Chapter Text
[PROLOGUE]
The Sour Demon, Malina let out a loud sigh, her trademark scowl adorning her face, as she scrolled through her computer, searching for a game to purchase on Steam, but she was having no luck in finding one. It was late at night, eleven o'clock PM, to be precise, and the white-haired demon woman was in a spacious apartment she bought with her roommate. The aforementioned apartment was dimly lit, with the only sources of light being a faintly illuminated kitchen and the glow from Malina's computer, casting a light on her face, but she wasn't too concerned.
Malina took a big swig of Rokita, her favorite alcoholic beverage, before slamming it down on her desk, it somehow not breaking upon contact. "Damn it all to hell and back!" Had Malina known that finding a reasonably priced game on Steam, one that wasn't poorly made or a mere clone of another game, was troublesome, she wouldn't have bothered searching for one. Seriously, she could have used her time more wisely, such as getting some sleep or playing one of the many games she already owned. "Tch! Talk about a major pain in the ass..."
Malina shut her computer off and rubbed her bloodshot eyes. The demoness should consider reducing her computer usage...nah, the thing was too valuable to go unused, and it wasn't causing any harm to her, so she was good. Malina stood up from her chair and dragged her feet over to a neighboring could and slumped down, her crimson eyes staring up at the whirring fan that was above her. The Sour Demon would have gone to her bedroom on the second floor, but she was too exhausted and preferred the couch. Another sigh sprang from Malina; honestly, she never imagined that she would find herself living on Earth with humans instead of being in Hell with the rest of her kind. Truthfully, the demoness had visited Earth a couple of times, mainly to buy games, alcoholic beverages, or food when the ones down in Hell weren't enough, but she got there through illegal methods, so she couldn't do it willy-nilly.
"This is my life..." Malina muttered to nobody but herself. If someone were to ask about Malina's decision, the most suitable response she could provide would be that it was better than being in Hell. Despite living in Hell, Malina wasn't a big fan of it. While Lucifer Morning had made efforts to make it more accommodating for its citizen and it was better than before, the changes alone weren't sufficient to prevent it from being an overall shitshow. "It's not the best, but..." Malina stretched, trying to make herself more comfortable. "It's better than what I had before."
Out of nowhere, the door to Malina's apartment swung open, gaining her attention and a man stepped through. Said man was an attractive fellow, who looked to be in his late twenties, standing tall at a height of 5'9 with a fit and well-built physique, complemented by a sandy-beige complexion. In addition to his other features, the man possessed a head of charcoal hair, disheveled and untamed, with a few strands gracefully cascading over his deep, dark brown eyes. Finally, there were his clothes; he kept it simple, wearing a gray T-shirt paired with tattered black jeans, white and gray sneakers on his feet (Jordan 9 Retro 'Barons'), black sweatbands around his wrists, and a gold chain with an equally gold crucifix attached worn around his neck.
The man went by the name of Joel Thurston, and he held the role of Malina's roommate, but more importantly, he was her boyfriend.
"You sure took your sweet time..." Malina said bitterly.
Joel sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry about that, Mal," he apologized. "Work takes up a lot of time, but the payoff is worth it."
"Would it kill you to do something different, something less dangerous?" Malina asked with her arms folded, giving Joel her trademark scowl. "I mean, look at you; whatever you were dealing with got some solid hits in, and you have scratches all over your body. You keep waving your life around like it's a flag, but some freak could come along and take it away from you, and take you from me."
A palpable tension filled the air, catching Joel's attention with its undeniable presence. In an effort to alleviate the tension, Joel sat beside Malina, drawing her near and embracing the demoness with gentle intimacy. "I'm..." he began. "I'm sorry..." Malina could only look away. "I know you don't like it when I put myself in danger, but it's not because I want to, it's because I have to. It's a family thing, you know? For years, my family has been slaying all kinds of dangerous beasts that plague the planet; first, it was my father, and now it's me."
"I know." Malina's voice was soft. "Every day, I see you leave, and I'm afraid it'll be the last time I see you. I just don't want to lose you."
The words spoken by Malina tugged at Joel's heartstrings, intensifying his feelings of guilt. With a gentle touch, the brunette placed his hands on Malina's chin, guiding her head to face him. Joel and Malina locked eyes, the former's black eyes meeting with the latter's red ones.
"I'm not going anywhere, Mal," Joel reassured, putting Malina at ease. "I said that when we first started dating, and I'll say it again today."
