The day was fairly easy going, Marty avoided him, and he stuck close to Andy, ignoring her hateful glares whenever she passed by. He didn't understand why Marty hated Demons so much, her eyes so full of anger that she looked almost Demon-like herself. But, he could understand the pain of betrayal she mentioned, maybe Marty grew close to a Demon at one point and it turned south, he thought.
"Hey, I'm going to see if Rob needs any help in the kitchen, you all good here?" he handed Andy a roll of clear tape so that he could hang up a big, 'Happy Birthday' sign.
"Oh yeah. I'm good," Andy sounded off in the distance from focusing on taping and trying not to fall off the step stool. He chuckled nervously,
"A-Are ya sure?"
"Oh yeah! Just a couple... More..." Andy trailed off. Andy seemed quite stable on his feet so with a small head shake, Zemar headed towards the back of the building and into the kitchen.
"Yo, you need any help?" he called as he popped his head through the doorway to see what was going on. The shiny appliances were the first thing he noticed, they weren't brand new but, Rob kept them clean enough to see your refection in the stainless steel. Rob took pride in the place he worked, and you could tell by how he plated the chicken wings. Despite how small the area was, Rob seemed to dance around like it was a ballroom.
"Nah, I'm on a roll!" Rob clapped his hands once and did a little jig before he rested a sprig of parsley on top of the ooey gooey, BBQ goodness. It smelt sweet and tangy, with a hint of garlic.
He snickered at the weird human display and turned to leave,
"Wait, you can do something for me though," Rob stopped him.
"Could you take the garbage out? The container is just through that door. If you wouldn't mind," Rob smiled brightly while handing him a large, black garbage bag,
"No problem, I got'cha," he nodded knowing Rob won't have time to do it later. Zemar did his best to squeeze through the narrow doorway and the big, green container was just to his left like Rob said. He lifted the lid expecting it to be empty but, a wave of revolting stench filled the air, it caught him off guard as he held his breath from the powerful odor.
"Fuck! That stinks... Guess the garbage man didn't come yet," he gagged, sometimes he hated being a Demon. His powerful nose could pick up the tiniest of scents so, taking the garbage out was a huge chore for him, but did it anyways cause it had to be done. He quickly threw the bag in and slammed the lid shut, and had to take a step back to breathe in the fresh air. Holding back another gag, he caught scent of blood and remembered the severed arm from earlier knowing that it was nearby.
"I should get rid of that 'thing' before someone else find it," he mumbled and searched around the bin to see that it had vanished. Now that it wasn't raining, he could smell a familiar odor that lingered around the remnants of the bloody pool,
"What the...?" It was something he smelt so often and yet he couldn't put his finger on it. He quickly scanned the area with no avail of finding it but, got distracted when he heard voices deeper in the alleyway and towards the left side of the building.
"It's rude for a woman to refuse a man's advances. I better teach you a lesson," he heard a man threaten and a loud slap of skin on skin sounded swiftly after. It was so loud that even his face hurt in sympathy.
"The fuck?" Zemar peered around the corner to see what the commotion was about; his eyes widen to see the sight of three men surrounded Marty. The blue jeans she came in with were torn and the strap on the black tank top was broken, leaving her red bra exposed. Blood trickled from her mouth as she gave it a wipe and bruises showed up on her wrists in the shape of a large hand.
Marty was leaned against the grey cement wall as a huge red mark appeared on the side of her cheek but, she didn't cry nor call for help as she glared at the men. Her green eyes darken from anger,
"You call that a slap? My grandmother hits harder than you!" Marty spat in the man's face. Zemar groaned with a deep, aggravated sigh, he knew he had to save Marty but, because she decided to be an idiot and insult them. Now there was no way he could peacefully convince them into leaving.
"Fucking bitch! You'll regret ever doing that!" the man was about to punch Marty when a huge, furry paw appeared out of nowhere and caught the man's wrist, engulfing the human's forearm as well.
"Hitting women doesn't make you strong, it just makes you a prick,"
"What in bloody hell!?" they all turn to see who had the audacity to stop their assault, and nearly shit themselves in consequence.
