Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He had paced all day; upstairs, downstairs, even up and down the stairs of the old antique shop. His nerves were worked up, so much that not even copious cups of tea could help. 

The angel was not in the shop, lest she be bothered by the incessant creaking of floorboards, though that didn’t mean she didn’t sense something wrong. When the anxiety projected across London still hadn't eased up by 2PM, she decided to call her partner. 

As soon as the line connected, she began speaking without a proper introduction, not like she needed one. “Ash, I said it’s okay if you don’t want to do this.” 

“I do!” Ashtaroth replied before biting his lip and continuing to pace, “I really do want to do it, my dear. I’ve put it off enough times, but I’m determined tonight. I want to do this, pending you’re willing and comfortable as well, of course.”

“You’ve got my go ahead, love,” she said. “You’ll do great, yeah? It will be lovely. Especially since you learned from the best.” She smirked at the last line. Self-congratulatory bastard. 

“Err. Yes. Of course. I just hope-well-that you’ll be satisfied and-“ 

She could feel the heat from his face over the phone, probably all beet red and huffy. Sure, Ash got worked up over the smallest of things, but tonight his nerves compounded with a bit of haughty manners and embarrassment. But tonight?

Tonight, they were going to have sex. And for the first time, he was going to top. 

Umabel was always more than happy to take the lead, and she always made sure to take good care of her lamb. But she also respected that he wanted to try a reversal. No matter how he did, she was ready to make it seem like the best intercourse of her eternal life. But really, it was endearingly cute to see Ash get worked up and nervous like this.

“Ah, eh, I-I’ll see you later dear, I still have a little bit more studying to do um, quite, yes, I-I’ll see you at seven!” 

“‘Course, lamb,” Umabel smiled. He really was such a cute little thing. How god ever made him a demon, she had no idea. She could just imagine him now, watching a slutty porno and trying to take notes on the “technique” while also looking through his fingers and blushing. As if they hadn’t already done it a hundred times before. 

Speaking of, his “study materials” would consist of humans. Umabel was incredibly flexible regarding what was between her legs at any given moment, so with a snap of her fingers, she made sure to shift to factory settings. Make it as simple as possible for Ash, would hate for her to spread her legs and for him to get lost. 

And now she would wait, continuing to sense the waves of stress from across town and preparing compliments ahead of time for her brave little demon. 

Oh. 

Good lord. 

Bad lord, actually. Depending how you looked at it. But holy, or rather unholy, fuck. 

Umabel did not have to pretend to be satisfied, that’s for sure. 

It seemed the demon’s studying had paid off. She had originally figured that it would take a bit for her to, well, finish, as is typical with those with female parts. However, it seemed that the demon knew just the right things to do. She was practically floating on cloud nine, all of her senses completely overloaded and desires she didn’t even know existed happily satisfied. 

Cleaning up afterwards was especially easy. Just a simple snap and the two got to share in a gentle doze for the rest of the night, intertwined in each other. One couldn’t tell where the demon or angel began nor ended.

To her immediate dismay, this bliss was absent when Umabel woke up alone in bed but with an extra sherpa blanket having been tucked around her while she slept. She sat up carefully, the blanket still around her shoulders, but before she could start slipping out of bed the bedroom door swung open and in walked Ash with a large wooden tray. Plates of vibrant, picture-perfect breakfast were piled just so. 

As he stepped in, he seemed surprised to see Umabel awake but his expression quickly softened into one of the dopiest, love sick smiles she’d ever seen. 

“Morning, dear,” Ash hummed. “Interested in some nibbles?”

She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh? What did you make?” she hummed as she sat up a bit more, the blanket gently falling behind her. 

“Mm, nothing particularly special,” Ash smiled. “Just a mix of our favorites, I suppose. I figured you’d feel a bit famished, I certainly am.”

He gently set the tray over her lap before crawling back into the bed beside her. Once he was back under the covers, Umabel immediately cozied back up to him and popped a strip of bacon into her mouth. 

“Mmm…this hits the spot perfectly right now,” she moaned as she began preparing a fork for the other bits of food.

“Do you need anything, at least dear girl? Anything at all?” Ash fussed. 

Umabel hummed in thought as she shoved the fork in her mouth and rested her head on the demon’s shoulder. 

“Mmm…no. This is absolutely perfect, thank you lamb,” she gently smiled. “We should definitely do this again, test your knowledge.”

“Hm, possibly…” Ashtaroth mused. “I’d need some time, however.”

“I took that much outta you, eh?” Umabel smirked. She turned her face and pressed into the crook of his neck, causing Ash to whine something about a “cold nose.” She giggled and mercifully turned back towards the tray of food.

The breakfast was absolutely divine, and that was saying something considering Umabel usually wasn’t one to eat recreationally. She did take note that Ash seemed a bit more reserved from his usual eating habits. Probably something he learned from his “morning after etiquette” studying.

She found his insistence on following the old song and dance to be quite endearing. If it made him more comfortable to follow set rituals, then who was she to judge? It made the experience more pleasurable for both of them. 

The antique shop didn’t open on time that morning. They were far too comfortable laying together in bed to even consider the idea of being productive. Umabel particularly enjoyed this rare moment of indulgence, allowing herself to get washed in the demon’s scent and presence. It was warm and comforting, like a perfectly fluffy blanket. 

Everything was alright. Everything was safe. Everything was normal—a new beautiful normal that they had carved out of existence, just for themselves. 

Chapter Text

Umabel couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but for the past month something has felt…off. 

The first thing that caught her attention was the demon. He was as sweet and frumpy as normal, if a bit more irritable towards customers as the holiday season got nearer, but that wasn’t exactly what concerned her. He was more…doting than usual. It wasn’t anything she was going to complain about, but he always seemed to imitate snuggles on the couch or bringing in a tray of various treats while they had their movie nights. He was walking a bit faster, standing protectively in front of her, and a bit more…nosy. 

The Beetle was acting strange too. It was driving oddly smoothly, and it had installed heat warmers into the seats even when she didn’t ask. Every day it seemed to change into a different pastel color, its wheel rims even matching for a cute aesthetic. 

That was only the outside things she was picking up on. Lately she started to feel actually physically exhausted when returning home from work. She even kept getting small hunger pangs throughout the day, which threw her a bit off guard the first time she was interrupted with the ache. The two of them were entering a bit more of a “human” domestic ritual throughout the week, so she simply chalked it up to her body adjusting to the new routine at first.

