#demon!gladio

[alicemoonwonderland]

@dysah drew my OC Aeyanna as the Archdemon of Hlynn from my Demon AU accompanied by Gladio in his demon form. She blew out of my mind, she always does that, but each time I’m just stunned by her work. She is fantastic to work with, super quick, and so creative. I totally recommend you all to commission her. You won’t regret it.

[catierambles]

Corrupted Ch.9 - Demon!Gladio

Rating: NSFW

Pairing: Demon!Gladiolus x OC (Melanie Cartwright)

Gladiolus laid back on the couch, arm over his eyes and hand on his stomach.

“So full.” He said and Melanie giggled. She had made waffles for breakfast and the recipe had a yield of about a dozen.

“You didn’t have to eat ten waffles, you know.” She pointed out.

“I have a fast metabolism.” Gladio said and she made a small sound, “And you gave me one hell of a workout last night.” He lifted his arm from his eyes in time to see her turn away, her cheeks tinted red.

“I’ll make more coffee.” She said, moving around the island into the kitchen. He laid there on the couch, listening to her hum some unknown melody to herself that was quickly drowned out by the sound of the coffee grinder. The kitchen faucet turned on as she rinsed out the carafe. There was a crash and the sound of breaking glass followed by a short cry of pain and he was up, rushing into the kitchen.

“Melanie!”

“I’m fine! I’m fine!” She said, “I dropped the carafe in the sink and it shattered. I reached for it on reflex and--damnit!” There was a gash in her palm running almost the width, blood flowing freely from the wound and dripping into the sink.

“Let me see it.” Gladiolus said and turned on the faucet again, holding her hand under the spray to wash away the blood so he could better look at it. “It’s deep.” He said, examining the wound. “You’ll probably need stitches. Unless…”

“Unless?” Melanie asked and he summoned a dagger, slicing into the heel of his own hand and pressing it to her palm when blood began to well. “What’re you---it burns!”

“I know, I’m sorry.” He said, wincing in sympathy. “Demon blood. It will heal you.”

“It really fucking--!”

“I know, I know. It’ll pass.” Gladio said, his grip tightening on her hand when she tried to pull it away.

The burning pain in her palm built, feeling as if he was holding a flame to her. It eventually faded to an almost blissful numbness and when he took his hand away, both wounds were healed with just the traces of blood left on their skin. His thumb massaged her palm under the water, washing away what was left. The feeling of his hands on hers felt better than she knew it should have, the rough pads and calluses scraping over her skin making a shiver run down her spine.

She was suddenly so aware of him. The heat of his skin, his natural scent, the gentle sound of his breathing.

“Gladio,” Was that her voice? It sounded husky, needy. “I--” She wasn’t able to finish as he pulled her into his arms, his lips coming down on hers hard, his tongue pushing into her mouth. She kissed him back just as hungrily, her nails digging into his skin as she held onto him. He picked her up, carrying her over to the island and with a sweep of his arm, cleared it of papers and random bits of mail, laying her down on the cool granite. His fingers were at her core, feeling how she had soaked through the material and he groaned against her lips, breaking the kiss and standing over her. Gladio pushed up the large t-shirt she wore, baring her breasts to the cool of the room and she reached above her head, grasping the edge of the island and making her back arch. He pulled aside her panties, pushing down his sweatpants and she felt him nudge her entrance right before he sheathed himself in her.

He didn’t give her time to adjust, his hips starting to piston and she raked her nails down his chest leaving red lines in the wake. His hands gripped her hips with bruising force, her legs wrapping around his waist, her heels digging into his low back and urging him to go faster. The sounds of her pleasure echoed off the walls of the apartment, mixing with his grunts and the sound of their skin connecting.

Melanie came fast and hard, bucking against him as she clamped down on him in waves, yelling out his name. A few more quick thrusts and he joined her, his breath catching in his throat as his own orgasm washed over him and he spent himself inside her.

The granite under her back was cold against her skin, contrasted by the almost furnace heat of his as he laid over her.

“What. Was that?” She asked, trying to catch her breath.

“I don’t know.” He admitted, “But I’m not complaining.”

“Is demon blood an aphrodisiac or something?” She asked and he shook his head against her shoulder.

“Not that I’m aware of.” Gladio said, “Or else sex between demons would be a hell of a lot kinkier. Don’t get me wrong, we can get downright freaky, but nothing that extreme.”

“Little bit of bondage and a lot of leather and latex?” She joked and he shuddered.

“Babe, if you put the image in my head of you tied up, we are going to go for round two.” He warned and her lips twisted in a mischievous smile.