"It's a fucking Demon?!"
"No shit sherlock!" The man snarled at his mate,
"Get your fucking hand off me!" He demanded and tried to escape while pulling out a small metal switch blade. Zemar didn't flinch and instead, tightened his grip. The man whimpered and struggled from the increasing pressure on his arm, until the gross sound of bones snapping into pieces is heard, and the man howled in agonizing pain.
Zemar grinned widely and clutched a bit harder as bones ripped through skin, blood splattered the ground as it flowed down the man's arm, but he wasn't done. Zemar then pulled the man in real close, he was trembling under Zemar's widen gaze and large, toothy grin. The scent of fear excites him,
"If I ever catch you or your friends in this fucking alleyway again. I'll tear both your fucking legs off," he growled deeply and causing the fear to escalate. Zemar took a deep breath of the aroma and his eyes dilate as all three of them whimper. He chuckled softly and extended his black wings hoping to get more of that fragrance but the two men flee for their lives. Abandoning their leader in the grasp of the Demon as Zemar lifted him higher to whisper into his ear.
"And if I ever see or hear of you hurting my friend, I'll fucking rip off more than just your legs," he threatened in a deep voice that seemed to suck the very soul out of the tiny mortal. He only used this tone when one of his victims decided to piss him off before dying, and this was one of those times, they messed with one of Rick's employees. Even though he just got out of the gang life, this habit won't ever die. He dropped the man and he fell to the pavement hard, it was almost a squishy sound as he quickly scrambled to his feet to follow his buddies, never to return. Zemar closed his wings and brushed his palms together like he was dusting them, but in actuality, he was cleaning blood off his hands. No way in Hell was he going to try and explain where the blood came from. He hastily gave his chest fur a fluff down before he turned his attention towards the injured woman, ignoring the sudden ache in his side. The pain was minuscule, and felt rather like he pulled a muscle.
"A-Are you alright?" he asked when kneeling to look Marty in the eyes, trying not to be intimidating.
Marty was flat against the brick wall as the same fear filled her eyes, the intoxicating smell radiated from her pores in waves.
"Stay away from me! You're a monster!" she screamed and turned to high tail it but he caught her fragile arm. His grip was gentle when feeling her shudder,
"You think I don't know that? I am a fucking monster... " he paused and took a deep breath to calm himself. Raising his voice will only escalate things,
"I can't change how I look, and I know I don't deserve kindness from anyone but, thinking someone like me doesn't feel anything? That's wrong..." he looked away as his icy blue eyes soften and tears well up in the corners. 'Not again' he thought as they fell and sting his eyes from trying to hold them back, it was getting tiresome, crying all the time, but he couldn't turn it off anymore.
"I feel everything. I hurt, I cry, I feel pain more strongly then you could ever imagine. I even get scared... It may not look like it but, I care about others and I hate everything about me! And... And sometimes I think it would be easier to die than go on living like this," he took another deep breath. Wiping his eyes on his arm he slinked to the ground and released Marty. When he said all of that out loud, it sounded absurd.
"I don't wanna hurt anymore... I don't want to be hated by everyone I meet. I just wanna feel like I belong," he grumbled, he couldn't stop the waterworks even if he tried and just let the tears fall. He guessed deep down, he needed to tell somebody how vulnerable he really was on the inside. Marty didn't move an inch as she watched a terrifying Demon cry like a lost child, biting her bottom lip when noticing that he was far different than his earlier display. It was like one was an act and the other was real, but which was which?
Marty was about to reach for Zemar's shivering shoulder even though she was trembling herself until, the sound of a door caught their attention.
"Zemar? You okay man, it shouldn't take this long to take the trash out," Rob called out and Zemar looked up from the pavement, tears had soaked his cheek fur and his eyes were red from the saltiness of the liquid. His cat-like pupils were almost completely circular, Marty took a quick step back and held a clenched fist to her chest. She watched the icy orbs narrow into slits and her heartbeat increased when he stood up after he cleaned his face. His expression changed so quickly, it felt like a illusion, like those tears weren't real.
