Chapter Text
Being alone was the worst when it came to waiting, Black Hat decided. It was a wonder that he didn't completely lose his mind while he was separated from his mate's physical presence.
5.0.5. didn’t count as company, because the demon tried his best to ignore the blue bear and only spoke to 5.0.5. if absolutely necessary. Flug’s soul, oddly enough, seemed to dart and flit around a room in a frenzied manner whenever Black Hat went quiet for weeks on end, as if to try and draw his attention. But no matter how close the soul came to him, Black Hat couldn’t feel anything other than warmth emitting from the glowing blue-white orb. Not much could draw him out of the melancholy he was experiencing unless he was working. The demon ended up making things worse for himself by holding one-sided conversations with Flug's soul. It did nothing but remind Black Hat of what he had lost.
Time seemed to stretch on and on, when in reality, it was a tiny speck in Black Hat's very long existence. But the wait wasn’t without its own set of challenges. Functioning during the day was no trouble, as there was a daily routine that Black Hat went through the motions of.
Nights, on the other hand, were absolute hell.
Black Hat didn’t actually sleep, and with nothing to occupy him but his own thoughts, Black Hat felt the loss of the bond strongly. There was always the powerful urge to try and hum a melody, as if doing so would allow his mate answer him. In a way, Black Hat liked to think that the humming was heard by Flug's soul. The glowing orb always drifted closer to settle on the bed or on the arm of a chair, as if listening intently. On one hand, Black Hat wanted it to be so, but on the other hand, Flug’s soul should have been in a stasis of sorts. The soul shouldn't be gathering more memories. It would be overwhelming for Flug otherwise, when it was time for him to reincarnate and slowly regain his past memories.
Perhaps Black Hat should have mentioned that that would happen, though telling Flug that his life would be his own to a certain point had been a clue of sorts. If Flug's soul was aware for whatever reason...Black Hat would have to ask Flug about that, because the demon could always erase or make unnecessary memories fade away if need be. But Black Hat would have to wait until he could ask the question.
Other nights, when he couldn't even bring himself to sing, were even worse. Those nights, Black Hat would go to the dead realm he frequented to allow himself to slip into his true form. It was then that the eldritch being knew that he couldn't convince himself for much longer that the loss of his mate's presence wasn't affecting his body. Black Hat's instincts had finally realized that something was amiss by that time, and that Flug’s soul was not a good enough substitute for an actual physical presence. Black Hat was unable to ignore the loss as well when in his true form. His instincts were stronger in this more, and it made him very aware of the now constant ache over the lack of his mate by his side. A metaphorical hole in his life that Black Hat was unable to fill, no matter how long he spent around the wispy, glowing blue-white orb that was Flug’s soul.
Sometimes, it ached so badly that Black Hat couldn't stand it, and attacked himself, large maw tearing at his own flesh as if he could rip out that ache. Black Hat would screech his fury to the dark sky of that realm, before plunging a large clawed hand into his own chest with frantic tearing as if he could rip out that piece of himself that couldn't handle the loss. Wounding himself at these times always set Flug's soul off, as it followed Black Hat around everywhere he went. When the demon was resting on his side and allowing his body to mend from self-inflicted wounds, Flug's soul would spiral around the demon's whole body before batting itself uselessly into Black Hat's head.
The nights where the demon self-mutilated became fewer. Black Hat did not like the sensation of agitation and fear that emitted from the glowing blue-white soul. Black Hat forced himself to ignore the ache in his chest as best he could, and spent the very bad nights in his bedroom, tangled up within sheets and blankets that were Flug's, that still very faintly carried his mate's scent.