“I don’t know. The idea has merit.” She said, “Tied with my hands above my head so I can’t touch you, I can only feel what you do to me. Maybe add in a blindfold, too. Or maybe tied up with my ass in the air, completely at your mercy.” The scenes she was putting in his head was making his heart race. He could almost see her; laid out for him like a banquet, restrained and blindfolded while he stalked around the bed.

“Shit.” He whispered and picked her up, carrying her into the bedroom.

Much later, Gladiolus laid on the couch with his head in her lap, her fingers running through his hair in soothing passes as they watched some random movie on Netflix. He had taken her over and over again, unable to sate his driving need for her until they were both spent and exhausted. He felt...closer to her now, and not just physically, like some thread was connecting them that hadn’t been there before. They had showered together, his fingers pushing her wet hair away from her face tenderly, looking into her eyes as he kissed her, his lips moving against hers slowly and sweetly. Gladio knew he would eventually have to report back to the Citadel; the Hellbird had left him some time ago, but he didn’t want to leave her. He wanted to stay like this with her forever. His little witch.

[catierambles]

20- YOU CAN'T DO THAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S HALLOWEEN!

YASS I was hoping I’d get this one! Thank you!

Melanie was putting the last touches on her special effects make-up, making sure the latex and cotton ball “cuts” looked sufficiently gory using red and black paints and fake scab blood. It had taken a couple of weeks of practice and experimentation before she was comfortable with wearing it to the company Halloween party. Although, those couple of weeks were hilarious. She didn’t know Prompto could scream that shrill, and Gladiolus nearly broke something vaulting over the kitchen island when she did a test run of the torn mouth effect.

“And...done.” She said, swabbing scab blood into the cuts and crevices. Using pomade, she made her hair look greasy and stringy, and she paled herself out with various paints and powders. Now all she needed as the horror contacts she bought and it was time to get spooky. “Hey, babe, you almost ready?” She asked, walking out of the bathroom. “The party starts in twenty--no.”

“What?” Gladio asked. He had cast his stereotypical demon illusion, his horns nearly brushing the ceiling. The Hellbird tattoo glowed hotly against his blackened skin and she could swear she saw it’s eye move. Then again, it probably was, as the tattoo was actually a real bird that he used to keep in contact with the Citadel. “You don’t think this is a good costume?”

“It’s not a costume, it’s an illusion. One you’re not using because you’ll cause a panic.” She said and he dismissed that statement with a wave of his clawed hand and a rude sound.

“I’ve seen your “horror movies”, this is nothing.” He said, his cloven hooves clacking against the floor as he went to her, making her have to crane her head to look at him. His pants were in tatters around thickly furred satyr legs.

“That’s because people know those horror movie monsters aren’t real. Seeing one in person would freak them out.”

“Nice!”

“No, Gladio, not nice. Tone it down.”

“It’s Samhain!”

“You can’t do that just because it’s Halloween!” She said, crossing her arms over her stomach and he sighed, rolling his eyes. He started to shrink, the bowed legs and hooves vanishing along with the fur, though the claws and exaggerated horns stayed along with the blackened skin and glowing tattoo.

“Better?” He asked and she went up on her toes to press her “ripped” mouth to his cheek in a kiss.

“Thank you.” She said and pushed past him into the bedroom to get her costume on.

[catierambles]

"Good morning" kiss ❤️

Smoochy-smoochy

(I’ll do this for Melanie and Demon!Gladio because….why not)

She woke to the smell of coffee, stretching languidly before opening her eyes and staring up at the ceiling. Charlie rubbed his cheek along her arm and she scratched behind his ear absently before getting up and padding barefoot into the kitchen.

Gladiolus was standing at the kitchen island wearing a pair of low slung sweatpants, scrolling through his phone while sipping from a large steaming mug. Going up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and he hummed, putting the mug down and covering her arms with his hands.

Turning around, he held her to his chest, laying a kiss to the crown of her head.

“Good morning.” He mumbled against her hair and she turned her face up to him, seeing his soft smile. He had to bend at the shoulders a bit, pressing his lips to hers in a slow kiss that made her toes curl and her chest warm.

“Good morning.” She echoed against his lips and he kissed her again. Melanie loved how affectionate he was first thing in the morning, she didn’t even mind the eyes anymore.

[catierambles]

Corrupted Ch.8 - Demon!Gladio

Rating: NSFW (hella)

Pairing: Demon!Gladiolus x OC (Melanie Cartwright)

Charlie ran from the bedroom as Gladiolus guided Melanie into it, his hands sliding up her hoodie. He groaned against her lips at the feel of her skin and deftly undid the clasp to her bra, his hands moving around to cup her breasts, squeezing and molding them making her moan. Kneeling slightly, he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist and her fingers pushing through his hair. Her scent and the feel of her skin was driving him crazy, increasing his desire for her.

