THE DARE (The Devil/Reader)
OR IN OTHER WORDS: HOW YOU MET THE DEVIL
Summary: Your friends dare you to talk to a stranger in the mall. Little did you know they were sending you right into the arms of the Devil.
Author’s Note: So I had a dream about the Devil from the movie Haunt and I took it as my sign to finally write about him (just as I promised). I basically just expanded on the dream I had. I’ve been craving fluff about him. I don’t care if him being sweet is out of character, it’s what I want right now lol. I hope you enjoy!
Warnings/notes: the reader’s friends are kinda mean, but they come around, gender neutral reader, first meetings, conversations about body modifications, strangers to lovers, fluff
It all started about two months ago with a dare. A stupid, small one that you didn’t think much of at the time.
It was one of those rare occasions where all of you had a day off from work at the same time. You hadn’t seen your friends in a while and the three of you ended up at your local mall to catch up.
It had been a Sunday afternoon. The mall was a bit busier than usual, full of people trying to savor every minute of the day before Monday came. You and your friends stopped at almost every open shop, mostly window shopping, except for one of your friends who was a certified shopaholic. Her bags were accumulating with every stop.
Eventually, all of you were a bit worn out from walking, taking seats in the food court to eat and chat.
You had known your friends, Becca and Dylan, for years. You had first met them in high school. They were nowhere near perfect but they were the two that had stuck by your side the longest, your friendship enduring all of the ups and downs of adulthood as the three of you entered your careers.
“Do you really need all that?” Dylan said with a mouthful of pizza, looking down at all of Becca’s shopping bags.
“Nope. But I want all of it,” she said, smiling.
“You have a problem,” Dylan joked.
He took another bite of pizza and looked over at you, nudging you with his hand.
“What’s up with you? You’re quiet today,” he said.
You shook your head.
“Nothing, I’m just thinking is all,” you said.
“Something is always going on in that head of yours. What exactly are you thinking about?” he questioned.
“How exhausted I am from work. And how I haven’t had a decent date in years,” you mumbled.
“I told you I could hook you up with Be-“
“I’m not going out with your work buddy. He creeps me out,” you said.
“Just letting you know that the offer is still there,” he shrugged.
Dylan turned his attention back to Becca who was staring at something away from the table. He turned, trying to follow her line of sight but couldn’t tell what she was looking at.
Dylan turned back around and waved his hand in her face.
“Girl, who are you staring at?” he asked.
“Look at that guy,” Becca said, pointing to a table near the edge of the food court.
You and Dylan turned to look. At the table sat a bald man covered in facial tattoos. He had spiked piercings running down his jaw and forehead. He was sitting alone although you quickly noticed that there was another tray of food beside his own, presumably from someone who had stepped away for a moment.
“A face only a mother could love. Am I right?” Dylan joked, raising his hand for a high five.
“I am not high-fiving you for that shit. That’s not nice,” you mumbled.
“That’s not nice,” he mocked.
He turned to look at you and then back at the tattooed man.
“Why don’t you go be nice then?” Dylan said, gesturing towards the man.
You looked at him confused.
“What?” you asked.
“You were just complaining about being single. Go talk to him,” he said.
“You really want them to go talk to the devil incarnate?” Becca chimed in.
“God, you two are mean today,” you scoffed.
“Why not? He won’t bite…I hope. Besides, I dare you,” Dylan said.
“You dare me? Really?” you said, rolling your eyes.
“Too chicken to go talk to a guy? It’s okay. You can admit it,” he said, antagonizing you.
“I am not,” you huffed.
Dylan stuck his hand out in front of him, almost like he was presenting the man at the table.
“Prove it. Go get his number,” he said.
You weighed your options, glancing over at the man, before standing up. You hardly ever approached guys. You felt nervous but also slightly competitive, wanting to prove your friend wrong.
You hesitantly walked through the tables, maneuvering your way around the people in the court. You could hear Dylan clap behind you but you chose to ignore it as you approached the man sitting at the table.
“Um, hi,” you said, walking up to the table.
The man turned his head to look at you. Up close you could get a better look at him. His face was heavily modified. The entirety of his eyes were black. He had his eyebrow pierced on one side. His tattoos that covered his face above his mouth were only filled in one side. You couldn’t tell if it was intentional or just not finished.
“Hello. Can I help you?” he said.
God, his voice was deep. You had never heard a voice as deep as his. It sent shivers down your spine.
“I just…wanted to ask about your piercings,” you said.
It wasn’t exactly the truth but it wasn’t exactly a lie either. It’s not like you were going to tell the man you approached him on a dare.
A small smirk crept up on his lips.
“What would you like to know?” he asked.
And that’s what started it all.
You ended up sitting and talking with him for much longer than expected. The more he talked, the more curious you got.
He told you about his piercings, about the pain. About his tattoos and his pointed ears. About his blackened eyes, which you learned were in fact tattooed as well. You found it all far more fascinating than you previously thought.
Eventually, the conversation came to an end when another man, heavily pierced and scarred, came up to the table, telling the other it was time to go.
“Give me a call sometime. Or better yet, come visit me.”
You had walked away that day with a card. A simple business card for a body modification shop with the man’s phone number scribbled on the back of it, right underneath the printed business number.
Dylan and Becca had been in shock. They didn’t know what was more surprising, the fact that you had gotten his number or the fact that the next week you were being given a tour of the body mod shop he helped run.
A small dare had sent you right into the arms of the Devil.
Becca still called him that. She didn’t even bother to learn his name.
Anytime she was around she would ask you things like, “Going to see the Devil tonight?” or “Are you still messing around with the Devil?”.
The joking stopped once she realized that you were seriously falling for him. She didn’t get it and neither did Dylan, he was far from either of their types, but they were happy for you nonetheless.
Flash forward to now, two months from the day you two met and you were practically living with him.
The two of you were sprawled out on the couch, you curled up on his chest, resting your head under his chin.
His hand ran back and forth on your back, gentle and soft.
The TV was quiet, playing some random show you both had settled on.
“I’d love to tattoo you one of these days,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the quiet room.
His hand drifted down, resting on your hip.
“Only if you want to, of course. I can do anything you’d like,” he said.
You shifted from your position, putting your leg over him and pulling yourself up on his lap, sitting there. Both of his hands snaked around you, holding you there.
“That would be nice. I would like that,” you said.
You brought your hand up to his face, tracing over his mouth tattoo. He kissed your fingertips as your finger grazed across his lips.
“Are you thinking about any more tattoos for yourself?” you asked.
“Always. I need to get my chest done. But you know I’m not gonna stop at just tattoos, right?” he asked.
“I know. What other plans do you have?” you asked.
“I want my tongue split for starters,” he said.
“Really? I wonder what it’ll feel like kissing you after that,” you said.
He chuckled, pulling you closer to him and pecking your lips.
“You’ll just have to wait and find out.”
He held onto you as you curled back into him, nuzzling right underneath his jaw piercings.
As you slowly drifted off in his arms you couldn’t help but think that maybe you should take up doing dares more often.