After a particularly taxing day at work, Umabel stumbled back into her flat and tossed her bags on the couch before immediately heading to her cabinet. 

There was a nice assortment of goodies crammed into the shelf, though she soon grabbed a small bottle, tipped a few of its contents out into her palm, and popped them into her mouth. However, once they hit her tongue she halted swallowing. Something was…off. They were the wrong shape and texture—had she grabbed the wrong bottle? 

Umabel spat the "pills" into her hand, only to find the morsels she'd almost swallowed were a bit chalkier than expected and had a certain word printed on their edge: "PEZ".

Furrowing her eyebrows, Umabel threw open the cabinet again and pulled out the bottle in question. Dumping some of the contents onto the counter revealed the small, round and colorful pills she was expecting to take. They were significantly smaller than the three large pieces of (now wet) candy that were sitting in her palm. Chucking the PEZ off into the sink, she picked up a few of the pills and popped them in, but the moment they passed her lips she could feel the shape shifting to the distinct shape of the candy. 

Trying a few other bottles resulted in the same nonsense, except it ranged from different types of candy depending on what she took. Not wanting to waste her supplies the angel relented and marched over to the liquor cabinet instead to take something more conventional. However, any mix or cocktail or shot she poured turned into a different fruit juice the moment she tried to drink it. It was fair to say that one bottle had met its fate crashing against the wall, following with the angel spending the evening sprawled on her couch with the television playing random soap dramas at a rather high volume.

Despite the fact that she certainly hadn’t drank much the previous night, it seemed her body didn’t get the memo. The angel awoke with a particularly annoying urge to empty her bladder—something she hadn’t done in decades, and even then it was more just pissing with the lads or using urination as a form of protest. The 60s were interesting. 

She grumbled before pushing herself up and shuffling to the bathroom, dropping trow and beginning her business exactly as her mobile phone began to sound from her pocket. With a grunt, she pulled out the device and held it against her ear.

“'Yellow?” She asked.

“Hello dear I-“ Ashtaroth’s voice came from the other side, though he stopped after a moment before clearing his throat, “Um, is now a bad time doe? I can call back later.”

“Huh?” Umabel asked, “What makes you say-“

It was then Umabel realized that peeing made a sound. She kind of forgot it did that. Who could really blame her though, it had been such a long time.

She shifted her phone so that it was nestled in the crook of her neck as she continued her business. “Nah nah, it’s fine lamb. I can multi-task. What’s up?”

“Ah, well, if you say so,” the demon stammered. “I was wondering if you would be commendable to going out today? Or possibly having me visit for a spell?”

“Oh, are you missing me already?” Umabel smirked.

“What a ridiculous question!” Ash huffed. Of course they always played this game, hereditary enemies and all-

“I always miss you dear. You must know that,” Ash finished his statement before she could fully process. It’s not like he hadn’t said things like this before, especially now that they had gotten closer post Armageddon, but the way it hit her today was just…different. The sincerity and love came on hard, fast, overwhelming-

“Are you alright my star?” Ash asked. 

“H-Huh?” Umabel blinked. She’d been so foggy that she failed to realize she’d been crying, ugly crying at that. Large globs of glassy tears streaked down her cheeks.

She loudly sniffed and wiped her tears off her cheeks with her sleeve. If one was to look close enough at her, there would most likely be question marks floating above her head. 

“H-huh? Uh…yea, yea, I’m fine,” she sniffed. “I’m not sure…I’m not sure what came over me, lamb.”

There was a quiet hum on the other side of the line before a bit of muffled shuffling, probably Ash slipping a jacket on. “I’ll be over to yours soon then. Can I grab you anything on my way?”

“Um…I’m not sure, whatever you think is best, if that’s alright. For nibbles, I mean,” Umabel awkwardly shrugged. She grabbed the phone and quickly shifted over to the other side as she went to grab a few wads of toilet tissue.

“Hm…I do have something in mind. I’ll be over in one shake of my tail,” Ashtaroth hummed

“Heh,” she mumbled with a small sniffle, “Thank you…” 

She hung up the phone before drooping, her stature like a cooked noodle. What the hell was wrong? She felt so…off. Gross. And just not like herself

She remained there motionless for a moment, before her legs started to become a bit tingly and numb from sitting on the porcelain throne. Relenting, she clamored off and cleaned up, before awkwardly shuffled back out to her bedroom. 

Flipping down onto her bed and rolling over the lay on her back, Umabel sighed and stared up at the ceiling. The glow-in-the-dark stars she had placed there were giving a comforting dim green glow. Taking a deep breath, the angel closed her eyes, ran her hands up her face, and pushed her hair back so it sprawled out to the sides. Everything was just slightly off-kilter, and the strange little happenings were slowly driving her crazy. It’s been practically weeks since she last properly relaxed , and her tense nerves were evidence of that withdrawal. Maybe spending some time with the demon would do her a world of favors.

Although he appeared much faster than humanly possible, Ash still took longer to arrive than she would’ve liked (though to be fair, her desired time was immediately). Still, a part of her immediately melted when she spotted his shopping bags, one of which had a nice bag of chocolate covered popcorn peaking out of the top. 

He had tried to ask her questions, various iterations of “are you okay?”, though Umabel didn't know how to say “no” without making him worry. Instead she just pulled him over to the couch to ask for a snuggle. 

Thankfully, the demon didn’t argue with the quiet proposition and joined her, allowing the angel to nestle herself into him like he was a comforting weighted blanket. As she physically relaxed, Ashtaroth quietly hummed and carefully combed his fingers through her hair. 

“It’s safe for me to assume that you’re not going to get any grading done this weekend hm?” Ashtaroth mused. 

“I don’t know,” Umabel sighed. “I might just hand it off to a student assistant or something. I just…I’d rather do this. Something normal.”

“Did you miss me too?” the demon lightly teased as he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger.

“You wish,” she muttered as she cuddled into him. However, in her attempt to get comfortable, an aching pang crept onto her chest. 

This wasn’t new, button up shirts were not the most cuddle-friendly. She pulled herself up carefully in an attempt to reposition, though as she lowered herself back into his chest, the pain in her breasts remained.