Malina's face flushed deeply, a rosy hue spreading across her cheeks. The demoness found herself at a loss for words, yet her mind brimming with thoughts of actions. After all, actions have a way of conveying more than mere words ever could. With surprising strength, Malina grabbed Joel's shoulders and pushed him down on the couch. Malina's crimson eyes glowed, which were complemented by a bright pink glow that ringed around the outer edges; she leaned down in a deliberate, unhurried manner, and pressed her lips against Joel's. Joel felt a burning passion emanating from Malina, accompanied by the pleasant smell of fresh vanilla wafting through the air, and being the attentive boyfriend that he was, he felt compelled to fulfill his lover's desires.
Joel placed his hand on Malina's thigh and gradually moved it upwards until it reached her buttocks. Joel inwardly smirked as he firmly yet gently squeezed Malina's butt, eliciting a moan from the demoness. Malina stopped her passionate kiss with Joel and broke away from the human, a slight trail of saliva lingering between them. Malina gazed at Joel with a lustful and desirous expression on her face.
Malina grabbed her shirt and took it off in one go, unveiling her noticeably large bust, securely held in a black bra. "I want it..."
Malina lifted Joel's shirt, revealing his stomach, and erotically licked his chest, driving him to shiver with pleasure. "Ah~" he moaned.
Malina was familiar with all of Joel's sensitive spots, and Joel was familiar with all of Malina's sensitive spots, creating a balanced understanding between them. Joel was consistently amazed (and aroused) by Malina's ability to embrace her kinky side when she was in the right mood. Joel, feeling more turned on than ever, promptly picked up Malina, cradling her in his arms, and carried her to their bedroom to take her on a trip to pleasure city. The duo had a very long and arduous night ahead of them, yet it was highly likely that they wouldn't even notice, let alone be concerned about it.
Time flies when a couple is getting down and dirty.
XxX
Many hours had passed.
The rays belonging to the luminous sun shined down on Malina's naked body, disturbing the demoness from her desired slumber. Joel, on the other hand, remained unaffected by the sunlight, continuing to sleep undisturbed...until he was abruptly awakened by the blaring sound of his alarm clock; emitting a groan, the mortal man reluctantly emerged from his sleep.
"I should really get a better alarm clock..." Joel grumbled.
"One that isn't annoying..." Malina said, turning around and burying her face in her pillow. "I just want to sleep..."
Joel, who was equally nude as Malina, got out of bed and shut the curtain, shielding the room from the invasive rays of the sun. "No sun, no problem." Joel didn't have any issues with the sun; in fact, he found the light to be soothing on his face, but if Malina said it was a problem, then it was a problem. The lady with white hair wasn't particularly fond of mornings, and after what had happened the previous night, she definitely wasn't going to wake up early unless there was a compelling reason to do so.
"I'm going to take a shower, Mal." Joel had a strong odor of sex, sweat, and whatever he had been dealing with the previous day, so it was clear that he needed a refreshing shower. "You're more than welcome to join me if you like...especially if you want a part two to last night."
"Mmm...I'll think about it," Malina muttered, her face still in her pillow.
"Don't think too long, babe; I might be out by the time you finished," Joel joked.
"Whatever you say..." grumbled Malina.
Without uttering another word, Joel departed from his and Malina's bedroom to take a nice, hot shower, leaving Malina to rest in bed.
XxX
"Gordon Ramsey, eat your heart out." Joel was grinning ear to ear while Malina could only roll her eyes in response.
In the kitchen, Joel was busy cooking up a storm while Malina, having just finished taking a shower herself, stood by his side, engrossed in her phone. Joel had always possessed a fondness for cooking, a passion he had cultivated since his teenage years. Interestingly, Malina was also a skilled cook, having been taught by Joel, and although she didn't quite reach Joel's level of expertise, she still had her own talent and could prepare delicious meals.
While Joel was cooking bacon strips, his phone suddenly rang, prompting him to pause and answer it. "Hello? Joel speaking."
"Hey, Joey!" said a feminine voice. The caller was Zdrada, the Bitch Demon, and the older sister of Malina.
Joel raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Zdrada?"
Malina glanced up from her phone, wearing an expression of equal confusion on her face. "Zdrada?" she queried. "Why is she calling?"
Joel could only shrug his shoulders in response. "Z, You usually call me when you want to get to Mal."