Her back hit the sheets and she looked up at him as he pulled off his shirt, her eyes going to the pink scarring on his chest. Small pock marks, as if he had been shot with a shotgun at a range, but it hadn’t been buckshot, it had been salt. Salt she had thrown at him. She touched them gently and he took her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the palm. Sliding her hand back into his hair, she pulled him into a kiss, their eyes closing.

The almost animalistic desire melted away and he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. It was almost as if she now had a soothing effect on him, calming the storm raging in his chest.

“I missed you.” He whispered.

“I missed you, too.” She said and he attempted a cocky grin.

“Well of course you did.” She rolled her eyes with a smile, pushing him over onto his back and sitting up on his hips. His hands went to her thighs as she pulled off her hoodie, casting that and her bra aside. Laying over him, she pressed her lips to his, whimpering as his hands slid around and into her sweatpants. “These need to come off.” She chuckled against his lips and he flipped her back over onto her back making her give out a surprised squeal. Pressing his lips to her stomach, he pulled her sweatpants down along with her small clothes, throwing them to the floor. “Fuck.” He breathed as he looked at her, “You are so beautiful.”

“Gladio…” She pulled him into another kiss, her lips parting for him and his tongue sliding fluidly along hers as he held her hips. Pulling his lips from hers, he pressed hot kisses to her neck, rough hands mapping the dips and curves of her body. Her fingers worked at his belt, undoing the button to his pants and pulling down the zipper.

Gladio shuddered as she touched him through the fabric of his small clothes and he kicked off his boots, shoving his pants and boxers down and off. Slender fingers wrapped around him and he growled as she started to stroke him slowly.

He was velvet over steel; his large, thick length filling her palm and making heat rush to her face. Roughened fingertips delved between her legs and she gasped, squeezing him gently and making him give out another growl. He found the sensitive nub at her apex easily, rubbing at it until her breaths came in ragged pants and her legs fell open for him. Skimming a line down her body with his lips, he looked up at her, locking eyes with her as he lowered his mouth to her sex.

Melanie’s head fell back as he swept his tongue over her, swirling it through her folds, her fingers weaving through his hair. His large hands grabbed her hips, holding her still as he fed between her legs, licking and sucking at her until she was almost crying at the pleasure of it.

“Gladio, please…” She begged and he gave her one last long lick that had her arching off the bed before he laid over her again, pulling one of her legs over his hip.

“You’re so sweet, baby.” He whispered, “Are you ready for me?” She nodded.

“I want to feel you.” She said and he aligned them, moving the wide head through her folds to wet himself with her arousal. He pressed against her over sensitive clit and she whimpered, her nails digging into his biceps. Pressing against her opening, he kissed her, parting her lips and swallowing her cry as he seated himself in her with one thrust of his hips.

“Fuck you’re so tight.” He said, looking down to where they were joined, “But you take me so well. Gods, Melanie, you feel perfect.” She whimpered as he withdrew slightly before pushing back into her.

“Gladio, baby, please. I want you to—“

“To what? Say it. I want to hear you say the words.”

“I want you to fuck me.” She said and a shiver ran down his spine.

“Hold onto me.” He said and she wrapped her legs around his waist, burying her face in his chest as she laced her fingers in the hair at the back of his head. He started moving, slowly at first, letting her get used to the feeling of him inside her, but moving faster and harder, almost slamming into her and making her cry out. “Let me know if it starts getting to be too much.” She nodded against his chest and he quickened his pace once again, their skin connecting with every thrust of his hips. Looking between them, he watched as he disappeared into her. “Look. Look how well you take me.” Her eyes opened, watching him as he thrust into her and her inner muscles clenched around him, a new rush of warmth making her even more slick. “You like that? You like how I feel inside you?”

“Yes.” Melanie sobbed, “You make me feel so good.”

“Babe, you are good for my ego.” He said.

“As if your ego needs any help.” He was buried in her to the hilt and she was still sassing him.

“Woman!” He exclaimed, turning them over so she was on top and making her laugh. Melanie sat up, sinking further onto him, her head falling back with a moan before her hips started rocking against him slowly. Gladio laid there for a good moment, a smile on his face as he watched her enjoy herself before starting to thrust up into her, his hands gripping her thighs.

Her fingers pressed into his stomach as she rode him, meeting his movements with her own and after a few beats he couldn’t help himself. Gladiolus sat up, taking her in his arms and holding her as she buried her face in his neck, their skin sliding against each other. Her inner muscles quivered around him, whimpers leaving her lips. Taking her face from his neck, she pressed her forehead against his.