She quietly whined in the back of her throat. She kept trying to shift around and adjust herself, but no matter what position she maneuvered herself into, something was being awkwardly squished and hurt just enough that it made her annoyed. In her shifting, she suddenly felt a gentle touch on her lower back as the lamb ran his hand down her spine. 

“Do you want me to move, star?” he quietly hummed. “Do you want to see the screen?”

“Mmm…no…” Umabel mumbled into his shirt. She refused to admit that her body was not cooperating. Even amongst her discomfort, being surrounded by his scent was at least soothing.

No matter what, he was happy to accommodate and continued trying to soothe her gently. Ash knew during times like these it was less about getting comfortable more about finding as much comfort as possible despite opposing factors. And so he laid there, not as if he was complaining, drinking her in and letting the angel rest. He’d have stayed here forever if she asked.

Chapter Text

Umabel had frankly lost track of how long this nonsense has been going on. It felt like it has been forever since she last properly relaxed or didn’t feel any form of mild discomfort that she would’ve otherwise just miracleled away without a second thought. In reality, however, it has been nearly two months and some change. 

It wasn’t just her body and her miracles that seemed to be betraying her, however. As she grew more and more tired and irritated, the only thing she wanted to do was to lay in bed with her demon and watch stupid sitcoms. Unfortunately for her, Ashtartoh has recently become increasingly preoccupied with…other things. 

She’s caught him making wards more than once. She poked and prodded the ram, knowing they didn’t need to safe guard anything anymore, but the only answer she could get out of him was that he “didn’t want to get out of practice”. Even when the demon was supposed to be “working”, he would be checking in on her via a text or phone call, constantly asking if she needed anything or demanding she rest. What was the true kicker, however, was when the Beetle refused to start when she sat behind the wheel, and instead only behaved when the demon was in the driver’s seat. 

It felt like she was losing her own autonomy while also losing her partner to these invisible distractions.

She often tried to articulate these concerns, but it was easier said than done. It wasn’t that she felt neglected, if anything Ashtaroth was investing quite a bit of thought into her well-being. But that was just it—their dynamic shifted dramatically such that he was always fussing over her. He was not letting her reciprocate the care. Any sign of lifting a finger and he instead insisted she rested. Frankly she was getting pretty bloody tired of resting 

And yet…she didn’t fully blame Ash for the way he was acting. Because despite not wanting it, Umabel had found herself needing much more rest lately to feel just a touch closer to normal. These past two months tore normal away from her quite violently. 

Understanding does not equal resolution, such is the way of conflict. As such, Umabel found her frustration with her own body and her shifting dynamic with Ash to begin mounting, swirling and mutating until it led to an inevitable snap. 

It came after Ashtaroth asked if she’d needed anything for the 5th time that day. They’d gotten a peaceful 15 minutes of snuggling in before her midsection made a terrible growling and Ash instantly hopped up to try and “help.” Even after fixing her toast and ginger tea, insisting to get a heating pad and making her lay down (without him, unfortunately), he still asked if she needed something else.

“I just need the bullshit to stop!” Umabel growled as she punched a clenched fist into the cushion beside her.

Ashtaroth blinked in surprise as he took a step back away from the couch, carefully holding the new empty tea mug close to his chest. The outburst was rather sudden and unexpected, nearly causing him to drop the mug out of surprise. 

“What do you mean, dear?” Ash sadly frowned. 

Umabel groaned as she hunched forward and tightly gripped the strands of hair that fell in front of her face. She halfheartedly tugged at them as her breath hitched. 

“I’m losing control,” she heavily sighed in disappointment. “I can’t take it anymore!”

The demon watched her movements for a hearty moment, trying to pick up some kind of hint that would hopefully clue him in more to the sudden outrage. When he found none, he instead placed the cup down slowly before positioning himself directly in front of Umabel and lowering down onto one knee. They weren’t quite eye level, but he didn’t want to look down at her right now. And he was sure she didn’t want to just see his shoes. 

“What do you mean? I don’t…I want to help you, love. How can I do that?”

Umabel’s shoulders slumped as she heavily sighed. She sat in silence for a moment as she carefully pondered her words, her eyes flittering between making eye contact with the demon and looking away in quiet shame. 

“I-I don’t know if you can help with anything,” she sniffed. “It’s just…my body has been acting strange, a-and I don’t know why. I don’t have control over any of it! My miracles aren’t working properly, they certainly won’t fix the weirdness. And on top of that you’ve been acting strange as well around me, and I can’t wrap my head around why, and just-it feels like some obscure punishment o-or something. Or maybe I’m finally going crazy.”

Slowly Ash reached out to take her hand. He cupped it gently like a small bird before pulling it towards him softly. 

“Oh…my dear, I figured you’d been feeling some changes but I had no idea they were so…so stressful. And I know my nervous tendencies probably aren’t helping you relax. A lot is certainly changing,” he said. His thumbs gently rubbed over her knuckles before he finally leaned down and pressed a light kiss to them. “We haven’t properly discussed this all yet”

Umabel furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she tilted her head. 

“Discuss what?” she frowned. “Is…is it something to do with them ? You’ve been practicing wards, and…”

“Oh, no, star, it’s not that at all,” Ash quickly reassured. The unspoken “them” was their old respective sides. After finally getting back together, they refused to speak their names again. “It’s just…we’re finally safe. And setting down roots. I want to do everything in my power to protect you,” his eyes trailed across her form and his smile grew, “To protect us . And I know all of this has been a lot for you too, it always is. That’s why I’ve been so on edge.” 

Umabel softened slightly, though her frustration was nowhere near resolved. The bits regarding her demon smoothed over slightly, though her whacked out miracles and self destructive body surely wasn’t mended. “So you’ve felt territorial lately…” she said.

Ash blushed a bit, “That makes it sound so animalistic…but I suppose…yes. I guess I never expected this to happen, but now that it is I’m adjusting in my own way. And sometimes that involves growling at customers when they get too close to you”

“You do that anyways,” she said with a small chuckle. She could definitely understand where he was coming from. Even though they’d loved each other for an impossible amount of time, it never really seemed possible that they would get their happy ending like this, a slice of earth to themselves to enjoy without head offices breathing down their necks. It did make sense Ash wanted to protect it. And in combination with her corporation defects, maybe he was being a little extra protective of Umabel.