The second year without Flug around was a little better, even if Black Hat still only had 5.0.5. in his life. So, in order to try to not go around screeching in other realms in frustration, the eldritch demon threw himself into his work. He began to offer even more consulting services to villains. And since Black Hat had neither Flug to make new inventions nor Demencia to take on the dirty jobs, Black Hat took it upon himself to take a more active part in his business. This included things like scaring off heroes from villain hideouts (since Black Hat, annoyingly enough, had to avoid killing them for a time) and making complicated spells that he normally would have charged a fortune for. Black Hat needed the extra money for the time being to keep the company going in Flug’s absence.
It worked for longer than Black Hat had expected.
A whole 150 years.
The last five years of that century and a half had been more successful than others, because Black Hat had finally hired on another employee. A young woman that eerily resembled Demencia but had short orange and black hair, and completely black eyes.
Her name was Echo, and that was all she knew about herself, apart from the fact that she was a hybrid of human mixed with some bat DNA. Echo wore jeans and a tank top, as well as a brown hood over her head with large ears that resembled bat ears with two fangs. Echo had also taken, with permission, a pair of Flug’s goggles from his untouched laboratory. She had horrendous eye sight but excellent hearing. In a terrible twist of fate, Echo not only loved airplanes of all kinds but she also adored 5.0.5. and could often be found sleeping with the blue bear.
Black Hat wouldn’t have bothered hiring someone on, but he couldn’t resist because it was too much of a coincidence that her name was Echo. Not to mention that she appeared to have gotten her hybrid status in a similar way as Demencia, which led the demon to believe that she was one of Slate Hat’s employees. Or rather, a reincarnated one. Meaning Flug's counterpart had also returned, unless someone else had had a hand in the genetic splicing. Despite not having seen or sensed Slate Hat in over 100 years, Black Hat had decided that he would rather be prepared. To have something of a bargaining chip, or bait, depending on when the other demon slunk out of hiding to finish their challenge.
If Echo passed on naturally without Slate Hat ever making an appearance, Black Hat would merely find some other way to lure the other eldritch demon out into the open. After all, Lux Noir never expired once the challenge was issued. It was always carried through to the end, no matter how much time had passed. It would end, one way or another, but as time went on, Black Hat began to look forward to seeing his mate more than destroying another of his kind.
Flug’s soul had left his side some 24 years before, and Black Hat was struck with a sense of urgency. There was an overwhelming feeling that made him wonder if it was finally time for him to be reunited with his mate.
-x-x-x-
“Black Hat, sir, the delivery has been delayed again.” Echo’s calm voice cut into Black Hat’s suddenly heightened sense of urgency like a knife. “Should I threaten them again?”
”No, move on to the other orders. Don’t waste time with those fools.” Black Hat said with a growl. “I’ll go myself and see if that gets them moving.” Black Hat watched Echo slip away down the hall with a nod. The demon reflected on the convenience of having someone work for him that actually did their job, and wasn’t trying to clamor for his attention in one way or another.
But on to other matters.
The delay of those products that had been ordered weeks ago.
The eldritch demon intended to use a portal to go terrify the suppliers, when there were several rapid knocks on the front door of the manor.
Black Hat frowned.
That was...odd.
It had been some time since someone had bothered to come to them in person, instead of just phoning in or emailing. That was beginning to change, but Black Hat would have thought that it would have taken a bit longer to have actual in-person clients.
Black Hat was anxious enough as it was at presence. As if the bond knew that Flug was alive again, it was beginning to sing with tension the longer the demon stayed away. To distract himself from the fatigue that came from the dissatisfied bond, Black Hat went to the door to see who was there. This was done more out of bored curiosity than actual interest. It was merely another distraction to avoid the torn apart feeling his insides had become from a semi-broken bond. Black Hat impatiently opened the door at another knock, and froze in place with a different feeling welling up within him. This time, it was a sensation of dread.
Oh no.
”Hello, handsome.” A very familiar smile flashed at him, minus fanged canines. “Did you miss me?”
Why?