"Demons aren't the bad guys..." he frowned before walking around the corner, saying his peace to the earlier argument. Marty stood ridged, listening intently to the quiet conversation between Zemar and Rob before the door closed behind them and she sharply exhaled.
Zemar followed Rob into the dining area carrying a couple plates of appetizers,
"You would think I was feeding an army with all this food," Rob joked while setting down a plate full of loaded nachos. The smell of ground beef and melted cheese filled the area with its salivating scent.d
"Andy, how many people are coming?...You know I-I'm not good with large c-crowds," he faltered and nearly dropped the plate of crispy, golden brown onion rings, the fry oil made them glisten in the light.
"Don't worry buddy, It's not a lot, just five people,"
"Only five?! But all t-this food looks like it's gonna be more than just five," his jaw dropped, Andy just laughs, entertained by the Demon's sudden bewilderment.
"Haven't you ever met teenagers before? They're like bottomless pits," Rob chuckled and gave his lower back a quick pat before leaving to get the last two plates.
"Uh... No, not really," he confessed and sat down at the large round wooden table, the small chair barely fit his huge size. Zemar heard the sound of splintering, and dread filled his gut at the thought of breaking another chair just as the small copper chime went off and three people walk in. Distracting him from the forthcoming embarrassment.
"I take it we're a little early," a tall, male teenager with bright blonde spikey hair strolled in and was escorted by two brunette girls. They were roughly the same height but, were still shorter than the male.
"Actually you're just in time, Tim. Are Jordan and John on their way?" Andy inquired as he greeted them at the door,
"They shouldn't be too long. John felt like he needed to bring some board games, I hope he realizes that we're not fifteen anymore," the girl with thick, wavy ash brown hair spoke with a gleeful smirk as she threw her long strands into a rough ponytail. Stray hairs poked out as they were too short to be tied down, but just long enough to be annoying.
Andy playfully smiled,
"But Cassdi, don't you love that childish behavior? If you didn't, why would you still be dating?" Andy teased with a cheeky grin, Cassdi puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"Okay, you got me," she smirked with an eye-roll and hung up her jacket on one of the stand up copper jacket hooks. They had golden designs carved into the shaft, making them look elegant in the old fashioned bar.
"I kinda hope that he at least brings something good like Monopoly, or twister," the other girl's voice was soft as she spoke with diffidence. Twirling a strand of lush, satiny chestnut hair, it laid just past her shoulders and was swept to the side to show more of her pretty, freckled face.
"Twister would be fun... But, how are you doing, Tatiana? I heard your mom got into a car accident," Andy gave the girl a hug and her cheeks turned a lighter shade of pink,
"I'm doing alright, it wasn't that bad. Mom got out with only a few scratches," Tatiana glanced away with a sharp sigh like she was holding her breath.
"That's good to hear," Andy smiled kindly and took Tatiana's coat,
"Enough about us, what have you been up to? You were like MIA for a week!" Tim swung a long, thin arm around Andy's shoulders and leaned on him with a chuckle. Even though Tim was taller than Andy by only a few inches to be 5' 11" Andy outweighed him, Tim was a bean pole. It was as if Tim grew faster than his weight could keep up whereas Andy grew with his weight, looking like an average teenage build.
Andy chortled,
"I've been busy and besides, you wouldn't believe me if I told you... Without proof that is," Andy tempted their eyes to follow as he pulled away and stood next to Zemar.
"Everyone, meet Zemar," he introduced, Zemar stood from the chair as it gave out. It was like it decided only now to take a nap on the floor, but in pieces.
"Uh..." Zemar stood perplexed for a moment before shoving the embarrassment aside to greet Andy's friends. I hope they didn't see that, he thought. Zemar noticed that they shied away from him, and were stunned. It seemed that they didn't expect his full 8' size, it was a given, most people still get startled by how large his species were and he was on the smaller end, his older brother was 3' taller.
"H-Hi," he waved sheepishly, not quite sure what was correct, with Andy, the friendship was kind of forced but natural in a way. It was a weird feeling of always being friends but were complete strangers, and Andy did help him. Despite having seen things he wishes to never repeat anytime soon.