“We both just need some time to properly adjust and settle, and then everything will work itself out,” Ash hummed as he reached forward with his other hand and gently cupped her cheek. “While I make sure we’re safe, you make sure to take care of yourself in the meantime. Is that okay?”

“I mean…I guess,” Umabel said softly as she met the demon’s eyes. “But you’re going to do the same as well, right?”

“When do I don’t?” Ashtartoh smirked. 

The angel eyed him oddly. “I can list them all right now off the top of my head.”

He rolled his eyes. “You have the worst memory and yet that’s what you recall? I’m really not able to get away with much, am I.”

“Well…maybe I’ll let it slide…in exchange for watching a movie and cuddling under our comforter?” she asked. 

“Of course, star.”

Chapter Text

It took another month before things started to settle down. The demon seemed much more at ease once he finally got the proper wards placed on both the antique shop and the Mayfair flat. He spent much of his new free attention doting on the angel and taking her out in the city to try and lift her mood. 

Much to Umabel’s dismay, her corporation was still giving her grief. Her miracles still refused to cooperate with her, and it seemed that she still couldn’t indulge how she would’ve wanted. However, the one blessing was that she was gaining her energy back and was no longer as snappy towards Ash, and she’ll gladly take any sense of normalcy. 

Though bliss was temporary. Just as things went up, they plummeted further than ever before. 

Umabel was at the market that morning. She usually came here with Ash once a week to stock up, though that was back when really only one of them ate. Recently though, meals had slipped their way into her normal routine. She still wasn’t the biggest fan of eating, but it seemed to be one of the things restoring her energy. She even began to gain a little weight at her midsection—a sure sign that the food was being processed into matter and later into usable energy somehow. And so here she was, on her day off from classes, picking up a few ingredients and various nibbles. 

She had hit up a few stalls and gotten a good haul of fruit and veg when she reached a stretch of the stalls consisting of chefs. Less ingredients, more enjoy on the spot type of treats. Umabel was feeling a bit hungry and decided to venture further, taking a look at the offerings. 

A particularly eager vendor locked eyes with her by chance, and seizing his opportunity, he grabbed a fresh chicken skewer from in front of it and held it out towards her. “Kebab, ma’am?”

The chicken was seasoned and freshly grilled perfectly. Umabel had gotten into a number of fights with chickens, so she never felt bad about eating them. It became her meat of choice, really. However, this time, as soon as the scent of the bird hit her nostrils, her stomach churned most violently. One hand moved to her stomach, while the other flew to her mouth. Her muffled retching caught the attention of the nearby crowd, and most stepped away to avoid getting spewed on. However, one hand soon found its way onto Umabel’s back, patting gently and carefully trying to usher her forward. 

“Try not to breathe through your nose, hon. C'mon now, we’re goin’ to a less busy area,” a woman, now beside her, spoke quietly. 

Umabel meekly nodded, not wanting to protest against the woman as she tried to steady her breathing and prevent herself from getting sick. The woman gently guided her through the sparse crowd and off to a side street away from the market. After finding a clearing on the sidewalk, the woman carefully took her arm and motioned her to sit down on the curb. 

“There you go dear, just breathe. The scents in that section in the market can be quite overwhelming, I know.”

Umabel heavily sighed and placed her bags by her feet, hunching over while holding her head up with her hands that were propped up on her knees. 

“I really don’t know what happened…” she weakly whined.

“Are you a vegetarian? My friend Barb gags at red meat. Makes bar-bee-ques difficult” the woman asked, though it seemed a sliver of her attention was elsewhere. 

“I’m not…in fact I really enjoy chicken,” Umabel mumbled. Just saying “chicken” triggered the reaction again, though much more muted this time. Still, she had to swallow back a mouthful of bile and found herself shivering in disgust. The woman beside her pouted and patted her back again. 

“There you are dear, there you are. I’d say you should probably get away from the market for a little while, until you figure out what’s troublin’ ya,” she tutted, “You could use one of those fancy apps to order in. Or just get your husband to do the shoppin’,” the woman paused, her eyes scanned Umabel, then moved back to her face, “err, partner. “

Before another kind of awkwardness would worm its way into the interaction, the woman quickly recoiled with an anecdote. “I remember when I was in my second trimester, I couldn't stand the smell of fish. And pumpkin. And all of my cleaning detergents. And my sweet Harry, bless him, he did the shoppin and even learning how to use the washer just to spare me from gaggin. Thankfully, those reactions were gone after a couple of months. But then I had a whole slew of other problems!” she laughed to herself. “I’m certain this reaction is only temporary, dear. Give yourself some time and it’ll be just fine, though for now I think it’s best you leave the market shopping to someone else, or at least bring your partner with you for support.”

Umabel quietly nodded as she stared forward, focusing half of her energy on keeping her breathing even and preventing herself from reacting again. However, as she mulled over the woman’s words, considering asking Ash to accompany her next week, something she said caught her attention.

“What is your trimester?” she asked. The woman blinked, then blinked again more intensely. Her face shifted quite a bit, never really settling on a readable expression before she finally seemed to give up.

“The trimesters of my pregnancy, hon. Well, my first pregnancy at least. The second and third were pretty similar, though I was able to stomach salmon a bit more easily. Still couldn’t handle the smell of gourds, though.”

Umabel frowned. “So you couldn’t eat certain things?”

The woman seemed to gently smile at her like the angel would at a certain type of student that made her eye twitch. “Yes, dear. There are restrictions, of course, but I also had reactions to even some of my favorites. It’s just part of the sacrifice.”

“Sacrifice…” Umabel repeated under her breath. A response formed in her chest and she tried to hold it back like her previous retch, but it found its way past her lips regardless, “What else did you sacrifice? During your pregnancy I mean?"

“Sacrifice is such an off way to put it,” the woman said, despite the fact that she was the one who initially used the term, “But…well, you know. The usual symptoms. Cramps and cravings, the fatigue hit me like a bus! And once my baby hit 7 months he liked to use my bladder for kickboxing.”

“Oh, that sounds…”

Familiar?

“…kinda rough,” she frowned. 

“It was a bit, yes,” the woman chuckled. “But it is certainly worth it in the end, trust me. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, has your stomach settled dear?”

