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He didn’t know how it happened. He was just standing with his parents and trying to be very good. They warned him a hundred thousand times that the crowd was too big, and he was too small. He needed to stay close by them to be safe.
But he WAS only four, and while he was normally a very good child, the toy booth across the grassy alleyway from them was just so colorful. He had gently slid his hands away from theirs while they looked at craftsman’s homemade leather goods.
He took a soft step sideways, taking a deep breath of the smells that accompany a county fair: animals, food, and people. A sparkle twinkled from the tent, locking his attention. He quickly ran to the sparkle.
His eyes grew as he saw the size of the giant pinwheel on display, its holographic foil twinkling merrily in the sun as it spun its fancy dance.
He had no idea how long he stood staring at it before he noticed the tall man in fancy boots standing next to him. He craned his head all the way back to stare at the white-haired man, who was looking down on him with amusement.
“Looks great, don’t it?” the man asked, his hands in his pockets. The little boy smiled back at the man’s infectious grin.
“Yeah, it sure does!” he told the man.
The man pulled his hands out of his pocket, and ruffled the little boy’s hair. “Now, I know yer not where ya supposed t’be, are ya?”
The little boy flushed, and dug a toe a little deeper into the dirt. “No,” he said, a little ashamed.
“Tell ya what,” the man said, “I’m gonna buy ya that, if ya promise, PROMISE, t’stay close to yer parents, got it?” The man looked very stern, staring down at him over his yellow tinted sunglasses. The little boy would’ve been scared, but he saw the twinkle lurking in the man’s bright blue eyes.
“I promise,” the little boy told him, his little voice grave and solemn with his promise.
The man nodded, and gave the shopkeeper some money before grabbing the pinwheel’s stick and handing it to the little boy with a wink. “Remember yer promise!” Then he did something that made the little boy jump and shout with laughter.
The man turned to face the grassy alleyway and cupped his hands to his mouth. “OY! YO, MC! HERE!”
The little boy gaped as he saw his parents turn, and saw him standing with the white-haired stranger. The panic in their faces shifted from panic to pure relief and they rushed over.
“Thank you, Mammon!” gasped his Bibi. They knelt down and grasped him by his shoulders. “Johnny, you scared me so bad! Don’t do that again!” They crushed him to their chest.
“I won’t, Bibi. Look what I have!” he shoved his parent away and showed them the bright pinwheel the man bought him. They smiled at him, and then craned their neck up to look at their spouse and the man.
“Of course you rewarded him,” they scolded as they stood, but they were smiling. They grabbed him into a hug and the white-haired man squeezed them back.
“Aw, MC, don’t be like that,” the man grinned as they pulled apart, nodding to MC’s spouse. “Ya got a good kid, let me get him stuff.”
Bibi just shook their head, and grabbed Johnny’s hand. “Anyway, it’s probably past time I introduced you two. Johnny, this is Mammon. He and I used to go to school together.”
Johnny felt his eyes get really big. “Oh, you mean the same school Luke went to?”
His parents and Mammon looked at him strangely. “Where did you meet Luke?” his Bibi asked.
Johnny started swishing his pinwheel through the air. “Oh, he likes to play with me in the backyard. He says guard’an angels ain’t s’posed t’be seen, but he got special p’mission.” He got very into his pinwheel, so he didn’t notice the adults exchanging amused glances.
His other parent, Nini, grabbed his hand. “C’mon, sport. Let’s give these two some time to catch up.” They kissed their spouse’s cheek. “I won’t wait up, I know you have much to catch up on.”
Johnny waved merrily to his Bibi and Mammon with his shiny new pinwheel, and left the fairgrounds with their other parent.
———————
MC looked fondly at their spouse as they led their chatty son back to the car. They slid their arm through Mammon’s. “Ok, Mamoney, you’ve got me for the rest of the day. What brought you topside?”
