Harlee POV
"Hush now-how many times have I told you my body is yours to use as you see fit." Zeev replied, placing a hand on my chest. "Lay back." He instructed.
"No, you'll hurt yourself." I objected.
"Lay back." He repeated smoothly. I shoved at his hand.
"I said no!" I gasped, and coughed again.
"Goddamn it Harlee-my job is to protect you, and you WILL let me do that, or else I'll knock you out and do it anyway. DO you understand?" Zeev snarled, eyes flashing orange. I jerked back slightly.
"Rude." I wheezed and allowed him to push me back onto the bed.
Zeev POV
"So how'd you make out?" Gabe asked, walking back into the room. I was so tired I couldn't even lift my head to look at him, so I just sat there in the chair beside Harlee's bed, slumped over, my head cradled in my hands, eyes closed.
"There was.. too much damage. I had to use our Bond to take away some of her humanity to save her.. move her closer towards being a Demon so she could heal on her own." I sighed. "You could almost call her a hybrid now." My voice broke.
"Oh well, that means she's going to live though, doesn't it?" Gabe said cheerfully and clapped a hand on my shoulder. I slapped it away angrily.
"Don't you understand?" My head snapped up and I glared at him. "I took away some of her humanity today! Harlee continues to lose things because of me! I'm Bound to protect her-yet all I do is bring her harm!" I yelled. Gabe's face looked momentarily shocked, then he grinned and crouched down in front of me.
"My, my. That human soul fragment you've been toting around has really done a number on you-hasn't it?" He asked, searching my eyes. "Hmm.. that it has." He continued thoughtfully, mostly to himself. I looked away.
"By the terms of the contract of Binding, you have gone above and beyond to do your duty to your Mistress. To look at it another way: Harlee is still alive due to you. You have nearly sacrificed your own life for her multiple times and in just recent days your entire being was torn to shreds and reformed to serve her, and now you've used up all the little health I could afford to give you to save her life once again. You have served your Master well, little Demon, and continue to find new and creative ways to go about doing so. I doubt any other Demon has gone so far. Now, if I were you, I would go and feed before you collapse on your feet again, you ridiculous, love-sick, revolting specimen." Gabe smirked. I twitched. Maybe he was right, to a point. He was definitely right about feeding. Besides, I had some revenge to dole out-so I thought maybe I'd pay a visit to Hell first for some Demon snacks...
Harlee POV
Something is off. Everything smells funny. What is up with the noise?
"Ugh-shut up!" I screamed and everything went completely silent. What is going on?
"Aw-the baby's awake." Gabe smirked as he walked into the room.
"Baby my ass-wait until I can walk again you jerk. I'll kick your Demon ass." I snarled, then jerked, surprised at my outburst.
"Well somebody's cranky." Gabe pouted.
"Sorry, I uh.. Don't know what's up with me." I apologized, sitting up and rubbing the back of my head. Zeev appeared in the doorway, looking disheveled. I could smell the blood from across the room. I knew he'd been hunting. I frowned, but he looked so much like a happy puppy dog that it was hard for me to hold the expression. I found myself opening my arms to him and he shoved passed Gabe to dive into the room straight to me-tears standing in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry Harlee, so sorry." He moaned. I ran my fingers through his hair.
"Sorry for what? I should be the one apologizing-if what I saw in your memory is accurate." I shivered. My Call, because he had been in a Demon's trap and held by Bindings, had literally torn his very Essence to pieces in order to bring him to me. The pain was excruciating and it was a wonder he was even alive. I couldn't even touch the memory in his head, it hurt to get near it.
"No, I uh, had to do some things, and.." Zeev stammered.
"Look, we both did things we regret, let's just issue a blanket apology and try not to let the guilt eat us up. I'm just so happy you're alive Zeev." I kissed his hair and he raised his face to mine.
"Harlee.." He said with a pained expression. "There's something you need to know."
"I know you had to hunt. I.. can't be mad about that." I grimaced. "I tore you apart calling for you, didn't I?" I gripped the bedsheet and my eyes teared up and Zeev grabbed my hands.
"Listen Harlee, it's not just that.. It's.. in order to save you, I had to uh.. change you a little.." Zeev winced and ducked his head.
"Oh." I said softly. "By that you mean.."
"I sort of had to bring your body closer to Corruption." He whispered.
"Oh." I replied. So that's why everything smelled weird. "On the plus side, I can smell you even better now-and besides the icky smell of blood-you smell really amazing Zeev." I smiled. Zeev looked at me with a pained expression.
"Please don't try to make light of this situation." Zeev said with anguish and I flipped my hand over and gripped his tighter.
"I'm not. You already warned me this would eventually happen, and I've had time to start coming to terms with it. I'm not happy about it, but I can deal with it. Just don't be upset if you see me crying every once in a while, ok?" I told him and smiled weakly. He dropped his head onto the bed.
"Cry, be mad, anything's better than that smile." Zeev moaned. I laid my hand on his head.
"I'd rather just kiss you." I told him quietly and he looked up at me, startled again. "But, after you rinse your mouth-what did you eat? Ugh." I held a hand over my nose.
"Oh, you're probably smelling the Demons. I missed out on the Arch Angel, but he's too strong for me anyway." Zeev shrugged.
Zeev POV
Harlee did cry over the next few days. A lot. As she realized food didn't taste the same, the first time she looked in the mirror and saw her eyes had slitted pupils, when I had to teach her how to make her eyes appear human again, and the first time I had to explain that the noise she was hearing was actually other Beings, and not actual 'noise'.
"So I'm hearing people's souls?" Harlee screeched. I winced.
"Yes and no-you're also picking up on other beings in there-and we, um they, don't have souls. Now here's how you'll block them out.."
We were in another Hotel room tonight and I had drawn her a bath. She sank into the water gratefully and grabbed my hand as I tried to leave.
"Don't go, please?" Harlee begged. She'd hardly left my side since we'd gotten free from Hell, which was making hunting down the rest of those that kidnapped us.. difficult.
I sat down on the side of the tub.
"You could get in, you know." Harlee said shyly. "There's plenty of room." I growled slightly, but the offer was very enticing. Harlee trailed her nails gently up and down my arm, leaving behind gooseflesh.
"Harlee." I objected lightly.
"Oh come on, we haven't been together in ages because we were staying with Gabe!" Harlee whined.
"And you were healing." I reminded her.
"So were you, but don't think I can't see what just a little bit of sight, scent and touch has already started to do to you." She let her fingers creep inwards on my thigh. I gripped her hand so she got up on her knees and leaned towards me.
"Come on.. I wanna taste you with my new tongue, and drown in the scent of you with my new sense of smell." She purred, pressing her wet chest against me, hands on my lap. My shirt front and lap were quickly drenched as she licked her lips, moving her face closer to breathe in quietly near my mouth.
"Mmm. It's like allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Maybe a little ginger for good measure." She licked my top lip and I gripped her shoulders, all other plans forgotten. Her pupils returned to slitted Demon pupils as I smashed my lips to hers. She moaned and wrapped her arms around my neck and I hastily stripped out of my clothes.