Umabel blinked in surprise. “Oh, um…yeah. A little off kilter, so I’ll probably head home.”

“Well, I’m glad to have been of assistance hon,” she smiled back. “Travel safe, okay?”

“Of course. Um. Thanks. Again.” she said. 

The woman left with a small wave of her hand and ducked back into the market stalls. Now left on the curb, Umabel’s hand slowly moved towards her pocket. 

She had really enjoyed the internet, humans came up with the craziest things. And now she had a device in her pocket that could tell her anything she wanted. Though it was now she realized having the ability to know anything with a few finger taps was dangerous. A part of her fought back, told her it was ridiculous and not even worth looking up. But she was a being of curiosity, and she lived with that burden. 

“How do you know if you’re pregnant?”

The search results appeared in fractions of seconds. 

And that’s how she wound up at the nearby pharmacy, a collection of cardboard boxes on the check out counter each containing a different pregnancy test. 

‘ This was absolutely ridiculous, ’ a voice in the back of her head kept repeating. This was all just to ease a part of her that was nervous. Nothing was going to show itself, she’s just tying herself into knots. 

She haphazardly stumbled into her flat, depositing the groceries in the kitchen before locking herself in the bathroom. Throwing the boxes onto the sink, Umabel stared down at them and swallowed. 

Welp. Thankfully she did have to go.

She did her business, one after one preparing the tests before setting them on the bathroom counter and waiting. 

It was only supposed to take 10 minutes, though the first half seemed to take a lifetime, or at least a human one. As the answer grew nearer, her tune shifted and Umabel suddenly found herself wanting to be farther away from the answer again. 

Maybe if she didn’t know, nothing would happen. 

Or maybe if she did know she could…do something about it. 

But surely she wouldn’t have to. That would be crazy. Humans got pregnant, and they really liked to do it, seeing as the world’s population had gotten so large. She was an angel. And the being she made love with was a demon! Angels and demons couldn’t do that! Even if they had the right equipment, their biology was too different, that would be like a horse and a donkey having a baby. Impossible. She had absolutely nothing to worry ab-

10 minutes came. Her eyes flicked over to the tests in an instant, and immediately her stomach dropped. 

All of them, everything single one. “Positive,” “pregnant,” two lines.

Her whole body froze up as she stood stock still, staring at the tests with wide eyes. The tests seemed to stare back at her mockingly, taunting her with their pure, unadulterated truth. 

Everything suddenly made sense. The strange aches and pains, her aversions to sudden smells and foods, the exhaustion, the clinginess, the human urges. It was too obvious for her to have missed. How could she have been so incredibly stupid? The first sign should’ve been the fact that she didn’t even swap back from the default settings immediately following their time together. The mess of…that time of the month is usually something she would prefer to avoid. Instead swapping over fell out of her mind, and simply never came about. Now she may not even be able to. 

In the midst of her mental crisis, her whole body seemed to lurch as it finally started to react. Her body moved before her mind could fully process, bringing her to the toilet as she immediately lost what little she ate that afternoon. 

Most would see this as a wonderful blessing, a gift. But all her mind could conjure was that this was yet another punishment from the powers that be. 

Umabel remained in the bathroom for the rest of the day, and through the night, stricken with the urge to be left alone, but only more anguished by the knowledge that she couldn’t be. 

The only reason she eventually left the lavatory was because whatever was in her demanded food.

She slowly and sluggishly trudged over to the kitchen and pulled out random things from the fridge. Thankfully, it seemed the appliance had sympathy for her and gave her something simple and sweet to indulge her sorrows into. 

As she quietly sat in the living room and ate the fluffy, fruit filled pastry she was gifted, Umabel felt a gentle buzz in her pocket. She didn’t even need to pull the phone out to know that it was the demon trying to call her. The angel sighed to herself and let the phone go to voice mail. The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk to him, as much as a part of her wanted to hear his voice.

Ash…he was roped into this too. How would he react? Children were known to be a bit rough with things, and could be a risk to his antiques. Not to mention they were overwhelming. Once when they were in an elevator, a woman walked on with a wailing toddler. Ash kept his composure, but Umabel sensed his sudden discomfort immediately. After they’d finally gotten off the elevator, she remembered Ash needed to sit and recenter himself for a moment.

Those were just off the top of her head. Umabel admittedly knew little about babies and children besides brief public interactions. Although she’d conquered her fear of humans and their all-too-small lifespan, something about the younger and older individuals of the population served as a stark, nagging reminder. 

This was all to say, she wasn’t sure if Ash would tolerate babies. What if that meant he wouldn’t tolerate her either? Especially with how fussy she’s been lately, he had every right to…distance. 

They’d come too close. So agonizingly close. Why did this have to happen? Why did everything need to be different now?

Umabel sniffed and harshly blinked, her vision suddenly becoming blurry. The sudden and intense wave of sadness and grief hit her like a truck, one which she was desperately trying to hold back, as evident by the sudden tight grip she had on her fork. Much to her dismay, a few tears slipped from her eyes and landed on the table, lightly staining the table runner she had draped over it. 

In a desperate attempt to silence the spinning thoughts and tsunami of emotions, the angel harshly stabbed the pastry and shoved it into her mouth to distract herself. There were only a few solid coherent thoughts that she could decipher from the mess she was swimming through. 

1: She wasn’t going to tell Ash. At least not yet. She doesn’t feel mentally ready for either of his possible reactions. Either way she would probably crumble in response. 

2: She is terrified out of her fucking mind and feels lost on how to move forward. What does it mean for an angel to be pregnant? Would it be like a human’s?

3: Beneath it all, she is creating life. They are creating life together. She couldn’t remember the last time she created anything that was her own. And deep down, that made her happy. Excited even. It is just a little speck of happiness within the sea of negativity. 

Her phone started buzzing again, this time in the distinct pattern of one of her many morning alarms. 

Right. It was Tuesday. She has a class to teach later that afternoon.

The angel threw together her things haphazardly, and instead tried to use the opportunity as a distraction. Unequipped to handle the turmoil within her own body, she would instead focus her attention outwards.

Chapter Text

The moment he sensed the change in his angel, Ashtaroth couldn’t have been any more excited. While that wasn’t really the goal of his first time properly taking the lead, the fact that it led to them creating something wonderful together filled him with a sense of pride. Even a demon could still dabble in creation after all. 

