In the beginning, he knew Kyle had been hesitant to be friendly with him. It had seemed far too dangerous, letting someone close, and Adam couldn’t deny having been nervous, especially once he learned Kyle’s reason for feeling that way.

His very overprotective reason. Ryka didn’t just have a short fuse – he didn’t have one at all. His temper was very much all or nothing, and nothing was about what it took to set him off. So of course Kyle had worried for Adam’s safety. Adam had worried, too. He still did.

But somehow he’d managed to stay on Ryka’s good side. His willingness to help Kyle out of difficult situations had benefited him, putting Adam in the demon’s good graces. And without triggering the jealousy Kyle had been fearing. Adam’s honest intentions had so far kept him safe from Ryka’s wrath. But that didn’t mean the demon wasn’t at times difficult. As he’d apparently decided to be now.

Shaking his head, with something between a grimace and a smirk on his face, Kyle sighed and slid the piece of pizza he’d just grabbed back into the box.

“Are you cut off?” Adam asked, finishing off his slice. He had been planning on going for another, but hesitated.

“The world’s going to end if he doesn’t get to have some of this in the next thirty seconds.”

With a laugh, Adam flipped the box open. Four pieces left. And a few chicken wings were scattered among the bones of their comrades in a neighboring Styrofoam container.

“Take some before there’s nothing left,” Kyle urged, motioning at the pizza. “He’s going to help himself in a minute.”

Adam nodded and started to do just that, then looked up to see Kyle flushing crimson. Ryka obviously had something to add to Kyle’s last remark. Sure that if he heard it, he’d be blushing too, Adam refocused his attention on the food. Safer that way. Though he knew that when Kyle stood to undress for Ryka’s benefit, there’d be still more embarrassment.

Try as he might to hide it, Kyle blushed easily. It probably wouldn’t have been an issue if Ryka didn’t seem to take such joy in making Kyle cringe. Unlike his host, the demon didn’t seem to know what shame was. It wouldn’t have surprised Adam if Ryka couldn’t even blush. But Adam knew it bothered Kyle that he reacted so easily, so he never remarked on it and tried to focus on other things. Like the pizza.

Once he was done with his slice, he leaned back on the couch and stretched briefly before struggling to his feet. “I’ll be right back,” he said, starting for the bathroom. He was so full it felt more like waddling than walking, a sure sign that he’d over-indulged.

At least his brief absence would make Kyle’s task a little less stressful. Though giving Ryka free rein, especially when there was company, was always nerve-wracking. For all mortal parties involved, anyhow. Ryka, on the other hand, never failed to have a good time. It was a new trend, this sudden desire of Ryka’s to socialize. Kyle was sure the greater part of it had to do with not missing out on the food, since when Adam came to visit, they usually got delivery.

And the demon was already fully enjoying himself when Adam stepped back into the living room. Eyes closed in bliss, he was working on his first piece of pizza. “Hey, big boy,” he greeted, briefly cracking one glowing eye open.

“Hi, Ryka.” Even after years of knowing him, Ryka still never used his name. And Adam knew he only rarely used Kyle’s. Adam had only recently been upgraded to this new nickname. It was embarrassing, but still an improvement over “Hey,” “You,” or “Mortal” in any combination.

He supposed there was a good reason Ryka never used their real names, but he wasn’t privy to it. The only thing that crossed his mind was that mere mortals like himself weren’t worthy enough to be properly addressed by immortals, but he quickly pushed the thought aside. Ryka couldn’t exactly read minds, but whatever he could do in that vein was too close for comfort.

But Adam’s thought was left unheard, or at least ignored. The food was too distracting. “It’s just not as good leftover,” Ryka remarked, a contented purr behind his words.

“I completely agree.” This as Adam reclaimed his spot on the couch.

There was no immediate response. Instead, Ryka finished off that slice, quickly following it with the beer Kyle had recently opened. Only then did he deign to actually look at Adam. His wings and tail were relaxed behind him, but his eyes were blazing.

Adam hadn’t dared ask if he was right or not, but felt he had noticed a pattern. The higher the emotion – good or bad – the brighter the demon’s eyes glowed. And since he didn’t seem remotely angry, Adam assumed Ryka was in a very good mood. He could relate – pizza, wings and beer made him happy, too.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

On Adam’s most recent visits, Ryka had asked to be summoned not just to eat, but also to chat with him. This time, however, he really was just interested in gorging himself. That was fine with Adam. With Ryka’s attention again diverted by another greasy slice of meat lover’s pizza, he worked on his own drink. It must have been the beer and heavy meal setting in, because he focused so much on the movie they’d been watching that he somehow forgot there was a demon standing in the room with him.

“Can’t have that,” Ryka said, suddenly looming over him.