“Are you close?” He asked and she nodded, biting down on her bottom lip. “Come for me, show me how good I make you feel.”

She rode him faster, her eyes closing tight, the tension in her body building and he could feel her muscles quivering under her skin. He knew the moment she hit her release, all tension leaving her body and she cried out his name, her inner muscles clenching and fluttering around him.

Flipping them back over, he grabbed the headboard, thrusting into her roughly until he reached his own peak, giving a choked shout as he spilled himself inside her.

They laid there for what felt like an eternity still connected, their heavy breathing loud in the silence of the room. Her lips pressed to his and he kissed her deep and slow, touching the side of her face gently.

“Shit.” She breathed and he chuckled.

“Yeah.” He said, pressing a kiss to the heavy pulse under her jaw.

“You didn’t--I mean, I still have--” He looked at her, seeing her worried gaze and his softened.

“Your soul is still yours, baby.” He kissed her, “It always will be.” He’d deal with the Marshall at some point, but for right now, he pushed it from his mind. “It’s a little more complicated than Insert Tab A into Slot B and out comes out the soul.” She snorted at that, shaking her head. “There’s ritual words and everything.”

“Sexy.” Melanie said, “And you manage to keep the mood going through that?”

“Timing is everything, doll.” He said, kissing the tip of her nose. Melanie contemplated asking him if he had ever done it to a witch before, taken ownership of their soul, but she honestly didn’t want to know the answer because she had a good feeling what he was going to say. He moved to lay against her side, reaching down to pull the blankets over them both.

“You staying?” She asked, turning over onto her side to look at him.

“You want me to stay?” The was a pause before she nodded, “Then I’m staying.” Pulling her into his arms, he shifted them until she was laying on his chest, his arm around her waist keeping her against him.

[catierambles]

Corrupted Ch.7 - Demon!Gladio

Rating: SFW (for now)

Pairing: Demon!Gladiolus x OC (Melanie Cartwright

Melanie sat at her desk playing her game, now having an entire week of vacation in which she didn’t have to be a paranoid mess. She was still slightly worried about leaving the apartment, but she figured if she stuck to daylight and populated areas, he wouldn’t try to tear her apart. Though he probably could have simply snapped her neck when he showed up with his friends.

Her phone buzzed next to her and she picked it up, seeing who the message was from and setting it down again. He had been texting her repeatedly (how he had gotten her number, she had no idea) trying to get her to talk to him. Hopefully he would eventually wise up and move on and she could put this whole thing behind her. The last couple of days had been a rollercoaster of emotions and she was left feeling stripped. She just wanted to bundle up in her favorite hoodie and a fluffy blanket and blank out for a few hours in front of her computer. Play video games, maybe watch some special effects youtube tutorials, mindless activities that allowed her to push what had happened aside to be processed later. Not the healthiest way to deal with it, but it worked for her.

A ringtone she didn’t recognize sounded and she scowled at her phone, picking it up and answering the call, holding it between her ear and her shoulder.

“Hello?” She asked.

“Hey babe, it’s--” She ended the call, putting it on silent and setting it back down on her desk.

Gladiolus sighed as the call ended abruptly. She probably recognized his voice. He tried calling again, but it simply rang and rang until he got her voicemail. He ended it without leaving a message, leaning with his shoulder against the stone wall. He was acting like a love-sick idiot, but the Marshall was very adamant that he patch things up with her, not accepting any excuses. Noctis had even gone to him and let him know the situation and how futile it was, only to find out it had been his father, the King’s, decision to assign Gladio to Melanie in the first place. So much for that plan.

Prompto had been genuinely sorry that he hadn’t been able to bring her back around with their brief chat, but Gladio let him know that it was okay; he tried and that’s all that mattered.

There was a small sound right before someone gripped his shoulder and a knife stabbed into his low back. It was a short blade, serrated, probably a utility knife and he didn’t even try to act like it was affecting him as it was driven into him again and again, the attacker grunting with every stab.

“Oh please no. Please stop. The pain. The pain.” He droned in a bored tone, “You done trying to kill me?”

“What the fuck?” Of course it was John. Reaching behind him, he pulled the knife out of his back, closing it and snapping it in his hand, the wounds already healing. Human weapons did nothing to his kind, break the skin maybe, but they caused no pain and no bleeding. He dropped the human illusion and cast one of his more favorite; rising to almost ten feet tall, his skin darkening and the Hellbird outlining in fire. Fingers ended in jagged claws, razor sharp teeth filling his mouth and his legs bowing into those of a satyr, covered in black fur and ending in cloven hooves.