As the days turned to weeks, Ash kept patiently waiting for the angel to properly say something to him. He wanted this experience to be completely directed by her, especially considering the fact that she’s putting in most of the legwork. In the spare moment he had alone in the antique shop, between working in wards to protect her and their homes, he was planning the perfect celebration dinner. A night out to truly pamper the angel with all of the love and attention she deserved. The idea of children was a bit scary to him, personally, but the simple fact that it’s theirs completely overrides any semblance of concern. This just…felt right. It was the next step.

Seeing as Umabel had yet to say anything, he had a suspicion that she was planning to reveal it in a grand way. She did have a love for sparkle and grandeur, and he was more than happy to put on an act of shock and surprise once she decided to tell him. All of the joy and delight he showed would be genuine though. 

It seemed like their world would get a little bit bigger. As such, Ash went about conjuring and reinforcing their base of operations with every ward he could find. He was already protective enough of Umabel, imagining a child in the mix set off a whole other set of papa bear instincts. If he had his way, neither Heaven nor Hell would even hear the word “child.” 

The change in Umabel at first was quite endearing. She started eating more, likely to accommodate the growing baby, though she wasn’t well versed in table manners. Watching her try to navigate spaghetti was a treat. On the other side though, he was incredibly sympathetic to her pregnancy plights. Aches and tiredness, mood swings and aversions, none of it was easy. He had tried miracling them away in secret, though he could feel the miracles having little to no effect on their intended target. As such, he tried more human methods to soothe her, leading to extensive studying of human literature regarding the subject.

He knew all of the ins and outs of all of the possible symptoms and home remedies he could provide. From something as simple as warm compresses for the lower back, to specific types of foods high in certain necessary vitamins, he has an answer for any plight the angel may encounter. He utilized that knowledge to the best of his abilities, sneakily providing her with simple solutions to her new complaint of the week. 

Slowly, yet surely, Ash started to amass a collection of various books and vintage toys and supplies to keep stocked in his flat and antique store for when the moment was right. An elegant, handcrafted wooden bassinet sat as a centerpiece in a brand new hidden room near the bedroom, a soft blanket adorned with images of sheep and deer folded neatly inside. The door to said room was hidden behind a bookcase, waiting for its time to shine. He would spend his mornings reading articles and books on parenting advice, making notes in one of his many journals to reference later. He didn’t want to make a mess of things their first time around. It had to be perfect. 

The weeks slowly shifted into months, and the demon kept patiently waiting for the angel to say something. Every time they went out on a date, or she would spend the night curled up next to him in bed, Ashtaroth hoped that she would finally say something so that he could adorn her with kisses and love. However, that time never seemed to finally come, as the announcement was kept silent, hovering between them like a wispy cloud.

As time went on, it nagged him further and further. The urge to ask mounted, though it still felt wrong to do so. Additionally, even when he began to consider breaking the ice himself, he noticed a change in his partner that gave him pause. 

While he expected mood changes and particular routine shifts, Umabel began isolating herself. He would call to check in or plan their next rendezvous, though she often didn’t pick up. When she did answer, their calls were short and always ended with her claiming she didn’t feel well or was too busy. 

His texts would go ignored for hours, sometimes even days at a time, and she never would initiate a conversation on her own. He had tried to stop by her flat a few times to check on her, but before he could even knock on the door he could sense that she was either not inside or was deep in sleep, an aura of ‘do not disturb’ filling the air like a threat. 

This drastic shift in behavior deeply troubled the demon, but he also felt like he was in a difficult position. He didn’t want to intrude and disturb her by invading her privacy and inserting himself to find out why she was basically avoiding him. However he had this deep feeling in his gut that something was terribly wrong, and he couldn’t shake that feeling off. 

He did whatever he could think of to distract himself from the feeling. He started to attend classes about early parent hood, learning simple tricks and more proper procedures on how to care for a baby. These short moments twice a week were just barely enough to keep him excited about their future, but it also made his heart feel heavy as he stood at his table alone, surrounded by adoring happy couples.

The day finally came that his phone rang. Any time it made any sort of noise nowadays he jumped up to see if Umabel was on the other side. Today was no different, though he was disappointed to see a number he didn’t recognize. 

With a sigh, he pressed “answer” and pulled the phone up to his ear. 

“Can I help you?”

“Is this Mr. Roth?”

“Indeed.”

“This is Cassandra, I’m a secretary for the Ilmont institute. I’m glad I reached you.”

Ashtaroth blinked in surprise. The university? The last time he got a call from them was to offer financial support, and he was quick to put himself on the “do not call list” afterwards. 

“Is…there something I can help you with Cassandra? I wasn’t expecting a call from the institute this afternoon,” Ash hummed. 

“Most certainly,” the woman replied back, almost robotic in nature. “We have listed here on our files that you’re the emergency contact for one of our faculty, Dr. Umabel Lennon. The astrophysics department has reported that she has gone ‘no contact’. They report that it’s been nearly two weeks since she’s appeared for lectures on campus, and has failed to respond to both students and fellow faculty members for longer. All forms of contact have yielded no results. Students of hers have also come forward to state that she was ‘acting out of character’ prior to her impromptu absence. The department is requesting if you happen to have any information on her condition, and if you could possibly do a wellness check on their behalf.”

The uneasiness that had sat dormant in his gut for the past few weeks exploded in that moment. He should’ve known something was wrong—he should’ve checked earlier. A million terrible scenarios crowded his mind, enough to make him feel physically ill. Before he got too washed away in it all, the voice on the other end of the line startled him to brief clarity.

“Mr. Roth?” The secretary asked again.

“Yes-“ he snapped quickly before gulping, “y-yes, I’ll check in on her. Thank you for calling.”

“Great, please just keep us upda-“

He didn’t care for the rest of the call, instead forgetting his phone existed and darting out the front doors of the shop where the fastest cabby in London was remarkably already waiting. 

He listed off the angel’s address easily by memory, forgoing indulging the cab driver in casual small talk as he pushed for them to simply drive. Miraculously, the cab did not hit any lights nor experience any snags of traffic that otherwise would’ve delayed them. Ashtartoh looked out of the window anxiously, watching the busy London streets pass by. In a normal circumstance, he would be enjoying the scenery, taking note of the small little lives of the various humans and amuse himself with thoughts about what they did that day. Instead, his mind was still swirling with various possibilities that made his heart anxiously race at an inhuman rate. 