"Which is exactly what I'm doing, now put Malinka on the phone," Zdrada instructed.
"Whatever you say." Joel gave his phone to Malina. "Big sis wants to talk to you."
"Why?" Malina asked. "Wouldn't it be better if she called me instead of you?"
Joel shrugged once again. "My best guess is that she called you earlier, but you couldn't pick up or something."
With a sigh, Malina reluctantly took Joel's phone. "I'm here," she said. "What do you want, Zdrada?"
Zdrada had her usual toothy grin, but Malina couldn't see it. "Well, Malinka." Malina scowled when she was called 'Malinka', a nickname she hated. "You'll be happy to know that I joined a harem."
Malina was silent for a few seconds before eventually breaking her silence. "Excuse me? A harem? The hell are you talking about?"
"I, Zdrada, everyone's favorite Bitch Demon, is in a harem," Zdrada declared, a heaping pile of pride in her tone. "It's pretty cool."
"Okay...but why, though?" Malina was trying to make sense of what she was hearing, but she was failing miserably. "Since when were you okay with the idea of sharing someone? Since when were you ever interested in dating someone? Did you take a blow to the head, and all of a sudden you're interested in romance?"
"What?" Zdrada actually sounded offended. "Am I not allowed to dive into the world of love and all that mushy-gushy shit?"
"It's weird for you to do it," Malina deadpanned. "Try not to crash and burn, okay?"
"Your words hurt me, my dear sister," Zdrada jested, trying to sound hurt. "Having little to no faith in your older sibling."
Malina shrugged. "I'm only stating the truth," she said. "Who even is the unlucky guy?"
"A human dude named Helltaker," Zdrada smirked
"..." Malina fell silent.
"Hello? Malinka?" Obviously, Zdrada couldn't see Malina, so silence was concerning.
"Hell...taker? That's his name? Like, his actual name?" Malina really needed a bottle of Rokita.
"No; I don't know what his real name is, and frankly, I don't care," Zdrada replied. "I'm having fun, and that's all that matters."
"Is this a prank? Because I feel like it is." Zdrada often pranked Malina in the past, so the latter wasn't sure if her sister was telling the truth.
Zdrada was slowly starting to get annoyed. "I'm not pranking you, Malinka." Was her sister always so negative? "Why don't you believe me?"
"Because you're you?" Zdrada was a quirky and outlandish person, that Malina knew from the years she lived with her. "Helltaker? Really?"
"I'm telling the truth, Malinka," Zdrada said. "I'll even go as far as to send you a tape of me getting nailed. Would you like that?"
"No!" Malina shouted, making Joel jump in surprise. "I don't want to see a damn sex tape!"
"Speak for yourself, Mal" Joel jeered.
Malina raised her hand, showcasing her razor-sharp claws.
"Shutting up..." Joel instantly went back to cooking, doing his best to ignore Malina's dark scowl.
Zdrada laughed. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Malina growled in response, restraining herself from punching something.
"You better be..." Malina said under her breath. "How did you even meet the guy? Why did you choose to be a part of his harem?"
"The dude got into Hell by magic or some nonsense," Zdrada explained. "From there, he set out to find demon chicks for his wacky demon harem dream. Between you and me, the guy's pretty strange, but I would be a dirty little liar if I said I wasn't into that shit. I'm glad I was around and got to be a part of the action; frankly, I was getting bored."
"So you basically joined a harem to cure your boredom." Malina was rubbing her temples. "Is that what I'm being told?"
"Yee," Zdrada happily replied with no regret. "One of the best decisions I've ever made. You should really give the harem life a try."
"I'm not doing shit," Malina scowled. "I'm perfectly content with Joey; it's a cold day in Hell before I share him with skanks."
Joel perked up. "What about me?"
"Nothing, go back to cooking." Malina shooed Joel.
"Aight." And like that, Joel went right back to cooking.
"My, so defensive," Zdrada giggled. "Men love women who protect what's theirs, y'know."
Malina folded her arms. "If we're done chatting, I'd like to get back to doing what I was doing."
"Always the introvert." Zdrada rolled her eyes. "You should come by; I'll send you the address if you're interested."
"I really don't want to return to Hell; I've had my fill of that circus," Malina said.
"See, that's the thing, Malinka..." Zdrada said, earning a confused look from Malina. "I'm not actually in Hell."
"With the implication being?" Malina raised an eyebrow.