“Did I fucking stutter?” He asked, his voice deeper and dual tone, turning around to face the human, “I told you to never return. I told you she belonged to me now.” Though that wasn’t technically true anymore. He took a step towards him and John stumbled back, tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground. “Now you will burn for all eternity in the fires of Perdition.” Now he was just being dramatic, but he had to have some fun with him. Another step and John let out a whimper, a dark spot spreading on the front of his pants. “Run.” Scrambling to his feet, he did just that, running off into the night and he heard a car start and peel out a moment later. Gladio dropped the illusion, chuckling to himself.

“Have fun?” He turned around, looking up the stairs to see Melanie standing there, arms crossed over her hoodie.

“A bit.” He admitted and she rolled her eyes, heading back into her apartment. Recognizing that he would get nowhere tonight, Gladio sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face and leaving, magicks swirling around him and taking him home, though he sorely wished to be with her.

Melanie played until she couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore, literally starting to fall asleep while going from place to place. Turning off the game, she shut down her computer and stood from the computer chair with a stretch. She had felt the heavy duty illusion Gladio had cast to make himself appear monstrous and had seen through it just as easily, the imbued crystal she started wearing around her neck giving her that ability. There had been a twinge of longing at him chasing away John for what was probably the last time. The fact that he was still looking out for and protecting her even after what she had done to him was surprising, but not altogether when she remembered what he was trying to achieve.

Beware the honeyed words of daemons, for they are laced with poison.

Everything he did, every kind word and gesture was tainted. She still had the binding stone, why she hadn’t destroyed or gotten rid of it, she didn’t know.

Making sure Charlie had enough food and water, she brushed her teeth and got ready for bed. The apartment was quiet as she laid there, her mind going over the events of the day. Eventually she drifted off, Charlie curled up at the end of the bed.

She woke to soft kisses being pressed to her face and opened her eyes, meeting warm amber ones. She knew this wasn’t real, knew it was only a dream, because the eyes she was looking into were human. Gladio regarded her with a gentle smile, his hand brushing her hair away from her face and holding the side of her jaw.

“Why’d you have to be a demon?” She asked, “Why couldn’t you have been human?” He simply gave her a sad look and faded away, leaving her alone once again.

Melanie woke with a barely repressed sob, her face wet with tears and she wiped them away. Early morning light was coming in through the window behind her bed, casting odd shadows through her blinds. Looking at her phone, she saw that she had slept two, maybe three hours, not really paying attention to what time it had been when she went to bed in the first place, just knowing that it had been very late and close to dawn.

She eventually did fall back asleep, and when she did she had no dreams.

The sun was bright overhead as she sat at the outdoor cafe, happily sipping on a matcha boba tea. The sun was warm but the air was cool, making her have to wear a sweater. Looking around, she was surprised at the amount of demons and angels she saw, her crystal letting her see through their human disguises. There weren’t a lot, but there were more than she expected.

She arched a brow as Prompto, Ignis, and Noctis sat down at the table around her, all with cups of their own bearing the cafe’s logo.

“Where’s my shadow? I haven’t seen him lurking around today.” Melanie remarked.

“I sent him on a hunt.” Noctis said, “Let him clear his head and refocus.”

“Is that so.” She said and he nodded.

“You should give him another chance.” Noctis said and she sighed, leaning back in her seat. “He really does care about you.”

“And the whole enslaving me? Is that no longer a thing?” She asked.

“That’s been pulled.” Noctis said. “No longer a priority.”

“I have no reason to believe anything any of you say.” Melanie said, “You see I have this book, and it explained a few things to me about you guys.”

“I would very much like to see this book of yours.” Ignis said and she gave him a look.

“You’re just going to have to learn to live with disappointment.” She said and stood, grabbing her bag and her tea. “I’m going home now. It was nice seeing you again, Prompto.”

“You too!” He said with a smile and she walked away, leaving them at the table.

Night had fallen on the human realm when Gladiolus appeared in the shadows behind her apartment complex. His veins felt like they were vibrating, his heart pounding in his chest from the hunt Noctis had sent him on. Climbing the stairs two at a time, he stopped at her door, raising his fist to pound on it.

“Melanie, please. Open the door.” He knew she was inside, he could smell her, almost feel her through the wards.

Melanie looked over at the sound and she thought about ignoring it, ignoring him, but there was something in his voice that made her get up, unlocking the door and opening it.

Hells be damned, she was beautiful. She was wearing an oversized hoodie and baggy sweatpants, but she still managed to be the sexiest woman he had ever seen in his life.

“Baby, drop the wards. Let me in.” He was almost pleading with her, his tongue skimming over his lips as he looked at her.

