping we’d let go so he could ask you out himself,” he said in a low tone as he glanced bacl through the glassdoors with a slight grin. He turned his eyes back to her at as she seemed to hold back a sentence and tilted his head. Her question made him make a nauseated expression but he couldnt help it and hold the expression for long, so he quickly softened up to a happy expression and laughed. “Human food tastes rather odd to me, never liked it,” he said but he realized that he wasnt quite ready to let go of her hand either. He moved his hand a bit to get a better hold of hers and looked into her eyes, “But it doesnt hurt me, so I guess I would like to grab a bite with you,” he then said, feeling oddly happy at the notion that their ways wouldnt part just yet. There was still that feeling of betrayal on his own feelings lingering within in, but it felt like her touch dulled the shame, even if it was just while their hands were connected. He started walking, in the pace that she wanted, moving his eyes ahead to watch the path they walked. “Whenever I eat human food, I get a feeling that I have done it all my life, but it tastes so different, nothing like it was supposed to. But I dont remember where I have these memories from,” he explained as they walked, making a concentrating frown when he was churning his brain in search of the memory. He sighed and shook his head, “I envy humans in that way. You can taste all different sorts of flavours, indulge yourselves in the experience of spices, lose yourself in the sweetness of a cake,” he then said as his eyes were ahead, glancing at her with a slight smile but quickly moving his eyes back. He had no idea where they were going, but it didnt really matter to him. He could stroll these streets for eternity with her hand in his.

Buffy felt her cheeks grow a light pink as he called her his girlfriend and she looked up at him with a warm smile. Getting out through the doors she could feel how the demon’s body relaxed, and she wondered a bit about that. It would make sense for the demon to sense the souls fighting for their lives, but she didn’t want to ask too much. She already felt a bit guilty even asking all of this of him. Buffy exhaled and closed her eyes as she felt the last rays on her skin. It was getting dark soon, but she also felt herself hungry. She frowned a bit at his expression and words, but as he said he could manage she couldn’t hold back a small grin. ”As long as you don’t grab me as a bite,” she said a bit in teasing. Was that stepping over the line? She didn’t know and often found herself blurting out things before she thought about it completely. They started walking and she felt relieved at the fact he was still holding her hand, she just begged that no-one saw her getting so close with a demon. Not that she was ashamed, but her job was to eliminate his kin. He started talking about food, and she giggled a bit as he called it ’human food’, as if they ate pellets like a dog or another house animal. His speech about tastes was almost poetic and she let out a sigh as she looked up at him. ”You’re just making me more hungry talking about things like that,” she said and gave his hand a squeeze. It felt awfully natural, just walking the streets hand in hand. She leaned closer to him as the darkness started to fall around them and with it came the night’s cold touch. She spotted a small diner, the one she always came to on late nights like this and pulled him with her. Getting a table was easy, as most people weren’t out this late on a normal work day. She herself had classes tomorrow, but she didn’t want to think about that. She sat down across from him, placing their hands across the table.

Shortly she just looked at their hands before she moved her eyes to greet Baal’s again. ”I know this might not be the culinary experience that you talked about, but a lot of us humans take spices and sweetness for granted,” she said with a smile and grabbed the menu card off of the table. She flipped through the pages thinking about what she wanted. ”You got me all riled up for cake; But I think I’ll settle with a waffle,” she said and looked at Baal. ”You don’t have to eat, if you don’t want to, but order something anyways; I’ll pay so just go crazy,” she said with a grin. That’s when she heard her name being called from across the room. ”Buuuuuffyyyyyy,” a tall brunette came running over to the table and Buffy only let go of Baal’s hand to get up and hug her friend. ”What are you doing here so late – don’t you got classes tomorrow?” the brunette went on before she glanced at Baal and turned to Buffy with a teasing grin. ”Don’t even think about it Monica,” Buffy warned with a grin on her face. The brunette leaned closer to her friend and whispered in her ear. ”If you get bored of him, I’ll have a bite,” she said in a low tone and leaned away again. ”I’ll see you next Monday right?” Buffy said, ignoring what the brunette had just said. Monica gave Baal an examining look before she nodded at Buffy’s words and said her goodbyes. Buffy breathed out and sat down in the small booth once more.

