She Belongs To The Devil

"Come on, Azriel! Loosen up your stiff body. Sway your hands and hips as well. It\'s not dancing if you are just moving your feet." Adeline folded her arms over her chest and pouted.

Azriel flipped his head backward and groaned, "Argh! Why did I have to be so overconfident and place that stupid bet? Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Adeline giggled and began to clap her hands in a beat. "Follow the beat and dance again. If you want then I can show you and you can copy me."

"Do I have to? Let\'s call off the bet." Azriel drooped his shoulders and glanced at Adeline with a sullen face.

Adeline was not going to let him off the hook that easily. She jumped up from the chair and shook her finger at him. "Ah! Not going to happen! Bold of you to ask to call off the bet when I already won it."

"Okay, copy me now." Adeline then began to show some steps while counting simultaneously, "One, two… one, two, three… five, six, and seven, eight…"

Azriel glared at Adeline and crossly blew his golden strands of hair that were dangling in front of his face. He unwillingly raised his hands and started to copy Adeline.

Adeline grinned widely and encouraged Azriel even more, "Yes, that\'s how you dance on Earth."

After a few minutes, Azriel was already immersed in the dance. Adeline was clapping her hands and Azriel was dancing while humming to the beat.

They didn\'t even realize that Theodore was now standing in one corner of the room and was covering his mouth tightly while watching Azriel dance like a puppet. And Adeline was clapping her hands and controlling Azriel\'s moves as though she was the puppet master.

"No one can escape from her clutch, can they?" Theodore thought to himself and this time, he laughed openly.

Azriel\'s hands stopped mid-air when he heard Theodore\'s laughter. He gave an awkward smile and instantly went to acting high and mighty.

Theodore spoke while still laughing, "I was worried thinking that Adeline would get bored if she had woken up already. But I am relieved to see that you are entertaining her pretty well."

Azriel glared at Theodore who walked towards them, chuckling and teasing him while making stiff hand movements. And he shouted at his brother, "Hey! Cut it out! Pretend that you saw nothing."

"Why?" Theodore stood behind Adeline and held her in his warm embrace. "Is Adeline the only one who is allowed to see you dance? Can\'t your brother watch it? Are you already biased towards your sister-in-law?"

Both Adeline and Theodore giggled in harmony.

Adeline excitedly glanced at Theodore and proudly clarified, "Azriel had made a bet that I wouldn\'t even last a few seconds against him in a fight. And I had said that I would at least last for two minutes. He boasted to dance for me if I lasted that long. I lasted for three whole minutes."

"Is that so?" Theodore tightened his arms around Adeline\'s waist even more. "I am so proud of you. And I am happy to hear that your strength is now back."

"It\'s all thanks to you," Adeline took Theodore\'s hand and kissed him and Theodore placed a loving kiss on her head.

Azriel rolled his eyes at that lovey-dovey couple and sneered. "Didn\'t you come to take your wife? She is fine now. I don\'t need to attend her anymore." He made a chasing gesture to both of them and grumbled, "Now shoo, both of you. I need some me-time."

"Oh come on, Azriel. Don\'t be such a mood spoiler." Adeline looked up at her husband and made him a scapegoat, "Theodore saw you dance, so now it is his turn to sing a song."

"Hey, hey! Now don\'t give such wicked ideas to him." Theodore made Adeline face him and immediately changed the topic, "So, when did you wake up?"

However, Azriel was already jumping and clapping his hands at the idea of his brother singing a song. He wanted his brother to get humiliated as well.

So he had a sinister smirk on his face and provoked Theodore, "Your wife is asking you for something and you are denying it? I thought you would do anything for her, baby brother. But I see that you have now changed after getting married."

Adeline also pretended to be hurt by Theodore and asked with a puppy-eye, "Is it true? Did you change just after two days of getting married?"

Theodore playfully narrowed his eyes and corrected Adeline, "Three days. And no, I haven\'t changed."

Adeline then gave a grin and asked again, "Then sing a song for me."

Theodore scratched his head and took in a deep breath. "I… umm… I don\'t know any songs that the humans hum…"

He cleared his throat and said with a hint of shy look in his eyes, "But… let me try to make one for you."

"Really?" Adeline\'s eyes were sparkling with excitement.

Azriel also stood in front of Theodore and asked with disbelief in his eyes, "Really?"

Theodore narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you want to hear a song or not?"

Both Azriel and Adeline briskly nodded their head.

Theodore then fixated his loving gaze on his wife. A warm feeling ran in his heart and a smile automatically appeared on his lips.

And to everyone\'s surprise, even Theodore himself, he began to hum a song. A melodious song started to echo throughout the dragon crypt.

"Look, my dear, we\'ve come so far

Walked in fear, yet here we are

You took my hand and filled my heart

There\'s no land where we\'ll part"

Adeline\'s eyes watered, her heart was filled with love, and his song touched her soul. She covered her mouth and kept on listening to her husband.

"Let me hold you in my arms forever… forever…"

Theodore took Adeline\'s hands in his and placed them on his shoulders. He put his hands on her waist and began to slowly dance. And he continued singing.

"I\'ll walk alongside you, blizzard or heat

Moments with you can never be beat

Look, my love, we\'ve come so far

Walked in fear, yet here we are…" 

"Let me keep you in my heart forever… forever…"

"Oh, Theo…" Adeline smiled with her eyes were full of tears. And she sprung towards Theodore to violently claim his lips.

Azriel turned away his head and began to whistle to make his presence known.

Both Adeline and Theodore ended up giggling again.

Adeline touched Theodore\'s forehead with her own and praised her husband\'s effort, "That was a beautiful song. I loved it."

Theodore smiled and replied, "That was a childish song. But I\'m glad that you liked it."

Suddenly, Azriel shoved a glass container in between the love birds and shouted, "Stop acting all mushy in my room. Here!" Azriel glanced at Adeline who was now looking at him and said, "Mother left this for you before she returned back to heaven."

"Mother left already?" Adeline took the glass container full of soft pink pills and gave a questioning glance to Azriel.

And Azriel explained, "Yes, she left. She wanted to wait until you woke up but she had some urgent matters to take care of."

He pointed at the jar and added, "Those are the healing pills. Any kind of injuries will be healed in a matter of a few seconds if you take one of those. Mother left it as a parting gift for you."

Adeline hugged the jar and whispered, hoping her mother-in-law would listen, "Thank you, mother. I hope we will meet again."

"Azriel…" Adeline handed that jar to Theodore and surprised Azriel with a hug. "Thank you for taking care of me. And thank you for supporting Theodore and me."

Azriel blinked his eyes several times and patted Adeline\'s hair. "That\'s no need to thank me. Any brother would support his younger brother and sister-in-law."

Adeline pulled away from the hug and looked into Azriel\'s eyes. She could tell that he still hadn\'t forgiven himself. And she knew what she had to do to make him forgive himself.

"Azriel, I never got the chance to say this before. So I am saying this now. I have forgiven you, completely. And so should you. Don\'t you dare to look at me with those guilty eyes the next time we meet."

Azriel could see Adeline\'s sincere smile. All of a sudden, he felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from his heart.

He returned Adeline\'s smile and whispered, "Thank you!"