7- But YOU Try Saying No to a Shirtless Demon with Sad Eyes.

KACIA

Ozraed emerges from the bathroom looking human again. Well… Mostly. His skin is still a little too pale. His hair is damp, curling slightly at the ends. He's wearing only his jeans, thankfully they’re clean-ish, but no shirt. I try not to look, really I do, but his torso is distracting in a way that feels like an attack on my personal boundaries. Seriously. Not fair. He’s a demon. He’s not supposed to be hot. Even now, when he looks half dead and mildly cranky, his whole aesthetic screams ‘dangerous but weirdly appealing.’ And then there’s that tail, still in full view, swishing behind him like a cat who isn’t sure if it’s going to bite you or nap on your keyboard. It should be unnerving. Instead, I… Kind of like it? It’s way more expressive than his face. I catch myself staring and shake it off. Get it together, Kacia. Now that I KNOW he’s a demon, the signs are all there. His nails… They’re black, not just dirty. His eyes… Well they’re off in a way I hadn’t noticed before, the whites a little too dark, like smoke behind glass. And his skin, pale but with that faint grey undertone that could either be Kakos demon physiology or just severe blood loss. Hard to say. Both, probably. I gesture toward the armchair opposite me. He sits obediently, and his tail curls up over the arm of the chair, like it owns the place. I try not to let my eyes follow the motion, but it’s like trying to ignore a flickering light in a tidy room. I take a breath, a proper, measured one, and force my posture straight.

“So…” I begin evenly.

“You’re a demon.” I state the obvious.

“A Kakos demon, yes.” He confirms with no hesitation.

“Should I be concerned?” I ask, casually, but with enough edge that he’ll take me seriously. He looks almost… Insulted.

“Definitely not. I don’t want to hurt you.” He insists. I raise an eyebrow.

“Why should I believe you? Why are you even here? You haven’t exactly been forthcoming.” I point out.

“I don’t even know you. Why would I wish you harm?” He echoes my earlier words.

“And you were the one who brought me here. I do apologise for not being more honest about my origins, but after what I went through, I was cautious. If it helps, I couldn’t hurt you even if I wanted to, we made a bargain. I’m bound by it.” He says in a way that I think is intended to be reassuring. It is not.

“When did that happen?” I demand.

“We’ve BARELY spoken. I think I’d remember making a deal with a demon.” I argue. Ozraed tilts his head and gives me an annoyingly calm look that makes me want to throw a pillow at him. “When you were saving me. I said I owe you. You said I could make it up to you if we survived. I agreed.” He explains. I gape at him.

“That counts?” I ask incredulously.

“Oh, it counts.” He responds dryly. I press my lips together. Everyone knows you don’t make deals with demons. Even if you think you’re being casual. Even if you’re trying to be charming or you’re making a joke. It’s the intent, not the tone, that binds it. And now I’ve got this guy contractually stuck to me. Great. And worse, I feel guilty for it. He was barely conscious when he agreed to that. Did I… Accidentally take advantage of him? I’m not used to being the morally grey one in the room. I fidget with the hem of my top, smoothing out a wrinkle that wasn’t even there a second ago. Then I smooth it again, just to be sure. Okay. Enough spiraling. I change the subject.

“How did those guys trap you anyway? You’re a demon. I mean, I get that there were a lot of them, but I thought KakosdDemons had that whole spooky eye thing going for them. Shouldn’t they have run off screaming? Unless what I’ve heard about your kind has been severely exaggerated.” I don’t mean to tease him, but… Well, maybe I do. Just a little. His tail flicks sharply. His expression darkens like I’ve personally insulted his honor. I have to stifle a laugh, quickly biting the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. He crosses his arms over his chest, slumping back into the chair with a dramatic air of injustice.

“It was poor timing.” He huffs.

“I was… Unwell. I had just come through a gate, which left me disoriented. Under normal circumstances, I could have taken them out without effort. I assure you-”

“Yeah, yeah.” I cut in, grinning.

“I get it. You’re very scary and powerful. I’m sure next time you won’t look like you’re one sneeze away from passing out.” I joke. He glares. I bask in it for a second. And then something shifts. His expression softens, it’s not exactly a smile, but something smooths in his features. He leans forward, slowly, deliberately.

“When I’ve recovered…” He murmurs, voice dropping to something low and warm and entirely unfair.

“I’d be happy to demonstrate my abilities for you. Anytime. I’m not going anywhere.” He practically purrs the words. My brain stutters. Wait. What?

“What do you mean you’re not going anywhere?” I ask warily.

“I still have a bargain to fulfill.” He says smoothly, like this is obvious.

“So… What does that mean, exactly?” I prompt, already bracing for the worst. He shrugs.

“It means I owe you my life. I’ll be staying right by your side until I’ve paid my debt.” He says firmly. I blink.

“Say WHAT?” I demand.

“You heard me.” He says, smirking.

“Until I’ve paid you back, I’ll be your personal shadow.” He reiterates.

“You can’t!” I argue, horrified.

“I think you’ll find I can.” He responds evenly.

“No.” I cross my arms and lean forward.

“Yes.” He leans closer.

“You can’t just move in! I helped you! don’t be a jerk about it!” I say, completely frustrated.

“I don’t have a choice. We made a deal. I can’t break it, and honestly?” He leans back and folds his arms.

“I don’t want to. You saved me, Kacia. And I always keep my promises.” He says with determination. I groan and collapse back onto the couch, throwing my arm over my eyes.

“This is what I get for feeding strays. They never leave.” I grumble. I flinch when the couch dips beside me. An arm brushes against mine. I peek out from under my elbow to find him sitting right next to me, shoulder to shoulder, like we’ve known each other for years.

“What are you doing?” I complain.

“I want to ask you something.” He answers. I point at the chair he abandoned.

“And you couldn’t ask me from over there?” I demand.

“I like this couch better.” He says with a grin. Then his tail casually curls over my lap. I could move. I SHOULD move, but I don’t. I won’t let him win this weird little game of chicken.

“Fine… What did you want to ask?” I say with a sigh. He stretches out slightly beside me, his voice lazy now.

“Well. Now that you know I’m a demon, there’s no point hiding that I have a pretty good sense of smell.” He starts and my blood chills just a little.

“So…” He continues, fixing me with a look that is far too smug for someone who just knocked over my entire skincare routine due to his clumsiness.

“Tell me about the Fae.”