Pursuing Parental Permission

Things had settled down between Morgan and David since he was given paid time off. While he desperately desired time alone, teaching her to be more human was helping them bond, if just by a bit. He was never cruel or overly stern. As they worked together on spring cleaning, Morgan noticed something odd. His hands, while smaller, were rougher in texture compared to his fiancé’s large but delicate hands.

“Darling, I must ask you…” She held his hands, thumbs tracing along the palms. “Your hands… They are course and rougher than most. You work such a simple job, yet your hands suggest manual labor or combat. They are like the hands of Hell’s soldiers.”

David was quiet, looking down at his own hands. “Ah, that. It’s nothing, really. It’s just a little something that happened a long time ago. Why are your hands so soft to the touch?”

She gave him an adoring blush. “Oh, you flatter me! I moisturize them everyday with a cream made from Soul Tears, powdered Wrath Oats, and a tiny bit of Gluttonous Fat.”

“Huh… Are those good?”

“Well, it can vary, but the creams I am provided are of the highest quality! Nothing but the best for the Morningstar Family, and soon you’ll be part of that family!” Morgan quickly wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tight.

David suppressed the urge to plead not to be crushed. After all, he knew that she loved the physical intimacy between them quite a bit. However, one question stood out. “A-Are you sure that we have to take your name…?”

The hug quickly came to a halt as Morgan slowly let go of him. She had a look on her face that reeked of being offended at the mere thought. “And why would we do that? I mean, my name is what commands attention and control in Hell.”

“I know, it’s just… I think it could be beneficial that we have my name be first.”

He grabbed his hand and squeezed it, his gaze averted from Morgan. This would usually be normal for her, as she had gotten used to him looking away. It was adorable to watch him shy away like that. However, she knew that this was different, and it concerned her. He almost seemed afraid.

“David, dear, if something is the matter, then you should tell me. I don’t like when we’re not open with each other.”

David fidgeted and gripped his hand tighter. He bit his lip in contemplation, moving his head towards his fiancé. It looked as if he was about to confess…

RING! RING!

“I-I should get that!” David gave a nervous laugh and stood up. Answering his phone, he put it up to his ear with a very nervous expression. Morgan sat there with a huff, crossing her arms. She would get it out of him, one way or another. It likely required the use of her magic. She would normally be against such magic on her beloved, but this was a serious matter to her.

“No, mama… Yes, I understand, just… Okay, okay. When are you coming…? Now… No no, that’s fine. Just let us clean up. I love you too.”

David walked back in, staring at his phone. He was quiet, and his grip on his phone was extremely tight. He looked up and took a deep breath…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

Morgan jumped at David’s primal scream. He ran around the room, picking up items and moving them around.

“Honey, what’s going on-?”

“Morgan, turn everything back, right now!”

“Huh?”

“Quickly, quickly! No time!”

“David!” She grabbed hold of his shoulders, staring into his eyes. “What is going on? Tell me, please.”

David breathed in and out slowly, closing his eyes and nodding. “Okay… Okay. My parents are coming, and they’re about five minutes away.”

Morgan’s eyes widened, and she quickly released David. Preparing her spell circle, she blurted her incantation and reverted the house back to its original state, even with some food cooking on the stove before running into the kitchen and cooking it.

The programmer was in shock as he removed his hands from his ears. Her ability to get serious was remarkable, and he wondered why she didn’t do that often. Maybe this is just a vacation for her, his mind rationalize.

He didn’t get very long to think about this as very soon, the bell rang. Snapping himself out of his headspace, he cleaned his clothes of any debris from cleaning or foods. With everything done, he approached the door and opened it.

Morgan wasn’t sure what to expect. If she had to guess, David’s family would be very similar to him. After all, demons in Hell rarely differed from their parents. She was sure that she could handle two mortals just like him.