Mammon patted their hand. “Aw, I just missed ya, is all.” He led them out of the toy tent and started walking toward the midway. “I haven’t seen ya since ya brought Johnny home.”
“And who’s fault is that?” they teased. “I can’t help it if you old men keep losing track of time.”
Mammon threw his head back and laughed. “I miss ya a lot,” he admitted, his normal tsundre attitude forgotten.
MC smiled softly. “Do you want to leave so we can talk easier?” Mammon flushed, but nodded.
They left the fairgrounds, and found a small bar nearby. They grabbed a booth, and MC ordered drinks and some snacks. “Don’t worry,” they winked. “I’ll cover it.” Mammon chuckled.
After they had received their order, MC sat back and waited for Mammon to come clean.
“Johnny’s a cute kid, MC,” he said. “And Alex is awesome. Good choice, by the way,” he winked.
“It’s a good thing I happen to agree with you,” MC said. “Considering every single other person I dated you all scared away.” They crossed their arms. “And the only reason Alex got to stay was because they told off Lucifer, and Satan and Belphie thought it was hilarious.”
Mammon smiled a little to himself. “Yeah, that was awesome.”
“How is everyone doing?” MC asked, their heart in their throat. In the grand scheme of time and space, their time in the Devildom was short, a mere blip in the vast lifespan of the folks they considered their family.
Mammon’s smile became larger, and a fond look swept over his face. “They’re doin’ better,” he told them. “They talk to each other more, for sure.” He took a drink of his beer. “They’re talkin’ to me nicer.”
MC’s smile burst through the dark bar like a ray of sunshine. “I love that. Change happens so slowly there, but I’m glad it’s happening.”
Mammon flushed a little, but plowed forward with amusing anecdotes and stories of the Brothers, with only sidetracking a couple of times to talk about various schemes he had in play. MC laughed and egged him on like they always did, and they fell easily back into their old friendships.
MC was suddenly startled when Mammon reached out and traced the faint wrinkles around their eyes and mouth with a light finger. Mammon’s expression became sad but accepting. “I’m sorry we never figured out how to keep ya around forever, MC. All that magic in ya, and it can’t keep ya with us.”
“I’m not,” MC said, with their usual bluntness. “People with this much power SHOULD have an expiration date.” They softened their face at Mammon’s resentful look. “Plus, I have Alex and Johnny. I wouldn’t be able to be with them if I was immortal. I wouldn’t give them up for anything.” Mammon nodded, accepting their words.
“But anyway,” MC continued, “we do need to chat about formally introducing all of you to Johnny. I’d like to send him to RAD when he’s old enough. Can you send a message to Dia for me?”
Mammon scrunched up his nose. “Can’t ya do that yerself?”
MC chuckled. “New students at RAD have to have a sponsor from the Student Council. I gave my seat up. I would like you to be his sponsor and guardian when he goes there.”
Mammon’s chest puffed up. “Of course ya do! I took care o’ you when you were there!” In characteristic Mammon fashion, he stood abruptly. “I’ll go now!”
MC raised an eyebrow. “Why the sudden hurry?”
Mammon raised an arm and scratched the back of his head. “I, uh, ain’t exactly got permission t’be up here,” he admitted sheepishly. “But since I helped ya out and all, and ya need me to bring a message back, Lucifer wont poke at me TOO long.”
MC laughed and waved him away. “Go on, Mammoney. And tell your brothers they need to plan a trip to see me.”
Mammon flashed a grin, before leaning in and kissing the top of MC’s head affectionately. “Now that you said that, you’ll never be left alone, ya know.”
MC sighed and smiled. “I know. I appreciate the space you all gave me as I figured out the parenting thing, but you’re all my family, and I miss you.”
Mammon grinned one more time, before disappearing into the shadows.
The waitress swung by the table to drop the check. “Oh, you’re alone! Wasn’t a date?”
MC smiled as they handed over their card. “No, better. A family check in.”