"Dude! You're friends with a Demon! Do you know how dope that is!" Tim swept his thick, bright blonde hair back with both hands in disbelief,
"We're not just friends, Zemar is living with us," Andy guffawed at his friend's excitement. This engagement was different, emotions were all still new to him but, he figured that what Andy and Tim were showing was something good.
"Andy, what do you call this emotion?" he inquired while cocking his head to the side, hoping that Andy could provide an answer,
"Oh, uh... It's called excitement. It's when someone is really happy that it overflows to the point that we can't contain ourselves," Andy did his best to explain.
Zemar smiled and was content with the answer that was given,
"Zemar, can I ask you a few questi..." Tim was interrupted by Cassdi shoving him aside and stared wide sparkling eyes up at him.
"What's it like in Hell? What's Satan like? Do you ever get to see him? Is it as hot as people say it is?" Cassdi bombarded him with questions about his childhood home before Tim had the chance to even finish his sentence. He chuckled inwardly and gave the back of his head a nervous rub,
"Um... I haven't lived there for quite some time, so If I remember correctly. Hell is hotter than Las Vegas during summer and gets hotter the deeper you go, due to the fact we literally live in the earth's crust. That's also one of the main reasons why Angels couldn't access our realm, they like cold things... Just like their soul," he mumbled the last part.
"Leatherbacks and upper class Demons also live closest to the core, while medium to lower-class Demons live near the middle and Royals live on the first level. Royals are in charge of who leaves Hell and takes care of mortal souls," he continued,
"Wow! That sounds so cool!... What about Satan? Have you ever seen him? I guess not with you being a lower-class Demon and all," Cassdi asked with bright hazel eyes. He rubbed the back of his head rapidly. In that moment he debated whether to tell them the full truth or only part, would it make a difference if he told them who he really was? he thought.
"I... Uh... T-That's right, us lower-class Demons don't tend to interact with others higher than us. Plus, we wouldn't want to bother the King, he's always working. Always so busy like a bee and it's hard to even catch a glimpse of him so, I don't actually know what he looks like....," he lied. Of course he remembers what Satan looked like and what he even smelt like. It was all he could think about after moving out. He didn't feel ready to leave back then but, Satan said that if he didn't leave, Hell would've rejected him. Why would Hell reject him if he was a Royal? He thought.
Cassdi was about to unload a dump truck of more questions when he was saved by the chime of the small golden bell.
"Sorry we're late. John couldn't decide what games he wanted to bring... Fuck me! Is that a Demon?" a lanky, average built oriental teen nearly dropped his red vest from the shock of Zemar. Almond-shaped, dark brown eyes were fixated as the pair walked straight up to him with confidence.
"What's your name?" He demanded in an excited way,
"Y-You must be Jordan. My name is Zemar, it's a p-pleasure meeting you," he faltered and did a small head bow, not enough for respect but, enough to show recognition.
"Yes, that's right. And that's my brother,"
"I'm John, yeah I know. Unconventional names for Chinese heritage," the other jet-black haired teen looked almost identical to Jordan, it was like they were twins except, that Jordan was taller and well groomed. John on the other hand wore fashionable glasses with a rich blue hoodie and sweatpants. Zemar took a quick step away from the guys, perplexed. He had lived on earth for ten years and there was still so much in this world he hadn't seen yet, like other cultures of the human race. Sure there was a wide range already living in this city but, there was no way he had seen them all. Antonio never let him wander far from the mansion and he always had a escort to many of his hits.
"Now that everyone is here, let's get this party started!" Andy bellowed and distracted his friends by raising a fist in the air with eagerness, everyone luckily joined in with excited whoops. Zemar stayed back and sat in the booth, he didn't want to break another of Rick's wooden dining chairs.