As she peeked past the kitchen, she saw how wrong she had been. What stood at the doorway, talking with David were two people who couldn’t be more different. The more noticeable was the father, whose body was at least a head or `two taller than her fiancé. His black hair was shaved to a crew cut, and his muscles stretched his polo shirt. Simply put, his father was built like a tank, and judging from the stoic expression on his face, he had the personality to match.

On the other hand, his mother contrasted quite a bit. Smaller than even David by a few inches, her body was petite and her demeanor happy and bright. She definitely didn’t seem like someone who would want to match up with someone like her husband. Yet, there was the evidence proving otherwise.

David seemed extra fidgety around them. His hands twitched and his tone of voice adjusted to speak clearly.

“Come in, come in! My fiancé is just making some food!”

His father gave him a cold look. “What kind?”

David hesitated for a moment, rubbing his hand. “She said it was going to be a surprise.”

“Uhuh. Okay.” The muscular man’s voice was dismissive as he walked in, looking around every inch of the house.

His mother walked over to the tall woman and smiled. “My, you are a tall one. Certainly different from David’s last.”

“Th-Thank you, Ms. Moreno. Apologies, I was just frying up some tacos. It’s something that David showed me a few days ago.”

“Oh, wonderful! Allow me to help!” She walked into the kitchen, taking Morgan’s hand along the way. Her attitude was kind and supportive with an air of acceptance. It truly made Morgan think that the true issue was with the father. Why would someone so sweet marry a brute like that?...

The period in which the two cooked was quiet. Neither of the men bothered to talk to each other as neither had anything to say at this moment. The father simply leaned back, his eyes wandering to the two women with that same sleazy smirk she knew from the bar. While not the same person, she knew their attitudes were very similar.

As the tacos were finished, the family would sit down. The three Morenos put their hands together in prayer, muttering grace for the meal. Morgan knew she did not want to be outed as strange or blasphemous, even if it went against her family’s teachings. She mimicked their hand movements but kept her voice silent with simple mouth movements. The smell of the food was enticing, a mix of cooked meat and fried corn tortillas that made her mouth nearly water.

Once they all finished, they dug in, David distributing the food with everyone but him getting more food. Morgan frowned but held her tongue. There was no reason to start a conflict at that moment. She mimicked David by placing some queso fresco and tomato on hers. He seemed to know what he was doing. Meanwhile, Mr. Moreno stuffed his with everything he could, while Mrs. Moreno just ate hers plain.

Morgan truly didn’t understand these two. She considered peering into their souls and seeing what lay beyond their mortal flesh. However, she held back her hand. It was agreed that she wouldn’t use powers on any of the family, so she honored her husband’s request. She may have been the Devil, but her love for him would restrain her from acting on such impulses.

What was certain was that the stillness of the silence was absolutely maddening. How could none of them even talk during the meal when they hadn’t seen each other in some time?

Soon enough, David finished, cleaning his mouth. “Finished.”

“Good.” David’s father placed his plate on top of his son’s. “Wash everyone’s dishes up and meet me in the garage.”

His mother intervened. “Oh, come on, honey. I can take care of it. You two talk.”

“No. He’s being lazy with his cleaning, he’s got to-”

“Honey.” Her voice became colder and more stern. “Go talk to him now.”

The couple’s gazes met in a fierce battle, neither looking away as if to not lose the fight. Finally, Mr. Moreno let out a gruff sound. “Fine. Go and baby the kid. David, get over here now.”

David breathed in and out slowly as if to relieve stress. His nails dug into his skin. This was always the most stressful part of any visit from the folks. The Talk. No matter the number of times, it never got easier.

As they walked off to the garage, Mrs. Moreno motioned to Morgan. “Come dear. Let’s clean this up while they have their talk.”