Why couldn’t Black Hat have gotten a few years to enjoy Flug’s company before...before she returned? But...how in the hell did Demencia reincarnate and then decide to show up on his doorstep again in an eerily similar fashion as she had in the past? Though this time around, she appeared to be in much better shape. She was also fully human, with green hair that only fell to her shoulders, and both of her eyes were the same color. Demencia did, however, wear similar clothes as she used to.
“Why are you here?” Black Hat knew, and he doubted that he would be able to turn Demencia away. It was highly likely that she would just break into his mansion if Black Hat tried to deny her entry.
”To work here again, duh.” Demencia gave Black Hat a playful smile. “But you already knew that, didn't you? Your evil is still more attractive than any other villain.”
”And what exactly would you do? You are fully human, so I doubt you could carry out assassinations and the like as effectively as before. You would not be able to climb walls and such.” Black Hat didn’t stop Demencia from walking in the front door past him, and merely closed the door. He was too worn out and oddly keyed up at the same time over Flug’s imminent return to actually protest the woman’s presence.
“I can have Flug make it so I can climb walls again and eat weird shit that I couldn’t normally eat.” Demencia said in a matter of fact way. She looked around curiously. “Is he back yet?”
Sane Demencia was terrifying in her own way when compared to the insane lizard hybrid she was before.
“Soon.” Black Hat didn’t care whether she had meant back from the dead or back as in he went out for groceries. “Since I doubt you will leave, go and find Echo.”
"Echo?” Demencia furrowed her brow. “You hired someone?”
"What was I supposed to do in the meantime? Do everything myself?" Black Hat chose not to mention that he had, for the most part, until five years ago. "What did you think I did before you or Flug came along?” Black Hat caught a hint of jealousy and despite being irritated that he had even caught on to it, sighed. "Do not say anything to Echo, but I only hired her because she is a reincarnation of one of Slate Hat’s employees.”
”Ohh, got it.” Demencia said as she stared to head down a hall. “Then I won’t have to kill her, so long as she isn’t interested in you.”
Ugh.
Sane Demencia was definitely more terrifying in potential than a crazy mind with smarts. That Black Hat didn’t have to explain further meant that Demencia either understood the bait angle or just didn’t care so long as the new hire didn’t flirt with him. It was going to be a long day, and he hadn’t even gone to scare the crap out of the suppliers that hadn’t shipped out his order yet. But when Black Hat finally appeared amidst the humans and scared them out of their minds, it did nothing to placate the irritable feeling. He still felt off kilter and unhappy, even if Black Hat did get his way and secured extra products for every day his shipment had been late.
Mortals were always going to be a pain in the ass to deal with.
Black Hat needed to get away, so that he could clear his mind and able to sense when Flug came to him. Or perhaps he wanted to be found?
No.
Black Hat had to stay away until Flug chose to come to him. Chose to rekindle their bond so that they once again belonged to the other. So, cooling off in a quiet place that wasn’t some distorted realm was in order. And there was only one place he could go that gave him a sense of nostalgia and longing. Black Hat vanished within a portal and appeared on the beach in a city he hadn’t gone to for over a century. The eldritch demon gave it a moment's thought, and realized that he hadn’t bothered to come to this city since he and Flug had first become mates. The city Black Hat had used for a business trip, as a guise to see if he could romance Flug.
It was a quiet, clear night, warm and breezy with stars overhead. In the distance, the city could be seen, but since he wanted to be alone, Black Hat had gone away from hustle and bustle of said city and its lights.
A walk along the beach just seemed...right.
Flug’s soul had left his side 24 years ago, Black Hat reminded himself. It wouldn’t be long before he would see his mate again, should the human return to him in this lifetime. Flug had made it seem as such, when he and Black Hat had exchanged their last few words so long ago. The longer the eldritch demon walked along the beach, alongside the waves rolling over the sand, the more he felt himself begin to grow eager. It was almost as if his instincts and the bond could all but sense Flug’s imminent return.
Soon.
Very soon.
He could feel it now.