Zemar observed the happy group as they chatted and overalled enjoyed themselves, Rick, Rob and Sarah had joined in but, it felt like someone was missing. It was only an hour into the party when he finally noted that Marty was the one missing. Did he scare her enough to make her leave? Did she even believe what he told her? It was all true, and he hadn't even told Andy what he really felt like inside, he though. The feeling of darkness, feeling so alone and so cold. He had a pain that didn't go away, and nothing seemed to really make it subside, not even this family. He's tired of being in pain. He turned away and felt the sharp sting in his side again, now he was literally in pain.
"Ow... I guess I pulled something harder then expected," he murmured and gave his side a quick glance. His fur seemed normal at first until something shiny and silver flashed under the low light.
"The fuck?" Puzzled, he reached over to touch smooth metal as it caused a twinge of pain when it shifted. His breath got caught in his throat after realizing what was stuck in his side, it was the damn switchblade. There was no way he was going to pull it out in front of everyone. He didn't want to attract any attention and cause them to fret over a small wound. Nobody was paying any mind, so he was able to sneak out the back door. He may be large but, his footsteps were quiet as a mouse, it also helped that his feet were covered in soft fur.
Outside, the dark clouds from earlier had vanished and dusk was fast approaching.
"Ow, ow, ow..." sharply blowing air through gritted teeth he slowly pulled out the blade and tossed it next to the garbage container. It shouldn't take him long to heal after having a meal but, it still bled like a bitch. Zemar applied pressure on the opening, his large paw easily covered the injury but, blood still seeped through his finger as he scrounged for a cloth or something. He picked up a dusty, old rag that was shit brown with burn holes when the back door opened and he dove for cover. He didn't feel like explaining anything. Peering around the corner he watched Tatiana come outside with a worried look and franticly typing on her cellphone,
"Answer me dad..." she whispered. Biting her thumbnail, she paced while clutching her phone tightly, he felt anxiety radiate off her small stature and couldn't just leave her alone in such a state. He's been there and it's not a lovely feeling,
"H-Hey, Tatiana was it?" he came around the corner, startling Tatiana.
"Oh! It's just you..." she breathed before turning away in embarrassment from being spooked so easily,
"Is everything alright? I couldn't help but notice the way you were looking at your phone," Zemar inquired with a tender tone. His eyes were soft and full of concern for the young woman,
"It's nothing... Just family business but, what are you doing out here? Aren't you suppose to be enjoying the party?" Tatiana quickly and reluctantly shoved the phone into her pocket before changing the subject. Shit, he thought, he didn't get a chance to fabricate a story and was caught off guard as he squeezed his side tightly. The soft fur, squished under the grip and he rubbed the back of his head nervously, trying to think of a quick excuse.
"O-Oh... I uh... I j-just came out to get some fresh air. Y-Yeah, some air because the scent of so many different foods was a little overwhelming," he lied.
Tatiana raised a curious eyebrow, not truly believing him. Zemar averted his gaze, he had to change the subject off of him, and soon, before Tatiana started asking more questions.
"Y-Y'know, I'm a g-good listener if you wanna talk about it. Sure, we only just met but, I'm here if you need an unbiased ear," he cleared his throat before offering. Tatiana sheepishly smiled while tucking a stray strand of chestnut hair behind her right pierced ear. It had three earrings of different sizes, an normal, small golden hoop on the top, a eight gauge stretcher on her lobe with another two gauge stretcher on the same lobe, near her jawbone.
"Thanks, but it's not something I'm quite ready to share yet..." she confessed and turned slightly while holding her other arm, ashamed to have even said anything to begin with. Zemar smiled softly when suddenly he felt woozy, and he would've fell if not for the garbage bin. Leaning against the container he felt out of breath like someone punched him the gut.
"Hey, are you alright?" Tatiana noticed his stagger,
"I'm fine," he breathed. Maybe the injury was a lot worse than he suspected. His stomach felt on fire.
"You don't look fine. Are you sick?... Do Demons even get sick?" Tatiana's soft voice trembled as she jumped to his side. Her brows were furrowed with wrinkles in between and rested the back of her hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. He pulled away as his heart began to race, this was the closest he'd ever been to a girl before, other than Liz. Tatiana smelt nice, like roses after a spring's rain.
