LOUIS BRISKLY LED MELANIE TOWARDS the exit. There was no way for him to deny the irritation he felt after seeing Michael again - once had been quite enough. He let out a sigh as he led the human girl through the dancing crowd and into the cool night air. Several curious students observed the two of them as Louis turned a corner and continued to walk towards the back of the building. He could hear footsteps behind them and he rolled his eyes.

"I take it Michael doesn't like surprises?" Louis asked Melanie as she jogged to keep up with him.

"Slow down, I'm wearing heels!" she complained.

Louis frowned and looked at her feet. "No you're not."

"But if I were, I'd be in a lot of pain right now and it would be completely your fault. Why are you even speed walking? No, wait - where are you speed walking? All that's round the back of the building is the gardens and a few rubbish bins."

"We've got company," Louis bluntly stated as he finally came to a halt beside a tree. "I think more beatings are about to occur."

"What do you-"

"Right!" Michael called as he stomped around the corner to face Melanie and Louis. The wild look in his eyes made Louis want to laugh - he looked ridiculous and not to mention absolutely terrified. The mere fact that Louis could scare the mortal before him had him grinning like a mad man. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face!"

"What? My satisfied grin?" Louis questioned as he sarcastically smiled as wide as he could. Michael's eyes narrowed and the tension between the two males grew rapidly. Louis glanced at Melanie who seemed to be fidgeting awkwardly with her hands.

"Guys, calm down." Her tone was playful, like the whole situation was a laugh. Michael didn't seem to think so as he reached forward and pulled her away from Louis side.

"Melanie, stay back for a minute," Michael warned a he pushed her behind him defensively. "What the fuck are you doing here? You shouldn't be here!"

"Since when do you decide where I should and shouldn't be, Quinn?"

"Bugger off back to Hell, Satan!" Michael demanded, scowling at Louis like a child who was denied a treat. Louis couldn't help but laugh at the scene before him. You stupid twát, he thought as he crossed his arms over his chest, you think you're scaring me and that you look all tough and butch protecting Melanie. You're just pathetic.

"No," Louis simply said before reaching out a hand towards Michael. He watched the human boy gulp as fire started flickering in the palm of his hand. "Now move out of the way before I burn your balls off."

"Louis!" Melanie hissed as she shoved Michael out of the way and made her way over to him. "Be nice, for the love of ... well, you know."

"Oh, I know very well, Melanie," Louis said as his eyes remained on Michael. "However, it is not I threatening or being unnecessarily rude to him. It is the opposite - this is self defence."

"Melanie, you honestly don't believe this creep, do you?!" Michael gasped, pointing an accusing finger at Louis. "Tell him to stop with all the fire stuff!"

"Stop it, both of you!" Melanie shouted, standing between the two of them. "Honestly, you sound like two year olds!"

Louis watched Melanie fondly before him. In the darkness, the soft glow of orange from the fire illuminated her features; the pale complexion of her skin, bright blue eyes - wide and a little alarmed at the moment - and soft pink of her lips as she spoke some sense into the two of them. Right then, Louis felt his evil heart skip a beat.

"Seriously! You two need to calm the fuck down and stop tormenting each other! It's every single time you two meet, and yes that may only be two times, but it's so exhausting. Please just stop it. Both of you don't even know each other and you're always scrapping!"

"He's The Devil!"

"He's an annoying mortal!"

"And I am the girl in the middle trying to finish this argument!" Melanie huffed, shaking her head. "I swear, I want to slap you both."

"Slap him," Louis said as he retracted his hand and held it close to his chest. The licking flames slowly started to cease and Louis stretched his fingers out as the light finally died. Melanie nodded to him and Louis could only smile at her. "Only for you I'm stopping this."

"Only for her?" Michael scoffed. "You're Satan - since when do you care about what humans think? Hey, never-mind that, answer my first question! What are you doing here?"

Louis let out a sigh before saying, "Attending a dance ... duh. Is it a crime now, to attend social events?"

"Don't get smart with me, I'm dead serious," Michael said.

"Funny choice of words," Louis noticed as he clasped his hands together and tilted his head to the side. Melanie rolled her eyes at him and turned to face Michael. Louis watched her intently, wondering what exactly she was going to say.

"Michael, he's here because even after everything that happened in The Beyond he did save our lives at the end of the day. He visits me every month just to keep an eye on me."

"And he doesn't want to keep an eye on me?" Michael asked, his tone smug. "A little creepy that he wants to watch over an eight-teen year old girl as she gets better again."

"Trust me, mate," Louis said, cutting in. "I'd rather keep an eye on Melanie than you. It's nothing personal ... well, maybe it is. You're not exactly the prettiest thing or the nicest person to talk to. You did try and punch me."

"Only because you were being crude towards my friend," Michael said. "If it were the other way round, you would have acted exactly the same."

"I doubt I would try and smack someone for making a silly little comment. I'd be a man and handle the situation maturely. Unlike you."

"Fuck you," Michael said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're unbelievable. How are you even allowed to be here?"

"Magic works in wonderful ways," Louis concluded before he reached out and took Melanie's hand. "And now, if you don't mind, Melanie and I shall return to the dance and act like no one here is over reacting."

"Over reacting?! You're Satan! You are The Devil-"

"Your observation skills are simply astounding, dear Michael. Honestly, they are," Louis cut in.

"Melanie," Michael said, changing the subject. "Why are you allowing him to come visit you?"

