Harlee POV
It was the handsome or beautiful androgynous person again. They caught me as I stumbled. The smell of roast pumpkin in Autumn surrounded me again. I could even smell the crushed leaves.
"Woah, did you get hurt? Let's get you inside! I swear I only see you when you're like this! What do you look like on a good day?" The person laughed a musical laugh. "Oh, I never introduced myself the other day-you can call me Ash." Ash held out a hand. I took it gratefully to shake, but instead Ash pulled me close to them. I was still trembling from the electrical arc racing through my body, and wasn't going to refuse the support.
"Don't be silly. Twice now you've fallen down in front of me and you're going to shake my hand. Come on, I at least owe you a drink. Or a chocolate bar. Or a drink and a chocolate bar." Ash laughed. Ash tugged me back towards the store while I suppressed a yelp as another bolt of electricity ran through me. To distract myself, I examined Ash, and noticed the ugly mustard yellow customer service vest. My eyes widened.
"Wait-you work here?" I stopped moving.
"Oh yeah! Hey, I just noticed you're carrying one of our vests too! Did you just take a job here? So cool! Looks like we'll be working together!" Ash laughed, tossing open the front door of the store and tugging me towards the employee breakroom. I tried to keep my balance as my legs wobbled beneath me. Zeev-what the Hell are you doing?
"What kind of drinks and candy do you like?" Ash asked happily, pushing me onto the bench once we reached the breakroom.
"Water's fine." I mumbled.
"Oh come on, you're no fun! Oh my gosh, look at your knee!" Ash crouched down immediately in front of me, pushing my pants leg up to expose the bloodied flesh. "Ah damn-that parking lot is so filthy too-if you don't wash it out, it's gonna get infected." Ash studied my leg carefully. I blushed. Ash's face was very close to my knee. So close that for a second I thought Ash's tongue darted out and tasted my blood. I jerked.
"Oh I'm sorry-did I hurt you?" Ash removed two cool fingers from the wound and with them came a pebble. "There was a stone lodged in there, didn't want trouble later from it, now did we?" Ash kissed my knee and stood.
"I'll be back shortly with some sweet treats and some stuff for your knee." The place where Ash kissed my knee burned lightly. I shook my head. Why did I seem to get so muddle headed around this person? It was like Ash was made up of all kinds of my favorite things. One of my favorite smells was crushed leaves in Autumn, I loved the smell of lit jack o'lanterns. Ash was..beautiful and caring, even trying to bribe me with chocolate. That voice was so soothing and musical, I could almost imagine it whispering my name. And those long, strong, thin, fingers. I shook my head again. What the Hell was wrong with me? I loved Zeev! And here I was thinking about somebody else like this! Ash soon returned with an armful of items, dumping them on the bench beside me and then crouched in front of me again.
"I apologize in advance. It might help if you talk about something else to distract yourself." Ash said in that melodic voice.
"For what? Yeowch ok-got it! Ash-is that short for something?" The stinging was incredible, my eyes began to tear up.
"Nope, just Ash. It's sort of the name I gave myself after I left home." Ash responded emotionlessly. I winced, sensing a story behind the words. I examined Ash again as Ash gently cleaned my wound. The stylish gender-neutral make-up and clothes. The androgynous haircut. If Ash had been an lgbtq youth, it made a certain amount of sense. Granted, I could just be making assumptions, especially since Ash's style seemed to be mostly in black and green. Maybe Ash was just goth, who knew. Ash bandaged my leg and slammed a hand on the bench, suddenly rising until their face was level with mine.
"Well, aren't you gonna ask me?" Ash asked abruptly. Ash's breath was full of that same Autumn toasted pumpkin aroma. I leaned in slightly and Ash jerked back in surprise.
"Ask you what?" I responded.
"Whether I'm a boy or a girl?" Ash sounded flustered. "Everybody does. It's the first thing out of their mouths."
"Oh that. That's none of my business is it?" I shrugged. Ash blinked, then drew away from me with a slight frown as if confused.
"I wasn't really sure what to get, so I got a bunch of things, just take what you want." Ash mumbled, waving a hand at the pile of junk food and drinks beside me. Ash sat on the other side of the mound and chatted happily to me while I picked up a vanilla coke. Ash eyed my choice with interest.