Morgan nodded. Normally, a simple incantation would be enough to handle the mess. With the future in-laws around though, that option was severed. She wasn’t particularly skilled at hand cleaning. That work was always designated for the help. Yet, she got behind the sink and followed Mrs. Moreno’s actions. She would prove herself capable.

~~~

David sat in the garage, watching his father with nervous anticipation. The older man looked at the old, renovated car. He was definitely in a better mood. Not once had the son needed to flinch from a sudden movement. Perhaps he was okay with the marriage and proud of him for once. Finally, Mr. Moreno spoke.

“When did you meet this woman?”

“... What?”

He turned to face his son. “You heard me. When did you meet her?”

David froze. Of course, he forgot about one of his father’s many rules: Never marry a woman you just met. It was one that had been drilled into him, and one he violated with his proposal to Morgan. There was only one way out of this: a gamble.

David looked at Mr. Moreno. “I met her some time ago at a bar. She and I have been dating for a few months, and I proposed.” Lying was never in his nature. To him, it always led to more problems than it started. However, with his dad, he made an exception, if out of self-preservation. It was a gamble, but he sometimes got away with it.

His father crossed his arms. “Stop lying. Why do you always lie to me?”

“Dad, I’m not lying-”

“Don’t. Stop with that. Just accept it and tell me the truth.”

David gripped both of his arms in fear. “Dad, I am-!” He was silenced as he looked at his father. He was gritting his teeth and letting out a primal growl. He was like a feral beast, threatening a smaller, weaker animal for daring to step on his territory. It was something that the programmer didn’t want to deal with anymore.

“Look. Normally, I’d say to break up with the bitch…”

David’s hand gripped his other. Just the mere mention of Morgan being described as a “bitch” was making him feel a fire deep in his core start to burn bright.

“But I won’t. The only reason I’m letting this bullshit go through is that she loaded. It means you can finally start providing and pulling your weight around here.”

David’s brain picked up on something and looked up. “Wait… How did you find out about who Morgan was?”

“Your social media. People at your work were talking about it.”

Dammit, Jacob… He thought. You and those assholes are getting headbutted for this.

“Anyways, you’re going to stick with this, and we expect to deal with the perks that come with your marriage.”

David stared at his father for an eerily long time. “So let me get this straight. You don’t want me to marry someone when we just met when it’s someone I know, but when it’s someone rich, you’re fine with it.”

“Yeah. Got a problem with that?”

David’s stare intensified. It appeared as if he was trying to bore a hole through his father’s head. So many people kept telling him what to do, to continue a marriage that he stumbled into. None of them even knew who Morgan was. Then something clicked in his mind, and for the first time in his life, he was not afraid. He smiled plainly. “No, dad. I completely understand.”

~~~

Morgan’s hands scrubbed with great effort at the pans. It was remarkable how dirty these pans got from one session of cooking. She had way more respect for the help and considered even raising their salaries.

What she couldn’t understand was how Mrs. Moreno was cleaning the plates with precision and speed. By the time Morgan finished with the pan, her mother-in-law cleaned the rest. The feeling of being beaten so decisively sent hot waves of shame to her cheeks.

Before the disguised devil could say anything, she found the mortal making coffee for the two of them. Mrs. Moreno turned to her with the same smile. “Morgan, sweetie, how do you take your coffee dear.”

The question caught Morgan off guard. “Huh? Oh, uhhh… Black, please.”

Mrs. Moreno nodded, stirring her own cup full of cream and sugar. She handed the cup of black brew over to her daughter-in-law, sipping her own with a smile of contentment. “You seem to be trying your hardest to adjust to the normal life.”

“Y-Yes,” Morgan responded with a nod. “I’ll admit, it’s difficult, but I am trying my best in order to make David happy.”

“Make him happy…” Mrs. Moreno ran her finger along the lip of the cup. “That’s what you want to do…”

“Yes…?”

“Well, does he seem happy?”

“O-Of course he does! If he wasn’t, he would tell me!”

“Oh, my dear… You don’t know him like I know him.” The energy of the room changed. It was colder like someone had sent them to the bottom of Hell itself. “You see, I know what’s best for him. I’ve made sure he had the perfect balance of school, sports, and other means by which he would succeed. I do not like it when people look down on us.”

