Dominion

Meeting The Demon

I learned that Michael had helped Gabriel to settle in the said church. He appeared to one of the pastors and delivered the message that the judgment day is at hand. That a man, Gabriel will help with the mission to delay the coming of the said end so that humanity will have another chance. He added that man's sins were too great and too many souls will be dragged to eternal damnation.

We stayed in the church for a long while. I had already moved on from the incident a week ago but it didn't escape Taehyung's mind.

"So, how's your shoulder?" He asked, brows all furrowed in curiosity, eyeing my bare left shoulder.

"Human bodies take time to heal, am I right? Yet yours looked like it wasn't even wounded. Not even a scratch." He added as he reaches for my shoulder.

He touches the skin where the bullet penetrated, scrutinizing as to why I'm healed abruptly. Suddenly, his gaze then turned to my eyes. I smiled nervously, brushing his hand off my shoulder, "Um... well..." filler words escape my lips as I try to make up an excuse.

I clearly remember when he told me to kill Jacob. Yet, I was very willing to even give my blood to him.

"He shared his blood to cure the wound," I answered.

"You know he only did that because he took a liking to your blood, and nothing more." He stated to which I just nodded in agreement. I somehow feel disappointed as he tells me this for I knew it was the truth.

Jacob had always made it clear to me that I am just his food. But my hopes on him and my faith that he'll change is still intact.

It may be his reason now, but I believe that reason will change soon.

"He bit you again. He's still feeding. Didn't find the right time to strike?" He asked while looking at my neck. I flipped my hair in front to cover the bite Jacob left before shaking my head in response

There was a time that I had a chance.

He had been starving himself which made him weak and it's the perfect moment for me to end him. But as I thought of these, I realized something...

"He showed me his weakness," I whispered to myself.

"Pardon?" Taehyung asked, tilting his head.

"I said... Um... I don't know his weakness... He's too strong for me." I stated then look down on my fidgeting fingers that are resting upon my lap.

Even if he was weak at that time, he's too damn strong. And I was so weak that I started caring for him.

"I'm sorry, Rosé. You'll have to endure it for now. This mission is also your test, but I'll be with you until it's over. If I had to stay with you, just say so, so he would stop feeding on you." He pats my head gently and smiled sweetly.

"You don't have to. Well, in your state right now, you're like a match stick he could break easily and besides, he said he would no longer feed on me." I replied, feeling a bitter taste on my tongue after the last few words I said.

"Really? Then that's good news. But if he's not feeding on you, then he's feeding on someone else. We should stop him." Gabriel retorted.

"He's feeding on blood bags," I replied, chuckling in the end.

"Blood bags?" He asked while tilting his head as he expresses confusion very clearly across his face which made me chuckle turn into laughter.

"Well it's a human thing, they donate blood for those who need it and some blood types are too hard to find isn't compatible with another... the blood that's collected in advance is stored in a bag and is preserved.  Blood bags save lives... um, It'll take too long to explain it all, Gabe." I answered which just gave him an even more confused look.

"And where did he get those?"

I can sense how concerned he is especially when it comes to mortals' safety. If Jacob went on a killing spree, Gabriel would've ended him immediately

"Um... I provided it." I answered.

Suddenly, his confused expression change. He was serious as he stares directly in my eyes, "What? Why do you help him?"

"If I don't, then he'll..." I stopped in mid-sentence.

I can't tell him I started to care for the demon. He'll definitely think that it's an absurd idea and to be honest with my self, it is.

But, it's a leap of faith.

"... he'll hunt for blood and we don't want that." I continued with a lie.

He nodded while his mouth hangs slightly open as his eyes squinted in scrutiny.

A while later, we arrived at the mansion. As Gabriel and I enter the front door, we heard loud giggling and laughing from William.

We went to the living room and found them circled on the carpet while Jacob's sitting on the couch, legs crossed. He immediately turns his gaze towards us upon noticing our arrival, to Gabriel specifically.

I hope he won't recognize him.

Gabriel may be human now, but his physical appearance did not change.

"Rosé! Look at what Jacob bought me. It's so cute and small!" The boy giggled as he pulled me to sit on the carpet.

They've already adopted a puppy without me and the little, fluffy critter is already greeting me by hopping on my lap.

"Awe, it's really cute. What's his name?" I asked as I lifted the teacup pomeranian puppy.

"I haven't decided yet." The boy answered.

"What about Toben?" Jacob suggested.

"It doesn't look like a Toben." The boy shook his head.

"What about Tobby?" I then suggested.

"It sounded the same." He shook his head once again.

"Charcoal." Gabriel suddenly spoke which gained everyone's attention.

"It looked like charcoal... less the fluffiness and the actual life." He added.

The puppy had a dark, long fur and it looks like a fluffy ball as it runs around, even slipping with its little paws. charcoal is a good suggestion since he based in its color. But, is charcoal even a good name to give to this little ball of fluff?

William turned his gaze to the black fluffball that's now over his feet. He picked it up and lifted it on his face level and look at it seriously.

"Charcoal," William muttered to himself before a smile formed on his lips.

"Psshh... Toben is cuter." Jacob scoffs, rolling his eyes.

"Everyone, this is Gabriel. He's an old friend of mine," I stated, introducing him. Thomas then approached him, introducing himself while shaking the man's hand and Gabe does the same.

"He looks like he's a doll," William stated, looking at the guy. Gabriel has the features which no human possesses. He looked like a living porcelain doll. Angels really do stand out so much.

"William, when you're introduced to someone, you have to bow to him to show respect," Thomas said, teaching the boy.