He looked hungry, his eyes hot and almost wild. His chest heaved as if he were having trouble breathing, a thin sheen of sweat covering his skin.

“Melanie, I need you.” The burr to his voice made her shiver and she reached up, removing the bag of salt from above the door and running her thumb over the circle on the door itself, breaking the ward. His lips pulled into a predatory smile and he stepped into the apartment, grabbing her and pulling her against him roughly.

[catierambles]

Corrupted Ch.6 - Demon!Gladio

Rating: SFW

Pairing: Demon!Gladiolus x OC (Melanie Cartwright)

Gladiolus laid in the infirmary, having been ordered there by Noctis when he had informed the others what had happened. Bandages covered his chest, some speckled with blood, the deeper wounds still bleeding sluggishly, and the lights were kept low to let his eyes recover. He still coughed from time to time, but it had been awhile since he had coughed up blood, the sage smoke gone from his lungs and now they were just irritated.

“Cartwright witches.” He picked his head up, eyes opening and seeing the Marshall standing there in the doorway. “As stubborn as they are beautiful.”

“What are you talking about?” Gladio asked and Cor sighed, walking into the room.

“She banished you, didn’t she.” He made it a statement and Gladio nodded. “Used sage on you, too. They are nothing if not thorough. Time was, Cartwright witches were our go-to to supplement our ranks. They were powerful, one of remaining first lines of witches so our blood runs strong in them. Every demon knows that the first witches were born from the coupling of humans and our kind. After a while, however, they got wise to what we were doing. Just as we would never bow to the Angels, they would no longer bow to the Demons. They switched from arcane magicks to earth magicks, offensive to defensive, and warned future generations about our kind and what we did to theirs. Demons died in pursuit of the souls of Cartwright witches, so many that the King declared them off-limits, too dangerous.”

“What changed? You sent me to her knowing all of this.” Gladio said, feeling himself starting to get angry. “You knew that it was lost cause, that there was no way she was going to give up her soul to me.”

“Another war is brewing with the Angels, Gladiolus, and we won’t win. In fact there’s a good chance they’ll annihilate us completely. We need the power of a Cartwright witch on our side.” Cor said and he sighed, “Fix this, get back in her good graces, and get her to give up her soul.” He left the room, leaving Gladio to the silence.

Melanie woke with a gasp, turning over to curl on her side as tears pricked at her eyes again. She finally got to sleep around dawn, confident in her wards. Her sheets had been stained with blood so she changed them, throwing the dirty ones out into the hallway to be thrown away.

Her dreams had been plagued with images of Gladio, blood flowing from his eyes and nose, staining his lips and teeth as he reached for her, eyes pained and pleading.

“Baby, please.” The sound of his cry as she threw the salt at him and banished him from the apartment. He hadn’t been wrong, banishment was violent and she hoped she never had to do it again. Charlie laid on the bed next to her, reaching out to press his paw to her mouth, giving a trill when she looked at him and rolled around on his back.

“You’re adorable and you know it.” She said, reaching out and weaving her fingers in the soft fur on his chest. “What am I going to do, Charlie? He can’t come into the apartment, but I can’t shut myself away forever. I have work, we’ll eventually need groceries. I’ll have to leave the apartment, and he can get me.” Gladio had told her that if he ever gave her a reason to banish him, that he would accept it, but now she had absolutely no reason to believe him.

Getting out of bed, she booted up her work laptop and logged in, putting in for vacation time for that week. She hardly ever took days off, so she had the hours, and it was accepted even though it was short notice. One week to figure things out until she had to get back to work. She didn’t know how long it would take for him to recover, so she should stock up on supplies as soon as possible. Charlie would need food and her staple items were running low.

A quick shower and she was out the door. The walk to her car through the parking lot seemed like miles and she jumped at every little sound until she got to her car, sitting in the driver's seat. She needed to calm down or else she was going to get into an accident. Melanie sat there for a little while, taking deep, easy breaths and guiding herself through a simple meditation exercise.

“Hey baby girl.” She was out of the car, running for her apartment. Melanie stopped at the top of the stairs as she saw the others standing by her apartment door, all wearing dark clothing. Turning, she went to go back down the stairs but froze as Gladio walked up them slowly, his hands on either railing in case she thought she could get around him. She could see the edges of bandages on his chest under his tank top and the human guise fell away, black horns curling out of his hair and his eyes horizontally slitted. Looking back, she saw the others like that as well, save for the blonde whose blue eyes were slitting like a cats, pale horns extending out of his hair.

“She’s positively terrified.” One of them said in a posh British accent, green goat eyes behind wire rimmed glasses.

