!kid Ryan

!demon Brendon

Tw: abuse

---

Ryan jumped when he heard the front door slam shut. He was already starting to shake as he pulled the covers over his head. The sounds of heavy boots inched closer. His breath hitched when the doorknob turned.

As the door swung up, the stench of alcohol filled the room and Ryan tried hard not to move. The footsteps were slower until they stopped beside his bed. The blanket was pulled out of his weak grasp. Ryan let out a small yelp and scrambled up into a seating position.

His father stood hovering over him, fists clench and breathing labored. Ryan already felt tears in his eyes, but knew he couldn't let them fall in front of his father.

"Dad," he whisper softly. His voice was unsteady, but he wanted to try to stop what he knew was going to happen. Tonight's attempt went awful because by the looks of it, Ryan only made his father angrier at the sound of his voice.

Ryan whimpered when his dad gripped his hair and dragged out of bed. He immediately curled into a ball when he was thrown onto the floor. Pain spiked through his body as his dad's fists made contact with his body. He couldn't help the cries that left his mouth.

He knew why he was being punish. His father blamed him for everything. Ryan was the reason for his mother leaving, the reason for their financial situations, the reason his father couldn't keep a job. The six year old would stay up at night thinking how he could bring back his mother, earn them more money, and help his dad stay employed in hopes that his father would love him... but he couldn't.

When his father's foot made contact with his back, Ryan didn't stop the tears from falling. He stayed in a ball as the hits slowed and came to a stop. The sound of his father's heavy breathing echoed in his ears. He waited until the footsteps faded away and his door slammed shut.

He unfurled his body and carefully sat up. His body was already aching as he pulled himself to his bed. He pulled the covers over himself and wept into his pillow. He silently thanked whoever that his dad didn't hit his face so he didn't have to skip school tomorrow. He let his eyes flutter shut and waited for sleep to take over.

The sound of scratching on his bed post forced his sleep away. Ryan whimpered at the loss of peace. He turned his head to see a hand dragging their long claws across the wood.

He sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. A pair of horns poked up from the end of his bed. Ryan's weakly wrapped his arms around his legs and kept them against his body. He ignored the protest his body gave him as a figure rose up from over the edge.

The figure towered over him, spreading his wide wings and flashed a devilish smile. Ryan's eyes stayed on him analyzing his blue body.

"Who are you?" Ryan whimpered. The monster chuckled and leaned in until his face was inches away from Ryan.

"I'm your worse nightmare," the demon chuckled. Ryan sniffed as new tears flowed down. The demon's smile was quickly gone when he saw the boy crying. "No, no, no. Don't cry! I didn't mean to scare you. Well, I did but I didn't like it. I'm sorry. Please stop crying."

The demon grabbed Ryan's arms causing Ryan to flinch and pull away. He tilted his head in confusion. He barely touched the boy. It shouldn't have hurt him.

"My name's Brendon," the demon offered. Ryan buried his face in his knees. "What's yours?"

"Ryan," he whispered meekly.

"It's nice to meet you, Ryan." When Ryan looked up again, Brendon was normal sized and sitting on the edge of his end, watching him. He looked like any other person now apart from the horns and wings.

"What are you doing here?" Ryan asked. Brendon looked down and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Well, uh. I'm," he looked up at the little boy. He sighed and gave a small smile. "I'm here to be your friend." Ryan straightened up.

"Really?" The demon gave a sheepish nod. Ryan couldn't help his small smile. "I've never had a friend before." Brendon frowned at the statement.

"Well, you have one now," he said more confidently.

~~~

Brendon came to visit Ryan every night. They would talk until Ryan fell asleep. It always made him feel better to have someone the nights his father left his room. He was glad Brendon never saw his dad.

"The other demons tease me all the time saying I'm too soft to be a demon," Brendon ranted one night. "I just don't like scaring kids. They do nothing wrong." He was laying on his back with his arm tucked under his head. "They sent me to scare you and you've done nothing wrong to make me want to do that."

"That's not what my dad thinks," Ryan mumbled and wiped away a tear. Brendon safe up and eyes Ryan.

"What does your dad think?" Ryan shrugged and kept his eyes on the cars decorating his comforter.

"He thinks I'm a mistake cause I give him too many problems. He says I wasn't supposed to be born."

"Your dad shouldn't think that." Ryan shrugged again. He was still young so he knew he couldn't do anything. He couldn't wait to me grown up so he could leave.

Brendon eyed the purple mark on Ryan's cheek that wasn't there last night. He knew the kid got bruises a lot, but just assumed it was just him being a kid and getting bumps and bruises every now and then.

"You're not a mistake Ryan. You're the best kid I have even met and I'm happy to call you my friend. Who else would I talk to if you weren't here?" Ryan sniffed softly and shrugged again. He didn't really feel like talking anymore tonight.

He turned over and pulled his sheets over his body. He felt Brendon get up from the bed and move underneath. Ryan shut his eyes and let himself fall asleep.

~~~

"You fucking bastard," Ryan's father spat. He had Ryan pressed in a corner, frantically trying to figure a way out. He couldn't smell alcohol which only made him more terrified.

He always seemed to blame his punishments on the toxic drink. He hoped that his father only pierced him with drunken words. Now, with a sober, even mind, his father was proving to Ryan that he meant everything he ever said and done.

"Should've gotten rid of you when I had the chance." He took a step toward Ryan. The small boy whimpered in fear.

"Daddy, please." He was petrified. The dark look in the man's eyes were more menacing than he ever remembered. "I love you. Please don't hurt me."

"Shut up!" Ryan flinched and shut his mouth. His heart was beating out of his chest. He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared himself for what was coming.

"Hey George." Ryan's eyes shot up to see Brendon standing by his bed. His father turned and glared at the demon.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house?" Brendon smirked and hunched over. Before George questioned anything, bones began cracking inside Brendon's body.

Ryan watched his father start to shake as Brendon grew and his form twisted into the demon his saw when they first met. Brendon leaned over a pale faced George.

"Wha-what are y-you?" Ryan's father had his mouth open in fear. His eyes were stuck on Brendon's yellow demonic ones. Brendon brought a hand up and dragged a claw down the side of George's face.

"I'm your worse nightmare." His hand wrapped around George's throat and pinned him against the wall. Ryan was sure if his father wasn't afraid to touch the demon, he would've been trying to pull himself free.

"If you ever touch, say, or even look at Ryan in a way that'll make him cry, I'll torture you until you beg me to kill you." The tip of Brandon's claw pierced George's neck when he tightened his grip causing a line of blood to glide down his neck. "Understand?"

"Y-yea-ah. I-I won't tou-ch him a-gain." Brendon reluctantly let go of George.

"Leave." He gritted his teeth. George scrambling away from the wall, tripping over his feet on the way to the door. Ryan was still watching from the corner.

Brendon shifted back into the form Ryan was more comfortable with. He turned and saw Ryan still shaking. He kneeled down and spread his arms out. Ryan got up from his spot and dash into Brendon's chest.

The demon held him tightly. He picked up the little boy and carried him back to bed. As his laid down, he kept Ryan against his chest.

"You're safe now." Ryan was clinging tightly to the front of Brendon shirt while the demon rubbed his back. Ryan let Brendon soothe his trembling body.

"Thank you," Ryan whispered. Brendon smiled down at the little boy.

"Anything for you, angel."