William stood and wiped his hand on his pants then walked towards Gabe.

The guy crouched slightly as they both introduced themselves to each other.

The boy then looked at Jacob, waiting for him to do the same.

"'Sup! Name's Jacob..." he said nonchalantly, not moving from his seat nor even looking at the guy.

"I'm Gabr-" he trailed off. Gabe was already walking towards the man sitting on the couch but stopped.

"I heard too many times and I don't give a flying fuck." Jacob scoffs.

Gabriel's hand recoiled and he stepped back, left eye twitching in annoyance.

"I'm sorry about that, Gabe. This one's got a stick shoved far up his a-"

"Young Miss, the boy is here." Thomas reminded me with a smile after cutting me off. My word choices aren't appropriate for a child's ear to hear.

"I can tell... from the moment I laid eyes on him,"  Gabriel stated, smiling softly which hints sarcasm.

Jacob then stood up and walked towards the other guy, towering over him as he looked down at the shorter man, "I bet you got a lot to tell?" He asked, practically provoking a fight between the two of them.

"Well, I'm not in the position to judge unless you prove yourself to be an asshole which you're doing right this moment." Gabriel fired back.

"I don't think I need to prove it 'cause I'm far more worst than an asshole." Jake snarled in his deep, soft voice that sounded grim.

"Oooookay!" I exclaimed, squeezing myself between them and push them on their chest, away from each other while Thomas pulled the boy far from us. The old man has read the atmosphere as he takes his leave with the boy.

"Jacob, can't you be nice for just one time?" I glared at the taller man.

"You seriously ask me that? Really... Did you drop your brain? Did I f*****g step on it?" He looked under his foot.

"You can't insult her like that." Gabriel took a step forward but I pushed him now with my forearm which exerted a lot of force.

"Gabe, don't!" I exclaimed.

Even if his body is mundane, he's a lot stronger than I am.

"You can't do anything about it, can you? I can even call her my f*****g b***h if I wanna." Jacob said, clearly provoking the other, but...

Is that how low he thinks of me?

My eyes suddenly got warm and I felt something snapped inside me while Gabriel clenched his fist and his knuckles hardened. Before he could swing a punch, my hand was quicker as I slapped Jacob as hard as I could, his face turning to his side and the slap sounding loud.

I tried so hard not to cry but my tears just fell on their own.

Jacob got petrified for a moment before he turned his gaze at me with the softest expression as if he got enlightened.

"Rosé..." he called softly.

"Get out of my sight," I muttered sternly and averted my gaze from him.

"I..." He started but I was quick to cut him off.

"Don't you dare say you're sorry 'cause I know you're not. Get out of my sight!"

Not long after, he vanished.

My knees then felt week until I flopped on the carpeted floor as I cried my heart out. It hurt so much to hear what's in his mind, what he thinks about me.

Is that what I really am to him? His b***h?

I don't know when I started to care for him. I don't even know why I had that stupid idea of changing him.

I thought that little by little, no matter how small the step is, he'll change. I thought that he's progressing and it started with refusing fresh human blood.

But was all that a lie?

However, even if his words hurt me, I can't give up on him. It's for the sake of the mission.

I have to control my feelings.

He's a demon, after all. He won't ever be nice and courteous and I should be used to it by now.

After I've calmed down, Gabriel pulled me gently and sat on the couch.

"Does he live here? How could you let him live with you?" He asked.

"I've made mistakes, Gabriel but I'll make it right. Truthfully, I've decided to try and change him." I confessed.

"You know demons can't change. They don't have even have a soul as humans do." He stated.

"What about angels? Have you forgotten? Lucifer turned against God... But demons? Can't they change and turn good?" I argued.

He then shook his head with a sigh, "Rosé, he isn't the mission."

"He's part of it. I must try and save as many as I could and that includes him." I retorted.

"How can you save someone who doesn't want to be saved? A demon has no soul to be saved so why would he want to change?"

"I don't know, but I've gotta try. You're forgetting I'm human now. There are feelings involved." I retorted back.

"Feelings? What feelings? Are you saying you love him?" He asked as his brows furrowed in disbelief.

But those words came out my mouth without thinking thoroughly. However, he's putting exact words in my mouth but why did it feel like it's true?

"I did not say that." I denied, shaking my head.

"But you're basically saying you love him... That isn't a good excuse for this argument."

"I do not... I. Do. Not." I continued to deny.

But then, he scoffs, making me assume that he doesn't believe me, "Is denial of truth part of being human?"

"Gabriel..."

He then sighed out loud as he shakes his head, "These emotions... I don't like it. Like earlier, was that annoyance? I think it's much worse than an annoyance. It's hard to control. It makes me lose my head to irrational thoughts. It suddenly takes control of my body."

"Welcome to the club," I smirked softly with a chuckle.

I lived as a human longer than any human that ever existed, ever since the first man sinned yet I'm still immature in handling my own emotions especially with Jacob.

This is all new to me.

"How could you feel something for him? He's uncouth, arrogant and brute." He asked, lifting a  brow but I just let out a long sigh in response.

I don't know.

I have to ask myself why. Why am I so attracted to him? How come I've come to care for him when all he showed me were arrogance and uncouthness?

But then, I recalled that day in the middle of the lawn.

He's not pure evil... He admired my courage.

He has feelings too.

"Rosé, don't trust anything he says. For all we know, he's just using you or turning you evil. He's getting the upper hand in your own game.  Keep in mind that he's a demon. They're cunning when it comes to playing with emotions. Don't stray, Rosé. Concentrate on William...."