As soon as the cab pulled up to the front of the building, Ash miracled the appropriate amount of cash into the cabby’s wallet and dashed inside and on to the elevator. As the machine slowly ascended, he subtly reached out and poked the presence of the wards around the apartment, trying to get a single sense of the angel. Much to his relief, her presence was noticeable within, safely protected inside.

There didn’t seem to be any breaches either, no signs that any occult beings crept in or out. Good news, though his worries were hardly eased. 

He was at Umabel’s door before the elevator even fully opened. Foregoing his usual manners, Ash simply knocked in the door, hard and loud, and waited.

No response. 

Ash frowned and knocked again, rocking back on his heels as his whole body bounced with energy. After a few more minutes of nothing, the demon relented and decided that he would ask for forgiveness later, and simply miracled the door unlocked.

Walking inside, his vision was immediately assaulted by a huge mess. The entire flat was in disarray, well, more so than usual. The cushions on the couch were all over the place, and nearly every spare surface either had an article of clothing or used plate or bowl. Usually the apartment looked “lived in” in some way or another, but this was…more chaotic.

The shock only stalled him so long as he instead made his way down the long hallway towards the bedroom. 

“Umabel? Dear? Are you…err…around?” he called as he approached again. He didn’t exactly feel comfortable intruding, especially in her space, though his worry for her safety pushed him forward. Still, he wanted to offer an announcement of his arrival. 

Behind the closed door, Ash heard a faint shuffling and shifting of blankets. There was a momentary pause, before he heard a meek voice call out “…lamb?” in response. The angel’s tone was soft and quiet, though it was also laced with a slight bleary slur. 

“I deeply apologize if I woke you, dear,” Ash gently spoke as he placed his hand on the doorknob. “Is it okay if I come in?”

“Ah, um…hold on…”

There was a momentary pause of hesitation, before there was a quiet click from the door as the lock came undone.

Behind the door she stood, wrapped in an incredibly fluffy robe pulled snuggly around her front. Her shoulders were hunched and her back curled forward. Ash could hardly see her face behind a frizzy and unkept mop of hair. Overall she just seemed to be caving in on herself. 

The state of the room was somehow worse than the rest of the apartment, a perfect nest for bed rotting, though Ash hardly cared about that now. 

“Oh, dear girl,” he sighed as slowly held out his hands and moved towards her. He wanted desperately to check her over, make sure both she and the baby were okay. But more selfishly, he just wanted to hold her. However, she seemed to instinctively jump back from his advance and pull the robe around her torso tighter. 

“Did you, um…did you need anything?” she quickly said. She was refusing to make proper eye contact, constantly fleeting between meeting him and shyly looking down. The demon could practically feel the waves of anxiety coming off of her. 

Ash stepped back, making sure he wasn’t crossing the threshold into her room. He didn’t want her to feel threatened. “The university called me today, they said you haven’t been in,” he gently started. “They wanted me to check on you. And…well, I wanted to check on you too, star. You’ve been worrying me.”

Her face puckered sourly. 

“Sorry they bothered you. I’ll ring them back and tell them I’m fine,” she said carefully. She stayed quiet for a moment before clearing her throat, “I’m not feeling well so…if that’s all…”

They had respected each other's boundaries faithfully in the past, though this was the first time Ash considered that some boundaries needed to be pushed, or at least prodded, when someone was putting themselves at risk.

He frowned and took a step forward, passing the threshold into her room partially. Even as she took another step back, he made sure to make eye contact with her and keep it steady. 

“You’ve been avoiding me Umabel,” he sighed. “And I know you’re not feeling well, but angels typically don’t ‘ feel unwell ’. I’ve tried to give you space, and…my dear, please, I need you to talk to me.”

The angel's lips screwed shut tighter, and she tried to look away. Past the frames of her glasses Ash could clearly make out small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. 

Ash took another, very cautious half step forward. “Star, whatever you’re going through, I want to help. I want to support you. You shouldn’t suffer alone,” he said softly. 

Her gaze shifted back to him, though she didn’t seem any more reassured than before. Instead she whimpered before finally choking out two meek words: “I’m not.”

The broken way she spoke that simple phrase made the demon’s heart ache. He knew exactly what she meant, but it was clear that she wasn’t aware that he held that knowledge. As much as he didn’t want to, in order to keep pushing her to say the full truth, Ash feigned ignorance and tilted his head slightly in confusion. 

“What do you mean, ‘you’re not’?” he frowned. 

Umabel shifted in place, tilting her body away while keeping a harsh grip on her robe. The slight bouncing she was also doing was accentuating her nervousness. “I-I mean that I’m not,” she awkwardly sputtered. “I…I’m not alone. I haven’t been alone, I won't be alone. So…so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Well then…who else is with you?” Ash asked. If she had been able to calmly listen to his tone then, it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t actually unaware, simply leading the beats of the conversation to where he knew it needed to go. However, the panic overtook nuance. 

Her lips folded inwards, and in an instant Umabel coughed out a stifled sob. Her hands flew to her face to cover her eyes. 

“Ash…I-I’m so so sorry,” she whimpered in a small, high voice. 

“Woah, woah, hey,” Ash quickly reassured as he surged forward and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. Upon the contact, another sob unwillingly broke out from the angel, her body slightly shaking as tears slipped past her fingers and down her face. “What are you sorry for?”

As Umabel’s breath hitched as she desperately tried to reel her emotions in to speak, Ashtaroth finally looked away from her face, his eyes trailing down her form now that the robe was released. Hidden behind the fluffy fabric was something the demon found to be absolutely beautiful, though he was certain it was the current crux of the angel’s problems. 

Where there once used to be the flat and toned stomach that came with Umabel’s thin and gangly corporation was the distinct round belly of a human midway through their pregnancy. The angel’s usual pajamas were struggling to hide the belly and new features that came with it, as they looked to be roughly a size or two too small.

“I’m…I’m preg…” Umabel’s breath was hitching rapidly, and she was only able to choke out a few words between cries. However, that was enough for Ash to understand. He already knew, but now that she said it, now that it was out there, a door had opened. 