"Demons don't get sick... Trust me, I'm fine, alright," he anxiously growled, he didn't want her to come any closer as he squeezed his bloody side tighter. Blood dribbled down his leg and droplets splattered the ground. The bleeding got worse and with Tatiana already being so close, it raised his adrenaline, making all his symptoms more problematic.
Tatiana shied away,
"I-I'm sorry... I only wanted to help. You really don't look too good; I could get Mr. Raven for you and..."
"No!" he snapped and quickly grabbed Tatiana's thin arm as she was about to leave. She let out a squeak of fright and as fast as he grabbed the arm he was even faster to let go,
"I mean, please no. I don't want to bother Rick any more than I have to, it's noth... *bluuggkk!" he was cut short as he spewed blood. That's why his insides felt like they were burning,
"Fuck..." he sharply exhaled and instantly covered his mouth in embarrassment, the switchblade must've nicked his stomach. Tatiana bounced away just in time to avoid the bloody vomit from getting onto her clothes. It had chunks from both blood clots and nachos, or was it chicken wings?
"Oh my god! I'm getting Mr. Raven, you're obviously not fine," Tatiana shrieked and was about to run for the door when she was stopped once again.
"Please don't let Andy know...," he implored with soft, pleading eyes, his icy blue darken, he didn't want to worry his friend over something so trivial. Even though Tatiana was shivering, she sympathized and nodded before Zemar let go and Tatiana disappeared behind the dark red aluminum door.
He clutched the small opening and slid to the pavement, wincing from the constant pins and needles that throbbed inside.
"Stupid... Stupid... This fucking sucks. Why tonight? Of all the nights to get hurt... Stupid, fucking thugs..." he groaned while leaning over to puke behind the garbage container. He didn't plan on leaving the party this soon but, if he kept retching blood. Andy and his friends are bound to notice him missing, that made his stomach do backflips from the growing anxiety. He didn't want to ruin Jorden's birthday, not after they just met. Feeling the coolness of the ground and hearing the small hum of the nightly traffic gave a nice distraction to his chaotic mind. He didn't want to worry Andy or ask for help again. Eeven though the fur on his chest had grown back, he could still feel the scars the stitches left behind. He honestly didn't remember what exactly happened that day but, it must've been terrifying for them and such a bother. He didn't want to burden them any more than he had to. The sooner he can pay them back, the better. Sinking deeper into despair, the rancid stench of decay didn't let him forget as he emptied his guts once more. The disgusting puddle of puke force his face to scrunch up in a cringe from the sight,
"I fucking hate stomach injuries," he heavily exhaled while wiping his mouth clean. He lazily leaned back against the brick and shuts his eyes. He needed to focus on other things than the acidic smell.
It didn't take Tatiana long to come back with Rick,
"Zemar? Is everything okay? What happened?" Rick nearly ran out the door towards him, not even caring about the chunky mess he stepped in.
"S-Sorry Rick..." he stared at the ground, too ashamed to look Rick in his wide brown eyes,
"Whoa, whoa... Hey, it's alright Zemar. Everything is gonna be okay, it's just me. Please tell me what happened," Rick cooed softly while gently rubbing Zemar's head in a relaxing manner. As if he was petting a large dog. Zemar took a deep breath to calm his nerves and stop himself from expelling more blood,
"Marty was assaulted earlier by some idiots, I intervened. I-I thought that if I helped, she wouldn't be so afraid of me... I didn't notice the knife until I found it in my side half hour ago..." he paused and revealed the gushing wound.
"I would've been fine but... T-The blade nicked my stomach... I fucking hate internal bleeding," he quickly twisted away to cough up more blood,
"You puke up blood to expel internal bleeding? Gross," Tatiana gagged. She stood behind Rick holding a first aid kit, he noticed that her tremble had stopped.
"I couldn't agree more... Personally, I'd prefer if it just dribbled out of my mouth like normal instead of taking my lunch with it," he snickered, hoping to lighten the mood. It wasn't for his sake, but more so that Rick would stop babying him.