150 years was nothing to Black Hat, that much was true. But he had found that every passing year without Flug by his side made an emptiness grow within Black Hat. Every year, the feeling of being constantly worn thin weighed on Black Hat, the bond dissatisfied with the lack of contact and screaming with tension.
It kept the demon constantly on edge, his senses on high alert.
It was draining.
Exhausting.
Yet Black Hat continued on, as none of the discomfort he experienced came close to the sensation of losing Flug in that alternate timeline. A little pain meant nothing, so long as the demon knew that Flug would eventually return. Black Hat came to an abrupt halt, hands clenching at his sides at the thought of the potential future where Flug chose not to give him his soul willingly.
It wasn’t a good feeling.
With a low growl over the awareness of the ache that was always settled within his chest, Black Hat closed his eye. When the flare of pain lessened, the demon began to slowly sing into the night. Black Hat kept it to a hum, lest he draw unwanted attention to himself with horrific screeching in this realm. Words passed through his mind unbidden to match the humming as Black Hat continued the melody that he hadn’t sung but for rare instances for the past 150 years.
Come to me, my mate. Be one with me again. Heed the call, sung for only one. Can you hear me after all this time. Will you return to my side?
The humming trailed off completely to listen when there was another voice. Hesitant but most certainly answering Black Hat’s unsaid words.
”I heard you though all these years...have you remembered the call?”
That voice.
It was the same, as was the anxious way Flug’s voice had taken over the song. As if he were not fully certain where or how he knew the words to say. But that was fine.
Flug was there.
His human mate had chosen to return to his side.
”I would ask if you waited for long, but I’m going to guess by the way you look like shit, that it was.” Flug was no longer singing, and instead was speaking.
Black Hat took in a few deep breaths of the human's scent as the human walked toward him. Black Hat didn’t dare turn to watch Flug’s approach, as if doing so would make his mate vanish. That by looking, it would make the voice Black Hat had heard merely a figment of his imagination. That all of the loneliness that ate away at him from all of those years of waiting was making him hallucinate.
”You’re doing it again. Thinking too much like I do sometimes.”
Black Hat froze as a hand slipped into his right, and a body pressed up against his own. It was done a little hesitantly, as if Flug were not sure the touch was welcomed. But Black Hat’s instincts rose up from within and the bond kicked into high gear. A thrill raced through the demon as a huge surge of satisfaction and delight hit him all at once.
Finally.
At last, Black Hat was in contact with his mate after such a long wait.
He really was there.
Flug was real, and his touch was more welcome than Black Hat could have ever anticipated. This...elation was unfamiliar to him, so Black Hat restrained himself and settled for nuzzling his chin against soft hair. A purr started up in the demon’s chest, shaking his frame. Black Hat nuzzled again, and soon couldn’t take the feelings welling up within his body, as tendrils burst from his back to wrap around his human.
“Mine.” Black Hat let out in a guttural demonic hiss, as he brought both himself and Flug to the sand beneath them. The demon wasted no time in beginning to run his hands along his mate’s body. Black Hat didn’t even think to be embarrassed over his actions or the way he was rumbling loudly and pressing down against Flug in an eager way. The extra tentacles were writhing around in excitement as they also touched Flug. The movement ceased the second hands ran down along Black Hat’s side. The eldritch demon moved off of his mate to curl up alongside him, the purring lowering in volume as Flug’s hands gently pet his arms and back.
Neither one of them spoke as they lie there alongside one another in the sand.
"Were you waiting for me here?” Flug asked some minutes later, from where he had rested his head near Black Hat’s shoulder.
“For you? Yes...I suppose I was. I could...feel as if you would return soon.” Black Hat pushed himself up and leaned over Flug, the demon's fingers tracing Flug's face. The human looked more or less the same. Flug had just brown hair this time, and there were faint scars over the right half of his face, jaw and neck, mimicking the damage Black Hat’s claws had done so long ago in his past life. The eldritch demon’s forefinger paused alongside Flug’s right eye, and after looking both eyes over, spoke. “Your eyes...both of them are blue this time.”