“Maybe she’s realizing how screwed she is.” He had shaggy black hair and blue goat eyes.

“Guys, come on. Knock it off.” That was said by the blonde. “Melanie, we’re not going to hurt you.” Gladio suddenly grabbed hold of her chin, forcing her to look up at him and she let out a small whimper.

“We need to talk.” He said and she pulled away from him, taking out her keys. The two by the door parted to let her through and she unlocked it, stepping inside. He tried to follow but stopped at the threshold, pushing against the invisible barrier. “Babe, drop the ward.” She shook her head. “Melanie, I can’t come in unless you drop the ward.”

“But I can!” The blonde said and pushed around him, stepping into the apartment. “Not a demon.” He told her, catching her surprised look. “You guys hang out there, we’ll talk.”

“Prompto.” Gladio said, his tone warning.

“I’ll text you!” He said and closed the door in his face. “That’s better.” He said with a roll of his eyes and turned to her, “Prompto Argentum, nice to meet you.”

“You said you weren’t a demon.” Melanie said and he nodded.

“I’m an angel, technically, but I was raised with demons. Ooh! You have a cat!” He went over to Charlie sitting on the desk, “Hi there, buddy!”

“Careful, he doesn’t like…” Charlie trilled, hopping up and headbutting his hand, “Nevermind. I’ll make some tea.”

“Who’s a pretty kitty? You are!” Prompto cooed, Charlie eating up the attention and Melanie moved into the kitchen, setting on a pot of water for tea.

Hot mugs of tea in hand and they sat at the kitchen island, Charlie sitting on the counter next to Prompto, rubbing his face along his arm.

“Angel, huh?” Melanie asked and he nodded, taking a sip from his mug. “So how’d you end up with demons?”

“Found as a baby.” He said simply, “Met the others in school. Guy with the glasses is Ignis, the other guy is Noctis. You already know Gladio. Nice job kicking his ass, by the way.”

“Thank you?”

“What he do to deserve it?”

“He was going to bind my soul and enslave me.” Melanie said and he flinched.

“I hate how they do that to you guys. Witches, I mean.” Prompto said.

“So it’s a common thing, then? I’m not a special case?”

“It’s not as common as it used to be, but it does still happen from time to time.” Prompto said, “Listen, I know you have no reason to believe me, but he’s really a nice guy and I can tell he cares about you.” She arched a brow at him, “I can feel emotions, perks of being me. Got nothing but the warm fuzzies from him when he looked at you.”

“I banished him.”

“I know.”

“I threw salt at him.”

“That too.”

“He had blood coming from his eyes from the smudging I did.”

“Eesh, that sounds painful.” Prompto said with a grimace.

“How do I know he’s not going to warm fuzzily rip my lungs out?” There was silence, “It was nice meeting you, Prompto, I’ll see you out.”

Gladiolus pushed away from the wall as Prompto came out of the apartment alone, the door closing and locking behind him.

“Well?” He asked.

“Maybe flowers?” Prompto suggested with a shrug.

[catierambles]

Corrupted Ch.5 - Demon!Gladio

Rating: SFW (mostly)

Pairing: Demon!Gladiolus x OC (Melanie Cartwright)

Melanie laid there for a long while, Gladiolus asleep next to her on the bed. They figured after the activities of the day, and what had almost happened, that he shouldn’t have to sleep on the couch anymore. She didn’t have work tomorrow either, seeing as it was the weekend. They had spent the day curled up together on the couch watching movies, ordering takeout when they got hungry. To his credit, he hadn’t tried to resume the events of that morning, leaving that up to her.

Looking over, she watched him for a moment, his face relaxed in sleep. Turning over onto her side, she reached out, brushing a lock of hair away from his forehead. How did she get here? How did she fall victim to him so easily? Sliding her arm under pillow to rearrange herself, something hard and cool brushed against her arm and she scowled, reaching under her pillow and pulling out a stone with rough hewn edges, a rune etched into the surface. It was oddly familiar and the more she stared at it, the more familiar it became.

Wait.

Getting out of bed, she padded quietly into the living room and knelt on the floor in front of her bookcase, pulling game guides and fantasy novels off the shelf until she could reach the tomes and journals hidden in the back, lining the back of the bookcase. They had been added to and passed down through the generations of her family, her grandmother giving them to her before she passed.

Flipping through the pages, she passed over various diagrams and drawings of herbs and casting circles, recipes for potions and tonics until she got to the section on demons. Rough drawings of the different kinds leapt out at her, and she paused as she saw one with markings like Gladio’s, the large bird tattooed on its skin.