"Take a wild guess." Zdrada had a smug smirk on her face.
"Did you..." Malina paused for a second before continuing. "Did you move to Earth, too?"
"Think of it as relocating," Zdrada answered.
Malina facepalmed. "Moving and relocating are the same thing, dumbass," she said. "Did you think this through? Do Mom and Dad know?"
"They know...well, they're going to know once I tell them." Malina facepalmed again. Good god, her sister was an idiot of the highest order. "I think they'll be happy with the news. What do you think, Malinka? After all, you were always the favorite."
"Zdrada...you're going to give me a stroke," Malina said. "Do you seriously, wholeheartedly believe that what your doing is good?"
"Yeah; I think it'll be fun," Zdrada smiled. "I'm a grown-ass woman, Malinka; I can do whatever the hell I want."
"Except make good decisions," Malina muttered under her breath. "I mean, seriously, you're living under the roof of a dude you just met."
"Okay, and?" Zdrada saw nothing wrong with the idea.
"You don't think that's, oh, I don't know, insane?" Malina could feel a small headache coming along.
"Is little Malinka worried about her older sister?" Zdrada teased. "I never knew you cared so much."
"I don't think the family would like to see you on the back of a milk carton," Malina said. "Especially Dad, and we know how he gets."
"I'll be fine, Malinka; I mean, the guy can't kill me, and he probably wouldn't, anyway," Zdrada reassured. "He's a chill dude."
"If you say so." Malina was still skeptical, but what could she really do? "Just don't die or some shit."
"I remember telling you the same shit after you told me about Joey," Zdrada smirked. "Ironic isn't it?"
"Yeah, but the difference between me and you is that I dated Joey because I loved him, while you're dating this Helltaker guy because you're bored." Malina pointed out. "Our family gatherings are about going to be really uncomfortable. Good luck explaining your harem predicament to our folks without looking like a dumbass."
Zdrada couldn't help but giggle. "The looks on their faces will be priceless."
"I can hear the rumors now." Malina also had a small smirk, but that smirk was temporary as her frown returned and she let out a sigh. "Look, if you're happy, then that's good, but know what you're getting yourself into."
"You don't have to worry about me, sis, you really don't," Zdrada assured Malina. Although Malina knew that her sister was strong, it didn't stop her from worrying about her. Despite their differences, the two cared for one other; after all, they were sisters. "I wouldn't join the harem if I didn't gain anything or thought I wouldn't gain anything from it. Plus, a few of my friends are in the harem, so I can say that I'll be alright."
"Alright." Malina sighed again. "If you say you'll be fine, then I'll take your word for it."
"Thanks for looking out for me," Zdrada thanked. "Mom and Pops often call to see how I'm doing, but not as much as you do."
"Somebody has to..." Malina said. "I'll see you later. You're free to drop the address if you like. I'll do something about it later."
"My girl," Zdrada smirked. "I'll catch you later, Mal. You can hand the phone back to Joey."
"Here." Malina handed Joel his phone to which he gladly took it.
"Z," Joel said.
"Just wanted to say thanks for taking care of Malinka," Zdrada said. "She talks a lot about you to the point where I envy her."
"I do what I can to make her happy," Joel smiled. "I can only hope the guy you're with does the same."
"Yeah, I can only hope..." Zdrada agreed. "I'll be in touch. Peace."
Joel nodded. "Likewise."
Zdrada hung up, leaving Joel and Malina to resume what they were doing before.
"So, how much did you hear?" Malina asked with her arms folded.
"I only heard what you were saying," Joel replied, rubbing the back of his head. "So, Z's in a harem."
"Yeah," Malina replied. "Not what I expected, but what can I do? Ultimately, it's her choice."
"I can only hope that everything works out for the best." Joel placed bacon strips on a platter.
"Same," Malina sighed. "Tell me, would you get a harem?"
"Eh, not really much of a harem guy," Joel answered. "No offense to the people that are into it, but it's not my kind of thing. What about you?"
"Too many people to deal with," Malina replied. "I'd rather deal with one person."
"And I'm that person," Joel smiled.
Malina leaned against Joel, her head resting on his arm. "Do you see anyone else, dummy?"
"Guess not." Joel chuckled and leaned down to kiss Malina on her forehead, making her blush. "Love you, babe."
With deep blush, Malina kissed Joel back. "Love you, too." Malina wasn't as romantic as Joel was, but she had her moments.
TO BE CONTINUED