Rick examined the wound more closely,
"Should I take you home? Liz could patch you up, that is, if you don't mind her shaving you again," Rick sounded quite concerned for his well-being, but you could tell he was suppressing his fatherly instinct to race him to the hospital. This made him feel more ashamed, he should've been more careful.
"N-No... I'm fine, I'll b-be okay. I-I... *huukk," he stumbled to his feet only to lean over and vomit a few more times. The rising panic and sudden movement caused his body to rapidly expel as much blood as possible.
"Calm down! We don't have to go home; I can do my best to patch you up here so you can stay. Sit back down, please," Rick held Zemar up from falling forwards as he covered the back of Rick's navy blue shirt in thick blood, no more chunk, thank Satan, he thought. The wetness soaked into the thin cloth as he clutched the shirt tightly, he did it again. He messed up. Is Rick going to get mad? Squeezing the cloth he started to cry, hasn't he done enough crying? Are they getting annoyed with him? he thought. Rick held still and was rubbing his back with a pat here and there,
"Ssh, it's okay. Let it all out," Rick whispered softly while supporting most of his weight, not letting him fall. Is this what it's like to have a caring father?
It was a long pause before Zemar had his breathing under control and was able to think clearly again.
"I... Uh, sorry," he apologized when getting set on the ground,
"No need to apologize at every inconvenience Zemar, it's what families do. Now, I gotta give Marty a quick call to make sure she's alright. Tatiana can patch you up,"
"Huh?!" Tatiana was off in her own little world, blue eyes were glazed over without a thought behind them. And Rick was going to let this human that he barely knew patch him up, seriously? he thought.
"Don't go," he pleaded and hung onto Rick's navy blue jeans, his large eyes widen with his pupils enlarged. Brows furrowed together with a lip quiver,
"I won't be far and besides, Tatiana is a good girl. You're wanting to become a surgeon, right?" Rick comforted the Demon before he turned his attention towards the teenager. Reassuring Zemar without actually using typical sentences. Tatiana's cheeks go bright red in colour as she nervously tucked another strand of hair behind her ear,
"Uh... Y-Yeah, I do," she confessed with a mousy smile.
"Well, here's your first patient! He may look like he could rip you to shreds... He can actually rip you to shreds... But, inside he's a big ol' teddy bear, am I right, Zemar?" Rick joked with a few pats on Zemar's large furry head and a cheeky grin. He flinched under each pat as Rick pulled out a cellphone and headed back inside, leaving the awkward pair,
"Too soon Damnit!!" He called after.
It was silent between them as Tatiana stood a few inches away, squeezing the kit tightly with one hand as she rubbed her other arm rapidly. Stupid Rick, that joke wasn't funny, he thought.
"Hey," he faintly called and flinched when Tatiana turned her attention toward him with bright, baby blue eyes,
"Oh, sorry, I was off in la la land," Tatiana smiled and walked over to his side. Kneeling on the dirty ground she put her satiny hair up in a ponytail and opened the first aid kit. The smell of disinfectant was pleasant in comparison to the street around them. Fixated on the teenager as she prepare the area and snapped white latex gloves on, it amazed him, you'd think she was a professional.
"So, uh... Is it gonna hurt doc?" he joked with a half grin, Tatiana stared blankly at him for a moment before giggling.
"Well, I hope it does. I'd be more worried if it didn't," Tatiana laughed while threading a curved, stainless steel needle. He gulped nervously at the statement, unsure if that was meant to be a joke or she was serious.
Tatiana smiled softly with a snicker,
"I was joking... Sorry, I'm not too good at being funny. Cassdi is the funny one. I'm normally the one standing in the background where nobody notices and... Sometimes even forgets I exist," her smile slowly left when she focused on the wound. Zemar flinched under each stab of the needle, he had a high pain tolerance, but the initial prick will always hurt. Tatiana was so focused that she looked almost pissed off and he didn't dare disturb her as he sat very still.
"Heh, no wonder I'm still single..." Tatiana mumbled with a sigh after the last stitch,
"I'm out here, stitching someone up instead of inside and mingling. They haven't even noticed that I'm missing," Tatiana tied the thread and snipped the extra off. Zemar knew all too well the feeling of being forgotten and was empathetic towards her.