"Yes?” Flug asked. “Why?”
"Instead of one, they are both a light in the darkness.” Black Hat commented as he pressed himself to Flug's side again and rested his head against the man’s chest. “You’re back.” Black Hat closed his eye to listen to the steady thump of his mate’s heartbeat.
He was back.
Black Hat wasn’t imagining things this time.
Flug was back, and he would stay with Black Hat for a long time. Now that the demon knew what to expect, he could ensure that this time, Flug was well taken care of. Their bond would do the rest, and Black Hat could extend Flug's life for longer than before. Eventually, Black Hat hoped that he could find a way to keep Flug in this world. But for now...
For now, Black Hat was content.
The demon rose to his feet, not bothering to brush off sand as he held his hand out in a silent offer. A smile flashed as Flug took his hand and allowed Black Hat to help him to his feet.
“Why...why can’t I sense you as well as I could before?” Flug asked, his hand still grasping Black Hat’s own.
“Our bond is incomplete at present. There’s a thin strand connecting us because of your soul, but...” Black Hat slowly drew his hand from Flug’s so that he could wrap his arm around his mate’s waist to pull the human to his side. “...But we will need to renew the bond and make it strong again, after being apart for so long. Can you not feel the call? The sense of urgency and need?”
”I...I do...I feel something like a pull?” Flug had gone tense before relaxing against Black Hat, his hand tightening around the demon’s arm around his waist. “For now...take me home?”
Black Hat held Flug closer to his body, and with a swirl of darkness enveloping them, reappeared in the halls of the mansion.
“It looks the same as before.” Flug commented, as if he had expected the mansion to have changed. But before he could say anything further to Black Hat, Flug caught sight of something that caused him to let out a delighted cry. "5.0.5.!" Flug struggled free of Black Hat's hold as he saw the blue bear round a corner. “5.0.5.! It’s me! Daddy’s home!" Flug ran toward the equally excited blue bear. "Oh, look at you! You went and grew up on me! You're so big now! And...are those claws?”
Black Hat wore a disgusted expression over the way 5.0.5. scooped Flug up into his arms as both of them burst into happy tears. Black Hat might have been the slightest bit insulted that Flug was more happy to see 5.0.5. than himself.
“Hey, Black Hat, you’re back already! I couldn’t find Echo after you left!” Demencia poked her head out from an open door and waved a hand at Flug when she spotted him. “Heya nerd!”
”Demencia?” Flug wiped away the tears as he frowned in confusion. “What are you doing here? Why do you look like that?”
”Well, I decided that Black Hat is still the only evil being worth praising, so here I am.” Demencia flexed her arms. “I took a bit longer cause I wanted to be in shape and be able to punch heroes again whenever needed.” Demencia put her hands on her hips. “I want you to make me be able to crawl on the walls and be able to do crazy shit again.”
Black Hat let out a laugh at the look of disbelief that crossed Flug’s face.
“You’re fully human right now and you would willingly allow me to fuck around with your genetics again? I thought you hated me for that?” Flug was aghast, even if it seemed like he was amendable to the idea.
“Who wouldn’t want to be able to climb walls?” Demencia wagged a finger at Flug. “Oh, but do try not to mess up my sanity this time around. Being crazy was fun and all but being able to think straight would make missions go a lot more smoothly.”
"I’ll see what I can do.” Flug said with a put upon sigh.
“Awesome.”
"What’s going on?” Echo had entered the hall. She paused mid-step to look between Black Hat and those she was unfamiliar with. "Who are these people?"
“They are my former employees who’ve reincarnated to torment me for another of their lifetimes.” Black Hat said by way of answer. He was already looking at Flug like he wanted to crawl over to him and resume purring up a storm. Seeing the human curl his lip into an evil little smile in return, let Black Hat know that that was exactly what Flug wanted to happen once they were alone. Perhaps the demon would let it happen, but only after the bond was settled back into place after being in limbo for so long.