”Poor girl, doesn’t even know I never get bored,” she said looking as her friend left. Then she looked at Baal again with a half apologetic smile on her lips. ”I take some classes with her at uni, she’s great fun, but always want me to go out dating,” she said, feeling the need to explain a bit. Her hand felt empty now that she wasn’t touching the demon and she breathed out. Was this just a warning sign from above that eventually she would have to let go? It felt like it. The waiter got to their table and Buffy ordered a waffle with some hot cocoa. Though she was hungry, she more felt the need for some sugar – maybe because her body felt so energyless. ”So a Bible reading demon with a love for humans and no interest in human food; what is he doing in Gaia?” she asked a bit blatantly, but then again, she wanted to get to know him.

"Tempting," he teased her back with a devilish smirk, yet he didnt mean it. He very keen of eating the souls of people who didnt deserve it. He prefered the dark and evil ones, even though some of them usually made the artifact act up.
"My apologies. I didnt mean to fuel your hunger," he said with a apologetic smile as he shook his head. He tended to explain things in a creative way, he had done it a lot in the past where everything was way more formal. Some things just stuck when you have lived as long as he had. He watched her spot the diner and turned his face to look at it. He had taken a few to restaurants, but he wasnt sure he had been in a diner before. Not that he was dating the people he had taken out, it was usually humans who was either his friends or someone he had saved. This wasnt different was it? But then why did it feel so different?

As they sat, he glanced at the menu and made a dismayed expression at the thought of eating it. Her words changed his expression to a smile as he chuckled. "I bet," he said as he remembered watching most humans eat. How most of them just downed the food in a go, without really tasting it. But that was probably how it was once they got used to it. He found it sad somehow, but it didnt affect his mood. He lifted his hands like she had insulted him with charming smile as she said he didnt have to eat it, "You're offering me food and expecting me not to eat it with satisfaction? You must be mad," he said and shook his head. There was no way he wasnt going to eat whatever he settled for, even if it tasted like mud or nothing at all. He turned his head slightly as a voice called out for Buffy, his expression turning confused for a bit, to then just smile lightly. He assumed that it was her friend as Buffy let his hand go to stand up and hug her friend. He looked at them and watched the friend turn her eyes to him. He just sat silently, because that wouldnt add more to his mysterious character at all. He lifted his tattooed hand and scratched his neck shortly as he wasnt sure if he was supposed to greet her or not.

He raised an eyebrow as his hearing easily picked up on the whisper, looking at the friend with a neutral look. He kept his eyes on the brunette as she examined him and leaned a bit back into the chair in the booth, but before she was finished, he had already turned his eyes back on Buffy, where he made a charming half-smile. Surely that would give her friend a lot to talk about tomorrow, a cruel tease on Baal's behalf, but hell, he found it quite funny especially after the friend had shown a clear interest in him. He listened to her explain about the friend and nodded as he tilted his head a bit, "University. That's intersting," he said with a little smile.
When the waiter arrived, he grabbed the selection and skimmed it shortly before he just ordered something random. He didnt know what he was going to get, but he was sure that he wouldnt like it. But he would eat it nonetheless, now when Buffy had offered him a meal. He grinned at her summary of him as she asked him why he was in Gaia. He lifted his arm up over the chair and sat for a while as he thought about it. "Hmmmm. Most of my family reside here. I dont talk to them, but it's always nice to know that there's a familiar face around the corner once in a while," he then said as he looked away from Buffy and out the window, "Out of all my million siblings, I only talk to two. One is in hell reigning, the other is out spreading havoc with her twinsister," he then said as he smiled a bit. He didnt condone their actions, but they were family afterall. "They are the favorites in my father's eyes, if you ask me," he then said and shrugged. He didnt mind being a disappointment in that way, as he and his father who was now his mother never really seemed to have gotten along.

Buffy couldn’t hold back a small laugh at his words about her soul, because she felt like it was only a joke. Wasn’t it? She really didn’t want to think much about it and kept walking till they got to the diner. At him calling her mad she opened her mouth and acted insulted, but it quickly turned back to a grin. He somehow made her smile and laugh with ease, and that was usually only her brother who could do that. Weird how this day had turned out like this. ”What if I am a mad woman, and you just haven’t noticed yet?” she said with a teasing grin and raised her eyebrow at him. As she spoke with her friend, she noticed her friend looking at Baal as he smiled at Buffy. The friend gave her a nod and gestured to the demon, but soon left. She sat down once more and looked at Baal. His comment about university made her chuckle. ”I guess I just want to try and have a somewhat normal life on the side,” she said with a shrug as she looked out the window. ”You mentioned how short our lives are, but for me it might get cut shorter,” she said silently. She never really spoke about the fact that for every kill she made with her stake it would be one step closer to her death. She bit her lip and placed her order with the waiter and looked at him again, a faint smile on her lip. Her eyes wandered to look at his tattoo covered body, that just showed a hint of pale skin beneath it. She liked seeing his grin and she placed her elbows on the table, resting her head in her hands as she listened to him. Her eyes just looking into his grey. Did they have some green in them too? She thought she could see that color hiding. He mentioned his family as well as having a lot of siblings and nodded at his last remark.