"Don't worry, things will get better. I'm sure you'll meet someone great and you're still young so, you have lots of time. Just focus on yourself," he smiled while he lifted Tatiana's narrow chin, feeling her soft skin on his sizable finger. He never thought human skin could be this soft. It reminded him of a rose petal and all he wanted to do was rub it to his hearts content, wanting to get his fill of softness.
"Thank you... You sounded just like Mr. Raven when one of us had a bad day," Tatiana smiled kindly and pulled his hand to her cheek. Resting it fully into his palm as a blush turned his face hot and his heart fluttered. His hand was enormous, it made her thin face seem more frail than it actually was. Instinctively he stroked Tatiana's freckled cheek, adoring the warmth it gave him inside as his already enlarged pupils widen into complete, icy orbs. A vibration rose in chest with butterflies in his stomach, he hoped it was butterflies. 'Wait! What am I doing?' he thought, stop it, stop it, stop it, he scowled himself as he stopped rubbing Tatiana's cheek.
"O-Oh? I guess h-he's rubbing off on m-me," his tongue twisted and was barely able to get words out, Tatiana looked up, her eyes glistening in the streetlight as he averted his gaze. He could tell that his eyes were flickering between normal and glowing red from the small gleam on his black fur and he didn't want to scare her. He liked this woman and wanted her to stick around a bit longer.
It didn't take Tatiana long to realize what she just did,
"Oh my god! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Your hand just felt so soft," Tatiana shied away shamefaced. He chuckled softly and was about to say something humorous, until the back door swung open and Cassdi came outside with Tim and John.
"Tatiana? Are you out here? Come back inside, we're about to... Oh!? Are we interrupting something?" Cassdi grinned like the Cheshire cat as soon as she saw them sitting together.
"No! It's nothing like that!" Tatiana frantically waved her hands up in defense as her cheeks redden even more,
"Jeez, you only just met the guy. If I knew you wanted a huge dick I know some friends who can get you an Angel dick," Cassdi teased. Tatiana was mortified,
"C-Cassdi... It's n-not what..."
"Angel dick? Angel dick!! There's no fucking way an Angel has a bigger cock than any Demon. They only use those things to shove into another Angel's ass cause it's the only hole small enough to feel anything!" he interrupted with a snarl.
"If Tatiana wanted a real cock, I'd be more that oblige to help with that," he smirked and pulled Tatiana in real close. Shoving the teenager's cheek against his furry chest to protect her from the friendly abuse. Even though he still felt like shit and prayed he didn't smell too terrible because being so close to her, it made his heart skip a beat.
"Bro! Would that even be possible? You're so humongous and she's so small..." John gaped as he ran scenarios in his head, a small reddish tint speckled his cheek from the horny thoughts.
"Oh god, John! You're disgusting. You're both disgusting," Cassdi pushed John away only to notice Tim had the same expression.
Zemar chuckled at the humorous scene and slowly stood without teetering, Tatiana stood up after. Swiftly she packed the first aid kit and hid it behind her back.
"Is it okay for you to be standing so soon?" Tatiana asked in a whisper,
"Listen, Thanks for helping me out and all, but there's no need to fret over me. I'll be fine," he whispered back in annoyance. He didn't want Tatiana to worry over someone useless like him, there was nothing special between them and felt like pushing her away was the best scenario. He turned away with a twinge of guilt from giving contradictory signs of how he felt. Now focused on the teenagers that harassed one another by the door, he made his way over,
"Get back inside you perverts!" he growled in a friendly manner as he shoved Tim backwards through the doorway by his face. His giant hand engulfed the tall teenager's head like it was an orange,
"Eww gross, what's that stench? It smells like rotten milk or something," Tim gagged under Zemar's grip, the fur tickling his nose.
"It's uh... The garbage. Now, imagine being me, I can smell things five times better than you mortals," he nervously laughed before they all go inside. Tatiana followed slowly as she was unsure what just happened and what Zemar really meant.