Black Hat didn’t want to think about how embarrassing it would be to be in thrall to his mate’s scent and crawl around on his belly. Though Black Hat considered doing so if Flug needed any encouragement in accepting the bond again.
“Demencia. Fill Echo in about yourself and Dr. Flug.” Black Hat narrowed his eye at the green haired woman. “No fabrications or I will find out.”
”You’re no fun.” Demencia pouted, but she exited the room she had been in, and linked arms with Echo to lead her down the hall, chattering away as she did.
With a scowl, Black Hat sent 5.0.5. on his way as soon as the bear gave Flug one last hug. Once the beast was gone, Black Hat brought Flug to his bedroom, stopping short of his plans when Flug asked a question.
”Is Echo who I think she is?” Flug asked from where he sat at the edge of the bed. “I can’t think of any other reason you’d take someone in.”
"Do I think she worked for Slate Hat in a past life? Yes, I do, and I believe your counterpart is around because of her similarity to Demencia’s genetic make up that she had in the past.” Black Hat gave a little shrug with one shoulder. “Do I think Echo will lure Slate Hat our of hiding? Doubtful, since she has no memory of her past life. Will I use her as a bargaining chip if need be? Yes.” Black Hat’s gaze slid over Flug before settling on the human’s eyes. “Do you need more information from me? Or shall we move along to whether you will accept me again?”
”There’s a choice?” Flug looked confused. “But I thought...”
“Recall that this process is new for me as well. I have not heard of a mating bond needing to be renewed, because there would have been no need to, had we both been immortal.” Black Hat closed his eye, feeling worn thin again while also itching to claim his mate, in order for that feeling to leave him. “If you need time to acclimate to being back here, then...”
Warm hands were suddenly caressing the demon’s cheeks. A low thrum began without Black Hat willing it to happen.
”Now that I can get a good look at you without you trying to nuzzle me to death...you look, well, worn out. Tired. You look, well, you look thinner than is usual for your form.” Flug sounded curious as well as concerned.
"I have not eaten well over the years." Black Hat finally admitted aloud.
"Souls?" Flug asked.
"Yes." Black Hat gave a nod. "There're only so many souls that I can devour before heroes start sniffing around." Black Hat let out a slow sigh, his eye still closed. "And it is hard to be inconspicuous when your body is tearing itself apart on the inside from being unable to satisfy the bond."
“But I’m here now..." Flug traced his hands along Black Hat's cheeks. "Can you be honest right now? How much longer do you think you can actually wait for me any longer?”
"Not for much longer. The need is too great, now that you are here before me.” Black Hat admitted, his eye cracking open to gauge Flug’s features as the human continued to hold his hands on either side of his cheeks. “There is no need for the song to be sung and answered, as my instincts sense that you are mine, despite the lack of the bond between us. It is merely waiting for you to accept me.”
”So what you’re saying is that we just have to have sex and everything will snap back into place just like that?” Flug asked dubiously. “That doesn’t seem...like it would make things the way they were before you, well, took my soul out of my body.”
“You came back to me. You could have stayed away.” Black Hat pointed out. “There is nothing binding you to me at present. You could have lived this lifetime without me in it, if you truly wanted to.”
"...did you actually want me to stay away, or are you just making sure that I know that I have a choice?” Flug’s hands dropped down to Black Hat’s shoulders to give them a squeeze.
Black Hat said nothing, but gave a faint nod in answer. The demon flashed a little fang when Flug suddenly cupped his jaw and forced his head up to look at him.
“I saw you, after you took my soul out.” Flug said, looking Black Hat in the eye. “I watched you destroy some of that realm. I heard you talk to me even though I couldn’t speak on return. I watched you rip out your insides and lie there like you were dying. And I couldn't' do anything about it. I just hung there in the air, useless, until you started moving again.”