Morgan moved away for a moment as the mother continued. “Do you know what it’s like to raise a child on prize money from your husband’s fights? To have your family believe that you’re a failure for it? Well, I wanted to show them that I could make something of my son. And I did.” She gripped the cup tighter and tighter. “He will marry who I say is. If I do not like that person, well…”

The mug shattered in Mrs. Moreno’s hand, coffee and ceramic spilling on the floor. Her head turned to face Morgan, and the queen saw her mother-in-law's true self. Behind that kind, smile and loving smile was a cold emptiness reserved only for the cruelest of people. For the first time in her life, Morgan was scared of a mortal.

“Now, would you happen to clean that up, dear?”

Morgan didn’t even hesitate. She grabbed a broom and began sweeping fervently at the feet of her terrifying mother-in-law.

David's parents stood at the door, being there as they had left. The largest difference was that the expressions David and Morgan had were now swapped. Morgan felt more miserable and useless than ever, and David felt his fire renewed. His impromptu plan was about to come into commission.

“We’re coming back another time. You better clean the place better next time we visit.”

Mrs. Moreno nodded in agreement. “Oh and Morgan, remember what we talked about.”

Morgan kept her head down. She had never felt so useless. Before the couple could leave though, David spoke up.

“Wait. There’s something I wanted to give you before you go.”

They stopped and turn to see their son. His father gave a confident smirk. “Oh yeah? What?”

“Well, I thought about what you said, and I think that you’re right dad. You should receive the benefits of my marriage. We’re going to give it to you now.” He turned to look up at his fiancé.

The look he gave her was not something he’d seen in him before. It was confident, angry, devious. Her eyes widened as she saw exactly what he was implying.

“H-Honey, are you sure?”

He gently took her hand. “I’m positive… Darling.”

Her heart leaped as their fingers interlocked. The boldness in his eyes showed that he was not afraid. Just this once, the vow could be broken. She nodded and looked at her in-laws.

David looked with her, smiling as he casually pointed at the two. “You two will get the perk you both deserve the most. A one-way trip to my wife’s work.”

Morgan pointed a finger at the two. Her royal purple magic radiated out as both of them quickly became bound in chains. Their expressions morphed into pure terror as they looked at their son, who simply smiled and crossed his arms.

“Never insult Morgan again.”

“DAVID, YOU PIECE OF- HHHNNFF!!” Mr. Moreno’s mouth became covered in chains as he was dragged under alongside his wife. Soon, nothing remained of the two.

David took a deep breath as he walked back to the living room. “Send their car back to their house. I don’t want it near us,” he muttered before collapsing on the couch. That soul-drained expression returned, if with a little bit more life inside of him. It was as if someone had lifted a bit of the weight off.

Morgan nodded and complied with her fiancé’s request and flicked a finger at the vehicle. The burly pickup truck started up and drove off at top speeds. She wondered what other people would think when they saw that.

As she closed the door and sat next to David, she slowly changed back to her demon appearance. She looked at her pale hands. “David… Do you not like being with me?”

David looked over at her. “What gave you that idea?”

“Your… Your mother. She said that she knew you best and-”

“Morgan. Calm down. My mother is just trying to scare you away. Or was, considering she’s not going to be doing that much.” He gave a sick chuckle, running his hands through his soft, black hair.

“But I-”

“Morgan look. Today was a wash. Just… If you keep trying to be better, that’s good enough for me. I don’t hate you, I’m just tired…”

Morgan looked at him as he slowly drifted into slumber. Her smile returned to her face, rejuvenated by the love he displayed today. With a flick of the wrist, their home changed back to her preferred decor.

As she wrapped an arm around David, he’d mutter with closed eyes. “You know… Morningstar-Moreno feels like a suitable name. I’m fine with that…”

She smiled down at him, leaning with a soft, tender kiss on his cheek. She was never going to doubt herself about David’s true feelings ever again.