”Well I guess I’m lucky I only have one brother to get into a fight with,” she said with a teasing grin. His siblings sounded interesting, and she had a feeling that they might resemble more of the evil wickedness that she had heard so much about growing up. She bit the inside of her cheek as she watched him. ”I guess I haven’t met your siblings, but out of all the supernatural beings I’ve met, you’re my favorite; if it means anything,” she said with a soft smile. Baal was easy to talk to. So easy it was a bit scary and she tried holding back a bit. She wasn’t going to bore him with her upbringing, and by the sound of it, he wouldn’t like to go into details about his own. It didn’t take long for the food to arrive and Buffy clapped her hands together in excitement. ”Enjoy,” said the waitress and Buffy giggled as she took a fork and started seperating the waffle into bites. She took one of those bites in her mouth and leaned back, exhaling satisfied. ”I love waffles,” she mumbled as she chewed and smiled at the demon. ”Here, try it,” she said and grabbed a piece with her fork. It was covered in some light syrup with a bit of whipped cream on and she held the fork towards his mouth. ”Tell me what you taste, ’cause I’m curious,” she said and bopped the fork a bit up and down as a tease.

He narrowed his eyes at her as she asked if she wasnt already mad, and shook his head, "Your soul doesnt seem so," he then said with a smile. He shrugged as it probably sparked another question, "Mad souls have this vibe to them. Unstable and fighting between staying good or bad. It's easy to feel the conflict in them, unless they're truly mad," he then explained and raised his hand like he was holding a soul in it. He let it fall and turned his eyes back to her. "Madness affects the soul in a way only a demon like me would know," he shrugged.
"Who can blame you? They say education is important," he then said with a small chuckle. He had never really gotten an education himself, as what he had learned about the world came from the harsh reality, or whatever book he had stuck his nose into. And he had read a lot of educational books through his time. Some that were far too old at this point, but there were also new ones. He wondered if she read in her free time. It could be nice to find someone to sit and read with from time to time.
A smile spread on his lips as she mentioned her brother and he shook his head, "I dont get along with most, but the ones I do, I get along well. My little sister used to love the things that I brought to her whenever I visited her in hell," he then said as he looked out the window again. He wondered if she was still there or finally had found her way to earth. Some part of him hoped not, mostly because her twinsister had always been closer with Samaira. And as much as he loved them both, they had their own evil. He didnt want that for his other sister. He wanted to keep her safe from turning dark, with all his might. Buffy calling him her favorite made him chuckle, "Because the rest are dead?" he teased and kept chuckling for a little while. Wow, she really made him laugh that easily, and he realized that he liked hearing her laugh as well.
When the food arrived, he looked at it and took a small whiff. It's smell was probably appealing to most, but he wasnt sure what he thought of it. It didnt really smell like anything particular. A burger and a milkshake, which he was sure wasnt going to taste nice. He took a bite of the burger and frowned in disgust at the taste, yet he chewed and swallowed, gulping it down with the disgust growing deeper in his frown. He coughed and closed his eyes for a bit, before he opened them again and looked at her. "I'm sorry.... This is exactly how I remember it being like," he said as he took another bite, just to get used to the bad taste. Soon he could eat it without the frown.
He looked at the fork with the waffle and gulped as she asked him to taste it. Oh god, what was he going to taste? He wasnt going to let her wait long before he opened his mouth and let her feed him the piece of waffle, maintaining eyecontact as his lips wandered off the fork. He leaned a bit back as he started chewing it, trying to figure out what it tasted like. But even though the taste wasnt pleasant, he didnt show it. He swallowed and exhaled before he looked at her with a slight smile, "Like a sponge that had a fight with a thick sticky liquid," he said, speaking mostly in consistency of the things, as the taste wasnt something he could explain. "The taste.... It's like the last piece of a soul in a body that has already given up on life. Souls taste like feelings, the strongest one being the one they felt in their last moment. I think this taste would be what humans call....." he said as he seemed to search for the words. It had been a while since he last described the taste of human food and he couldnt remember all the flavours that were to compare with. "Uhh... rancid, that was the word," he then said as he put his elbow on the table and rested his head in his hand as he smiled at her.