Black Hat stilled.
That confirmed it.
Flug had been aware as a soul.
”Did you forget that I remembered what happened that first time I died? Before you went back in time? That I saw everything because my soul couldn’t move on?” Flug’s hand gripped Black Hat beneath the jaw firmly. “When I was...reincarnated or whatever, I thought I was happy with my life as I grew up. But when I turned 18, I started getting fragments of memories of a past life. Every year that went by, I remembered more, until I had all of my old memories. Most were faded but still there, and it was enough to know that I needed to decide what to do.”
The eldritch demon said nothing, as it was something he had forgotten to mention would happen. How else would Flug be able to remember what had happened in the past? What the human had chosen when Black Hat offered him three choices?
“I guess you forgot to mention that I'd regain 'past memories' in a weird, disconcerting way.” Flug gave Black Hat an annoyed look. “But even so...how in the hell could you possibly think that I would want to go on with my life as it was? Why would I want to work a mundane desk job, when I could go back to doing what I enjoyed? You know, causing trouble to heroes and other people who dare to ridicule me?” Flug smiled rather evilly. “After all, if I have someone as powerful as you nearby, most wouldn’t dare harass me. And since I’m going to actually try to take care of myself this time, just imagine what I can make for the company with unlimited funds?”
”You will stay?” Black Hat asked, purring as Flug let go of his jaw to drop to his chest as the human leaned in to press his body into the demon’s.
“I told you before that I had already made my mind up.” Flug muttered against the demon’s neck. “Why else would I let you lord over my soul for all eternity if I wasn’t intending to come back to be your mate and work for you again?”
Black Hat wasn’t entirely prepared for Flug to suddenly tug him toward the bed but from the look in the human’s eyes, a flicker of that determination and confidence manifested itself.
”I think I kept you waiting long enough. 126 years before I stopped just being a soul? It was long enough for me to think about what I wanted to do when I came back.” Flug let go of Black Hat’s arm to seize his tie to give it a tug. “And that included thinking about all of the things I’d like to do to you.”
Oh yes, that confidence had definitely made a return and for once, Black Hat found it alluring instead of irritating. After all, that boost in confidence was what Black Hat had wanted from his mate. Fangs flashed in a wide grin, and Black Hat all but tackled Flug onto the bed, getting a surprised laugh out of his human. While Flug might have thought of what he wanted, Black Hat himself had equally thought about what he would do as soon as he was able to get his hands on Flug. And it was not just the sex. Black Hat was quite interested in seeing Flug’s reaction to a plane in a room far below the mansion, among other things.
"Mine.” Black Hat hissed, pleased. The tendrils that were still ripped out from his back undulated slowly in time with the demon's thoughts as his eye roamed his mate.
Another time.
Another time, he would show Flug that plane, as well as all of the laboratory equipment that he had purchased over the years for Flug to make use of. And also the new coffee machine, which he was certain the human would appreciate.
”Mine.” Black Hat said again, leaning in close with a rapt expression, claws making an appearance as he dug them into the sheets. "My mate."
"Yours.” Flug breathed in return, before he gave that tie another firm tug, that smug smile making a return. "And your mate wants you now."
Black Hat needed no further encouragement than that, as he was more than happy to give his mate pleasure.
-x-x-x-
It should not have been surprising to Black Hat that Flug, as he had the first time they’d had sex, passed out.
Hmm.
Obviously, Black Hat was going to have to help Flug get better with his stamina. Humans got worn out far too quickly. And Flug hadn't been with him in this lifetime until only a few hours ago, so it was to be expected. But Flug's stamina wasn’t really important at present, now that their bond had settled and was singing contently between them. The eldritch being was sated and content to press the line of his body to his mate’s as he nuzzled his cheek to Flug’s, rumbling away. Already, Black Hat felt much more relaxed and not constantly on edge. Black Hat was perfectly fine with lying there until Flug to woke up, as it allowed him to remain pressed to his mate. The moment the human showed signs of his consciousness returning, Black Hat firmly curled his body around Flug’s. A satisfied rumble came out as Flug slowly turned over and wrapped an arm over the demon’s waist.