King’s Shield: A militant daemon of unsurpassed ferocity. Merciless and deadly, these daemons will let nothing stand in their way or harm the Crown of the Hell realms, slaughtering those who would threaten without remorse.

Melanie moved on, a pit forming in her stomach, until she found what she was looking for. The drawing wasn’t quite right, it didn’t quite match the one in her hand, but the rune was the same.

Binding Stone: This crystal is used by the daemons to bind the souls of any witch foolish enough to lie with them. Though the witch is still in possession of their soul, the ownership now belongs to the daemons. Whosoever holds the stone can command the witch to do their bidding, turning the witch into naught more than a puppet, a slave to their new masters.

Beware the honeyed words of the daemon, for they are laced with poison.

She kept the book open on her lap as she sat back on the floor, tears burning at her eyes. That’s why he was here. She knew he wasn’t here for his health, maybe for his own amusement, but nothing like this. He didn’t want her, he wanted her soul. How could she have been so stupid? So naive?

Melanie took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, a plan forming in her mind. She was no one’s puppet, no one’s slave. Going to the entertainment center, she pulled out the bottom drawer, taking out the video game console controllers and flipping up the false bottom. Inside were long thin bags filled with salt, a smudging stick of sage, a crystal wand, chalk, and a brass bowl. Lines of salt could be broken with magicks, but bags of salt could not.

Making sure Gladio was still asleep, she closed the bedroom door quietly and got to work, putting the bags across every window sill, having made extra when she moved in, and one above the door. The doors to the patio were too long, so she grabbed her step ladder and removed the poster above it, climbing down only to flip through the book to the warding circles, finding one that she needed and drawing it on the wall with chalk before putting the poster back to hide it.

Gladiolus stirred in his sleep, scowling slightly as his stomach twisted.

Lighting the smudging stick, she let it burn for a while before blowing it out, the thick smoke curling from the bundle of sage and she walked on her toes around the apartment, letting the smoke permeate the air.

He woke with a violent sneeze, his chest aching and feeling heavy. Reaching over he grabbed a tissue from the box she kept on the nightstand, wiping at his nose, brows knitted in confusion as he saw the dark blood. Racking coughs shook his chest and he tasted blood.

“--the fuck?” He said, getting out of bed, his legs shaky. The bedroom door was closed and he hobbled to it, opening it and leaning in the doorway. The air left like acid in his lungs, burning his eyes and he felt something run down his face. His fingers came away crimson as he wiped at them. “Babe?” He asked, his voice shaking. “Melanie?”

She was standing in the kitchen, the still smoking smudging stick in a bowl on the counter.

“Baby girl, what’re you doing?” He asked, reaching for her but she stepped away, letting him fall to the floor weakly. “Melanie, please. Baby, come on, talk to me. What happened?”

“I am no one’s slave.” She said, her voice trembling. Summoning every ounce of strength left, he stood, moving towards her.

Her hand came up in an arc, white crystals flying through the air and he cried out as they hit him, burning into the skin of his chest. There was a wrenching and he was gone from the apartment. Melanie moved quickly, going to the front door and drawing a warding circle on the paint. Only then did she allow herself to collapse to the floor, sobs tearing from her lips.

Gladiolus hit the ground hard, crying out, his hands clawing at the salt burning through him, his chest covered in blood. He had to flush it out, had to dissolve it before it ate its way to something vital. He could hear people calling his name, but he ignored them, his single focus being to get to a shower, a waterfall, something to flush the salt from the wounds. He made it to the barracks, starting the shower and stepping under it still in his sweatpants. There was searing pain that built and built before there was blissful numbness and he stood there under the water, breathing heavily. She banished him. She actually fucking banished him.

Ducking his face under the water, he flushed the sage smoke from his eyes until he could see again, taking in deep, shuddering breaths and hacking up giant clots of dark blood from his lungs.

His strength came back quickly and magicks swirled around him.

Melanie flinched as she felt something or someone hit the wards.

The tile shattered as he landed with bone crushing force, having bounced off the wards she put up. For someone who didn’t actively practise, her wards were incredibly strong. His chest burned from the aftermath of the salt and from rebounding off the wards and he laid there, eyes closed.

“Gladio!” He opened his eyes at the sound of his name, looking over and seeing Prompto standing in the doorway. “Damn, hold on, I’ll get a healer.”

“I’m fine.” He said, his voice rough, muscles screaming at him as he picked himself up from the shattered tile. What in the name of Hell had happened? What had changed? She had been happy, content to fall asleep in his arms.

But she had banished him. Not just banished, she had purged him. What was she had said before?

“I am no one’s slave.” Hells be damned, the binding stone. He had forgotten the fucking binding stone.