"Because he's my friend," Melanie said with a shrug, as if it were the most obvious and common thing in the world. "In case you didn't know, not everyone hates him Mikey," she simply said. "Just because you do, it doesn't mean I do too."

"But he's evil!" Michael said.

"He's misunderstood," Melanie corrected, looking over at Louis.

Oh shit, she's incredible, Lucifer thought to himself as his eyes locked with hers. She was sticking up for him and there was nothing more amazing than knowing the girl you really liked was sticking up for you. Michael frowned as he looked from Melanie to Louis but not once did Louis tear his gaze away from Melanie. He was too stunned at her words to look anywhere else.

"So, you two are friends? Wow, I never thought I'd live to see the day that a friend of mine would befriend Satan."

"Well ... he did save our lives, Mikey," Melanie tried to reason. "And he's good company believe it or not."

"Jesus Christ," Michael groaned, letting his head fall into his hands. "Melanie, he's evil and there is nothing you can do about that. You can not fix that. If he is, as you like to put it 'misunderstood', then ask yourself this: why the hell was he banished? Why was he chucked out of Heaven and into Hell? Why was he punished?"

"Oh, fuck off you prick!" Louis suddenly yelled. He no longer cared about keeping a low profile - he was angry. Oh, so angry. The prickling sensation of his skin changing could suddenly be felt and his eyes stung momentarily. His human disguise was slowly chipping away. He knew that if any humans were to turn the corner and arrive at the back of the school, they would see a man with changing skin and eyes. Surely, questions would be asked and screams would pierce the happy atmosphere. Louis took a deep breath before continuing, "Have you ever asked yourself this, Michael? Why is it that you ... are such a cocky bastard?"

Michael raised a brow and opened his mouth to retaliate but Melanie interrupted.

"Bugger off, Michael," she said. She sounded absolutely exhausted. Why does she sound so knackered, Louis wondered, it's not like she has to deal with constant insults from this imbecile.

"What?" Michael asked, looking to Melanie.

"I said bugger off - you're just making things more difficult," Melanie argued, pointing back at the school building. "I'm sick of you picking fights with Louis for no reason. You think he's bad - good for you."

"Are you defending him?"

"No, he can defend himself rather well. I'm stopping you from making yourself look like an even bigger dick and from insulting my friend more. You honestly need to calm the actual fuck down before you start losing your head over nothing. Is he hurting me right now? No; he's here because I asked him to be here. Is he inflicting pain on me physically or emotionally? No. Just go back to your girlfriend before she wonders where you've been."

Louis raised a brow at Melanie before tilting his head in Michael's direction. He was impressed; with Melanie's speech and Michael's annoyingly determined decision to stay standing where he was. Louis let out a deep sigh and slung his arm cockily around Melanie's shoulders.

"You heard the lady," he said smugly. "Chop-chop, off you pop!"

Michael glared one final time at Louis before looking back at Melanie - he looked angry, hurt, torn between leaving and staying. Louis knew deep down that he would not refuse Melanie's request. Louis even knew it was difficult to not follow through a favour Melanie asked of him, not only because she was gorgeous, sassy or a living, human female embodiment of himself, but because he respected her and couldn't deny the ridiculously strong, fiery chemistry between them. It was almost like the invisible tug of two magnets.

Deep down, Louis pondered what his true feeling towards the human girl were - love was cancelled out almost instantly. Louis knew it was silly, dangerous and even hilarious to even think about falling in love with a human ... no matter how wonderful a person they were inside and out. Perhaps he fancied her a little and was in love with the idea of falling for a human? After all, it was a passionate love that resulted in his banishment from Heaven; a deep love for himself and the idea of being someone he was not. Never again would he let an emotion - a feeling - such as love drag him down further. Hell was probably as deep as he could be go.

"Fine," Michael finally said, nodding once. "But if anything happens to you and he is the reason for it ... don't come crying to me."

And with that, he left.

"I am so sorry about him," Melanie said as she turned to face Louis. He couldn't help but smile. "He's such an arrogant wanker at times and I just wish he would zip it on occasion. Fuck, he was even pissing me off there. Next time I'll let you slap him - no burning dicks off though."

"I'll try my best though I doubt there's much to burn off of him," Louis said with a sly smirk.

Melanie slapped his arm.

"Meanie," she laughed and reached out for a hug. "Embrace me, oh Lucifer, Satan, whatever the hell you like being called the most."

"Louis, call me Louis, my darling, dear Melanie," he chuckled as he hugged her close. With Michael gone again, the night was silent with the faint thumping of party music echoing around inside the school hall. Louis gently picked Melanie up and spun her round playfully before properly lifting her and unexpectedly swinging her on to his back.

"What the hell?" she laughed as she leaned her chin on his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Escorting you back to the dance," he told her as he began to walk. The music was a crescendo as the two of them turned the corner. "Why else would I have you on my back?"

He felt Melanie shrug against him. "I don't know... Perhaps you were planning on taking me up to the languages corridor and bending me over a desk before deciding to fuck me so hard that I wouldn't be able to walk in the morning?"

Louis came to a halt and glanced up at her. She sounded so innocent as she said it - fuck! Louis cleared his throat before telling her, "I think you've been in enough accidents to last you this life time," before walking on and hoping that she didn't notice the bulge in his lower region.

Please check out Alien if you haven't already! It will be a longer Louis novel which I am writing at the moment and it has a sassy and humorous Louis that is very similar to Lucifer Louis in it! I'd love to hear your thoughts on that, thanks!

Thank you, I love you all! Much love and gratitude x

Cazza