“What will you do if I happen to move my home in the future?” Black Hat asked, checking to see just how awake Flug truly was.
“I’m sure I will be able to find you.” Flug sounded drowsy as he absently nuzzled against Black Hat’s throat. “This mansion is where you live but I found you on the beach, didn’t I? Do you know why?”
“Hrmm...why?” Black Hat’s left arm draped over Flug’s waist, fingers idly caressing.
“Because to me, you feel like home.”
Black Hat began to pull away at the disgusting admission. The demon was not entirely comfortable over any declarations of affection, and he let out a petulant hiss over the way Flug held on tight.
“I’m just kidding.” Flug said with a laugh. “I was able to...sense you, I think? Barely though.” Flug wriggled within Black Hat's arms until the human was able to rest his head against the demon’s chest. "I can sense you much better now." Flug's breathing soon evened out, indicating that he had perhaps dozed off again.
”...you gave me these unfamiliar emotions years ago.” Black Hat held tight to Flug as he tested out words both familiar and foreign. “I still don’t have their meanings completely grasped, after all this time, but...” Black Hat’s left hand lightly slid down along Flug’s body until he rested it over his human’s chest. “You are my heart in our bond.”
"Love you too, Black Hat.” Flug murmured drowsily, as he turned over and cuddled against a now bristling, self-conscious demon. “May I go back to sleep now? You were very...enthusiastic, with that dick of yours."
Black Hat remained defensive for a time over the damned emotions he was experiencing, until he eventually relaxed into Flug’s embrace. The demon reluctantly let his eye close. Perhaps it was something like love, even if Black Hat couldn’t say the word and ever truly mean it. Telling Flug that he was his heart was the closest that Black Hat would be able to manage. The admission meant more to Black Hat because he was a heartless creature and for him to say such a thing to Flug...
There was no word for love in his native language, so the word heart was the closet Black Hat would ever get to admitting to a feeling of love. Of affection. A feeling of fondness...
But the embarrassment of such an emotion rubbed him the wrong way, so Black Hat later slid out of bed to make up for the niceness by committing some heinous deeds. Robbing a bank and capturing the heroes that tried to stop him was just what he needed. Trapping victims in the laboratory for his mate to play with later placated the need to gift things to his mate now that Flug was back. It was a good idea, because in the morning, after Flug had had breakfast with the others, Black Hat gleefully presented the heroes with an unnecessary flourish accompanied by a toothy grin.
The wicked smile that crossed Flug’s lips was a very nice sight. It was good to see that being reincarnated did nothing to dash the evil lurking just beneath the surface of the man. Black Hat felt it good that things were finally going to settle into a sense of normalcy now. He would be able to spread evil more effectively now that Flug had returned and could make whatever inventions he wished.
It was a gloriously evil day.
With the telltale sound of Flug rummaging through the lab in preparation of torturing the heroes, Black Hat knew that he wouldn’t exchange what had happened for anything in the world. It was finally time to move on and put the past behind him. The future was his for the taking, and Black Hat would let no one interfere with what he would accomplish with his company. The past was dead, forgotten to Black Hat, even if some of that past hadn’t entirely forgotten him. Black Hat would eventually learn that decisions he had made in the past and the enemies that he had left alive would not lie silent and buried by time.
Many beings held grudges against the eldritch demon, but only one truly posed a danger to Black Hat himself. But until those fools dared to come forward to confront him, there was a lot of catching up Black Hat had to do with Flug, Demencia and Black Hat Organization as a whole.
A peaceful yet busy two years would pass before everything began to unravel.