When Kyle awoke, he found himself staring up at a familiar light. Somehow, he was sprawled across his mattress. He was even wearing his glasses again. “How’d I get home?” he wondered.

“I dragged you. Well, you sort of shambled along, but ….”

With a gasp, Kyle sat bolt upright. He hadn’t noticed Chris leaning against the bed. “Shit, man, you scared me.”

“I scared you?”

In a rush, the events of the night came back to Kyle, and he suddenly felt like he was going to be sick. He fought back the nausea and flopped back onto his pillow. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I didn’t think he’d actually …” Kyle trailed off. It was too hard to think about. Those hadn’t really been his hands, but yet, they had been. And they’d taken a life. 

His chest was tight, heart beating erratically, but he tried to keep it together. There would be time later to deal with his own feelings. Because he hadn’t been there alone, hadn’t been the only one to see two people die in one night. And he hadn’t been conscious to watch the aftermath. Faintly, he could hear sirens. 

“Are you okay?” he managed, looking down at Chris.

“Maybe. I guess I will be.” An answer given to protect Kyle’s feelings, he was sure.

“Are you going to leave right away?” He wanted Chris to run, and fast, but also knew how much that would hurt, to lose him forever in this moment, for this reason.

“No, but ….”

“I understand if you don’t ever come back.” It pained Kyle to say it, but deep down, he knew it was for the best. He was going to outlive everyone he knew. Breaking ties as soon as possible would make things easier in the long run. This arsonist urge to burn all his bridges wasn’t Ryka’s. It was his. He had his own fires to set. To protect those he loved from the monster that would gladly watch everyone and everything go up in flames. “In fact, I’m going to tell you not to. It’s safer that way. And you can’t tell anyone about this … about him. Not even my mom.” Kyle’s voice hitched, and Chris turned to look at him, worry creasing his brow. “Please.”

“I won’t. I promise. And I mean it this time.” For a few long moments, Chris said nothing else. Then, in a quiet voice, he asked, “Is he listening?”

“Ryka? No, it sounds like he’s sleeping.” There was no snoring, but the relaxed silence was enough to let Kyle know they weren’t being listened to. 

“I feel bad that this happened to you.”

“Don’t,” Kyle told him. Not once since he had agreed to be Ryka’s host had he truly regretted making that decision. Strange as it seemed, he never feared for his soul. Not even after catching a brief glimpse of what awaited him after death. “It was a conscious decision. Mostly.”

Chris’s shoulders started shaking, and for a minute, Kyle thought he was crying. Then, Chris glanced back at him, smiling. “This is going to sound ridiculous.”

“Well, as a teacher, I hear a lot of ridiculous shit. You must, too. So spit it out.”

“I think your demon’s got a serious crush on you.”

Feeling his face turning red, Kyle looked away. “No, he’s just a pervert.”

“Really? I don’t think he let that guy turn his wings into Swiss cheese for shits and giggles. He told me about your class, and that crazy parent that attacked you. He really wants to protect you, and not just because it’s his body, too. He came out because you were in trouble, right? The longer he keeps you alive, the longer he gets to be with you. Isn’t that right?”

“I think it’s part of his obligation as a parasite demon to make sure I stay alive until Satan calls for us.”

“You really think that’s all?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Even without looking, he could feel Chris staring at him. “You don’t think he’s maybe been flirting? Or trying to? Hmm? Stud?” Chris barely managed to make it through the last word without dissolving into hysterics.

Kyle covered his face with his hands. If he didn’t manage to smother himself, maybe the shadow would be kind enough to swallow him and end this. “He’s been calling you handsome,” Kyle returned.

“Aren’t I?” Kyle aimed a well-deserved kick at Chris’s head, but his cousin dodged it. “You can’t see the look on his face when he’s talking about you. Or the look on your face now.” Chris grabbed Kyle’s wrists and pulled his hands away for just a moment before allowing Kyle to resume hiding.

“I just -” Kyle feebly offered.

Chuckling, Chris struggled to his feet. “Don’t bother denying it. Did trying to hide it from me work in college?” The words stung, but Kyle knew his cousin wasn’t trying to be cruel, just honest. 

“That was different. You had to catch -”

“I think I just did, didn’t I? Look up.”

Kyle only peeked out through his fingers enough to see Chris nod up toward the mirror. No, he didn’t want to see what his cousin just had. “Chris ….”

“Sorry, sorry. At any rate, I’m going to bed. It’s been a hell of a day.” Somehow, that made him laugh even harder. Because Kyle’s suffering wasn’t amusement enough. “Good night, Kyle.”

“Night.”

***

Three hours later, Kyle was still tossing and turning. Really, he knew he couldn’t deny what Chris had said. But he had no idea how to deal with the truth, either. With a sigh, he got out of bed and padded quietly into the living room. He stopped in front of the mirror out of habit. Dark-ringed eyes stared back at him. “Ryka, wake up,” he whispered. 

Yes, Master.

“Thanks again.” 

Like I said, tonight was his night, regardless. He only got what he deserved. You know that, right?

After the initial shock, Kyle found he was more disgusted with himself for how little empathy he felt for the man Ryka had killed. It was still unpleasant to think about - there had been blood, after all - but somehow he had expected it to be worse. There was almost no guilt. The man had murdered another in cold blood. “I … do,” he finally admitted.

Good.

“Ryka, servant of the Great -”

No!

Stunned, Kyle stopped the summoning. “Why not? I thought you might want a drink.”

You have it for me. I’m healing.

“Oh! How are you? Did he just get your wings?”

Yeah, it’s nothing. But it’s easier to fix it up this way. 

“Well, whenever you want to come out, let me know. Though I think you’re out of cigarettes. And we never got beer.”

I suppose I’ll survive. But hey, stud?

Kyle couldn’t be sure if it was his own nervousness he felt, or Ryka’s. But to him, it seemed almost impossible that something as strong as a demon could worry. “What, Ryka?”

Your cousin was right, you know.

“What do you mean?” Even though he was sure he knew exactly what part of their conversation Ryka had overheard, he found he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

I love you, Master. I really do.

All Kyle could do was stare at his own reflection. He watched himself blush, and when he tried to look away, Ryka forced his gaze back to the mirror. After mumbling incoherent nonsense for at least two minutes, Kyle finally managed to get out an actual response. “I’m flattered. I mean it. But … I don’t know what to say. You know that I like you. A lot. You’re my only friend, Ryka. When everyone else is gone, you’re going to be the only one I have left. And I’m glad it’s you, I just ….” He couldn’t say it. He really shouldn’t. And he didn’t. “That’s all I can say for now. I’m sorry.”

I’ll take what I can get, Ryka responded, rather nonchalantly, Kyle thought. So even demons could have their egos bruised. 

“I do like you. Please don’t forget that. Now I feel bad.”

In his mind, he saw the demon smile. Some really expensive beer would make me feel better. Cigars, too.

“Sure.” 

Idiot. You don’t need to feel so bad, you know.

Kyle studied his own shocked expression. “How can you say that? You just told me you loved me, and I -”

I’m not worried. Because I’ve got at least another century, maybe two, to help you realize how you really feel. I’m looking forward to it.

“Ryka ….”

But for now, I’ll just say it again. I love you, Master.

“Thank you, Ryka. For everything.”