There it was. His half-formed thought had attracted unwanted attention. Swallowing, Adam looked up, carefully avoiding meeting Ryka’s gaze directly. But he’d been mistaken. Ryka was dangling a fresh beer in front of him and had apparently been referring to the sad fact that Adam was holding a nearly-empty bottle.

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Adam took the proffered drink. “Thanks,” he said, grateful not just for the hospitality, but for not being on the menu himself. Not that Ryka had to put much effort into frightening him. Even relaxed, the demon was an intimidating presence. And even when he was too busy picking a chicken wing clean to pay Adam any mind.

Best to stay focused, though. As inconspicuously as possible, Adam studied Ryka over his beer. His eyes were closed again as he worked on getting every last shred of meat off the drumstick he was holding. Adam flinched hearing the bone crack, but his fear was forgotten when, with an annoyed sigh, Ryka dropped the now perfectly clean bone back in the box. “I know, I know. I won’t. I just wanted the marrow,” he muttered.

Kyle had been reminding him of the house rules. During one of Ryka’s more intense naps, Kyle had explained that there were certain guidelines the demon was expected to follow, for the sake of Kyle’s sanity. Among these were not using the electric toothbrush or vacuum as sex toys – leaving Adam to wonder whether the rule or the need for it had come first – and not eating things, like chicken bones, that Kyle wouldn’t be able to digest once Ryka had retreated.

Shaking his head, Ryka grabbed another wing and shrugged when he realized he was being watched. Lending evidence to Adam’s hypothesis that he really didn’t know embarrassment. Not even when it would be perfectly acceptable, as it would have been moments later when, giving his wings a bit too quick of a stretch, Ryka shattered the one and only picture frame still hanging in the room. Adam suddenly understood why Kyle left the walls almost completely bare.

With a hiss, Ryka snapped his wings closed, inadvertently dragging one through the broken glass. He was making a noise that wasn’t quite a growl, but it was getting there quickly. Hoping to head it off, Adam sprang out of his seat. “I’ve got it,” he insisted. “Uh, dustpan? Vacuum?”

“It’s fine,” Ryka grumbled. “Not like it’s the first time.” Only after finishing his snack did Ryka turn and start for the closet that housed the vacuum. Helpless, Adam just stood and watched. At least until he noticed the faint red streaks on the carpet, and the blood slowly dripping off the bottom edge of Ryka’s right wing. Unlike the left, it was being held part-way open, and even against the black membrane, Adam could see wet smears of blood.

Maybe it was the years of first aid training and trying to keep other people’s children safe and healthy, but he found himself making for the kitchen, and the roll of paper towels on the counter. Now on autopilot, he pulled off a few sheets, wadded them and, while Ryka still had his back turned, squatted down and applied the makeshift compress to the biggest of the scratches he could see.

Ryka twitched and fully closed the injured wing, straightening to his full height. Eyes wide in terror, Adam fell back and scrambled to his feet, dropping the paper towels in the process. But there was no quick and violent reaction. If death was coming, he was going to have a moment to appreciate its arrival. Instead of lashing out, though, Ryka turned slowly, looking surprised. That made two of them, Adam found himself thinking.

“Uh, I….” was all Adam managed, as Ryka offered another shocking reaction. Though only for a fraction of a second before giving up control.

Unexpected as it was, Kyle didn’t have time to brace himself, and blacked out for a few seconds, crumpling to his knees before toppling over sidewways. Usually, Adam knew, Ryka did his best to slow the fall, directing his host’s unconscious body to catch him. Not this time, however. Kyle hit the floor with a “thud,” blinking his eyes open a moment later.

Holding a hand to his head, Kyle pushed himself upright. At least the carpet had provided somewhat of a cushion. With more than a little guilt, Adam realized he hadn’t even tried to help.

“You okay?” he asked Adam, who was still frozen to the spot. Adam nodded. “Careful,” Kyle gently admonished, struggling to standing.

That seemed to snap Adam from his trance. “Sorry. Really. I just saw blood and instinct kicked in.”

“Blood?” When his friend nodded, Kyle looked down to see the faint stains already setting in the carpet, and the scarlet-blotted paper towels at the other man’s feet. “Well, that would explain why he just decided he was done. But he’ll heal while he’s a passenger. Though a warning might have been nice, Ryka.” When Kyle just rolled his eyes, it became clear he was being ignored. Which brought Kyle’s focus back to Adam.

“Oh. Right. Of course. Makes sense.” That was what Adam was going to believe, then, that Ryka had made his quick exit strictly to tend to his wound. His very minor wound.

The alternative was that Ryka had another motive for escaping Adam’s attention. For demonstrating something Adam hadn’t thought was possible. Something that Adam was sure he should put out of his mind, and quickly.

Because when the demon had turned and found Adam trying to tend to his lacerated wing, he’d been doing the very thing Kyle was so self-conscious about. Ryka had been blushing.