"You didn't bring any water." I explained with a shrug.
"You were serious about that?" Ash laughed. "You're an odd duck. Well here, at least have half of my chocolate bar as compensation." Ash leaned across the pile of food, and before I knew what was happening had slipped the chocolate between my lips. Ash's face was close to mine again, and I could see every long lash framing those beautiful green eyes.
"It's going to melt." Ash giggled softly and I gulped, accepting the chocolate with a blush. Ash unsettled me in strange ways. I loved Zeev, and I knew what lust felt like, but what was this I was feeling towards Ash?
"Harlee?" Zeev's voice called from the customer service area.
"Harlee.. so that's your name. You never introduced yourself. Harlee." Ash let my name roll off their tongue like melted chocolate. I shivered.
"I'm sorry-I have to go. Thank you for-everything." I waved vaguely. Ash grinned.
"Yeah, no big deal. Try not to fall in front of me again, yeah?" Ash smirked. Sheesh talk about mood swings. Zeev's attention zeroed in on me as soon as I left the breakroom.
"What happened?' He asked "There was someone, so I couldn't.." He caught sight of Ash behind me and his gaze became troubled.
Zeev POV
For just a second I thought I saw, but no..it was just an ordinary human sitting there, familiar looking, maybe that's what set off the alarms in my head.
"Who's that?" I asked Harlee, taking her hand.
"Hmm? Oh that's Ash-new employee, I guess. I dunno, just met. Sorta fell in the parking lot when-hey what the HELL were you doing?" Harlee demanded.
"Oh.. recharging." I said sheepishly. I could feel the electricity running throughout my very bones. I felt fantastic. Also, I was pretty sure that electricity was going to be a key to splintering off a piece of myself and keeping it living long enough to.. I grabbed Harlee up in a hug and inhaled deeply.
"Have you been checking your temperature and ovulation cycle lately?" I asked her. Her hormones had shifted. I could smell the difference. She blushed.
"At least wait til we get home, geez." Harlee muttered, pulling me out of the store. After a quick check around us for onlookers, I stepped her into the house. I looked at her expectantly. "Yes, I've been watching the signs, but temp's still the same this morning, so we haven't missed it-no changes, haven't tried the ovulation kit thingy today though." Harlee replied.
"Go try it." I urged. Harlee rolled her eyes.
"Yes sir." She saluted, then stomped to the bathroom. I chuckled and prepped her meal.
"That was fast." I remarked as she stomped back out to the kitchen.
"Nah-it's gotta sit for a few minutes, and I'm not hanging around to watch." Harlee shrugged. I handed her a plate and tapped her wrist.
"Did you set a timer?"
"Mmhmm." She rolled her eyes at me again. "You're taking this WAY too seriously." She shoved a bit of eggplant in her mouth and moaned.
"Damn, how can a Demon that hardly eats cook this good?" She complained. I took it as a compliment. She shoveled the food in swiftly and made it about three quarters of the way through before her cell phone beeped and she squeaked and raced to the restroom. I heard a slight squeal and then she came racing back out, eyes wild.
"How did you know?" She demanded.
Harlee POV
The test indicated I should be ovulating within twenty-four to thirty-six hours. I nearly dropped it and ran back out of the bathroom to stand there looking at Zeev.
"How did you know?" I demanded and he chuckled slightly, then tapped his nose.
"Your scent changed subtlety. I've been trying to pay more attention since we're watching your cycles." Zeev replied sheepishly.
"Cool-but also, gross." I remarked. "So this means-" I sat down quickly.
"If you still want a child, we should be trying for one very ardently the next several days or so" Zeev said with a chuckle.
I uh..are we ready for this? Wow, all of a sudden it just hit me like a train." I laughed and ran a hand through my hair. Zeev knelt in front of me.
"Harlee, if you don't feel you're ready, or wish to wait for a later time, you don't have to feel pressured into doing this. It's not like we don't have time." Zeev said softly. "I will wait until you feel ready, even if that means another century from now." I ran my hand through my hair again.
"Well, I still have another twenty-four hours to decide anyway. Wait, a century?! What the heck is that supposed to mean?! Do Demon women get periods?! Did you condemn me to an eternity of periods you Hellspawn!?"