His hands slid down from her shoulders and instead hooked around to her back. He gently but firmly pulled her in tight, using one hand to cradle her head carefully against his neck and the other stroking the flat of her back slowly and reassuringly.

“Oh dear, you are, you are,” he said softly before hugging her just slightly tighter. 

Umabel’s whole body seemed to shake as she desperately clung on to the demon and continued to openly sob. Ash quietly reassured her as he continued to gently stroke her back in a comforting gesture and shush her as her emotions seemed to occasionally surge in intensity. 

“It’s okay star, it’s okay…” Ash said softly into her ear as he used his other hand to carefully wipe away a few stray tears. Umabel shuddered at the touch, her breath hitching in response. “We can handle this together. How long have you known?”

Umabel took in a shaky deep breath before turning her face to bury it more into the crook of the ram’s neck. “…f-five weeks, I think…” she mumbled into his shirt collar.

Five weeks, eh? That seemed to be about the time she suddenly cut herself off. Not a shocking correlation by any means, though still unfortunate. 

What was more was that she’d apparently not known about this for considerably long into the pregnancy. Now all of the instances of hormones and symptoms were framed in a new light, one that would be considerably scary without the context of maternity. 

“Why did you hide yourself away, Uma?” He asked as he leaned his cheek into her hair.

Umabel heavily sighed as she slumped and physically relaxed against him. “I…I just…I’m scared Ash. I-I’m not…we didn’t…”

Her voice quietly died down into a whimper as her body shivered. Ashtaroth frowned and finally pulled away, carefully using his left hand to lift Umabel’s chin so he could look into her eyes. 

“I know we didn’t plan this, and I’m terrified of the prospect as well,” he started gently. “But it…it feels right. For us, I mean. I understand you might be petrified my dear, or that you don’t feel ready. But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer in silence like it’s a punishment.”

She blinked at him, enough that another wave of tears dropped down the previously trodded path on her cheeks, though she was too stunned to produce new tears then. 

“You…think it feels right?” she asked quietly. Ash felt her tremble. 

“Well, right that we have a little one on the way, not right that you’re having to deal with a boatload of symptoms and such. I still don’t know why we designed pregnancy to be so…troublesome. I wish I could remember who worked on that bit,” Ash muttered. Frankly, Umabel hadn’t listened much past the first sentence. Still stunned and wide eyed, she only managed a quiet “You aren’t upset?”

Ashtaroth blinked and looked back at her in confusion. “‘Not upset’? Why would I be upset dear? I’ve been worried, and scared, and excited about all of this, but not once have I been upset, especially not towards you.”

“B-but I…” Umabel sniffed as she rubbed the tears off of her cheeks and meekly looked down. “When I found out I ran from you. I-I avoided your calls and blatantly told lies a-and, I just…I kept making bad decisions! E-even before I knew I kept doing stupid things and tried taking my usual crap a-and…a-and I could’ve hurt…”

Ash pulled back slightly as his hands moved down to clasp Umabel’s. Very carefully he brought her knuckles upwards before placing gentle kisses upon hands that crafted stars. 

“You didn’t know, doe. It wouldn’t have been your fault, even if it had happened.” He squeezed her hands. “Not to mention, your reaction makes a lot more sense in the context of being scared, hormonal, and feeling withdrawal symptoms, hm?” 

Umabel’s mouth warbled pitifully before she let out the smallest, cracking laugh. “I’d give anything for a joint right now…” she huffed. The forced laugh brought more tears, but with it too a sense of resolution—a reassurance that even after getting this off her chest, things would be okay

“Y-you know,” Umabel started with another small laugh, “whenever I did try it would turn into candy? I don’t think I can eat any sweets other than chocolate for a while, they piss me off.”

Ashtaroth lightly chuckled and smiled at the angel. “When this is all over you’re welcome to spend a weekend or so indulging in whatever you like. Within reason, of course.”

“When this is all over, huh?” she sniffed, “I don’t suppose you know when that’s supposed to be?”

“Hm? Well, I believe we’re around the 5 month mark, yes? You’re just about halfway, assuming you have a human gestational period,” Ash said.

“Five months?!” Umabel squeaked out in surprise. She looked down at her body, her eyes trailing down the curve of her bump. She pursed her lips before her gaze snapped back up to her partner. It seemed her sadness was suddenly pushed aside by mortified curiosity. “How do you know??”

“Well, if my knowledge about this is up-to-date, then visually you-“

“You sounded so certain,” Umabel interrupted as her attention latched on to the new topic. “How do you know?”

“Well…” Ash mumbled as his gaze drifted back downward. It was easier to just come out and be honest, he figured. The last thing he wanted was to add lies to the situation. “I suppose I knew right away, actually. I could feel the spark of life blossom in you the night we made love,” he said the last bit in a huffy and dreamy sort of way. It brought a particular warmness to both of their faces. 

“You knew?!” she gasped as she stomped her foot, “Why didn’t you say anything! A heads up woulda been nice!” 

“I thought you knew as well!” He raised his hands defensively. “And, well, when humans do it, usually the one actually carrying the baby surprises their mate. It leads to plenty of sitcom drama, you see,” he explained before turning his head away and covering his mouth with his hands. “I thought it was cheating that I knew so early so…I pretended to be oblivious.”

Umabel sighed and rubbed her temples. “Okay, I guess…I understand that sentiment,” she grumbled. “But I don’t know these…body things like you do. I thought I was going crazy or that heaven had done something to my miracles. I can’t be mad at you, this is all just so…”

“It’s sensitive,” Ash hummed as he carefully reached out and cupped her face. The angel seemed to subtly relax under his touch, reaching up and placing her own hands on top of them. “This is a bit of uncharted territory.”

“We need to talk more,” Umabel said with a halfhearted laugh. Her gaze drifted down and to the side as she frowned. “I’m lucky I at least found out when I did. I-I don’t think…it probably would’ve been worse.”

“I could imagine,” Ash said. “Pregnancy wasn’t exactly my department back in the day, but I know there are quite a few changes that come with it. I’ve had to polish up on them now with human literature.”

“Could you…tell me?” Uma asked carefully, “I don’t enjoy what’s happening to me but…I think knowing gives me a little more power. And if it comes from you then…” she trailed off, only leaning further into his grasp. He happily accepted her. 

“Of course, my love. Anything.”