When Adam found him, he was curled up on the ground, whimpering and rubbing his eyes. Why had these last couple weeks been so miserably painful? “Kyle? Are you okay?”

Distracting as his agony was, Kyle somehow managed to respond. Even though it was just by motioning feebly at his face. He heard his colleague suck in a startled breath. Definitely not a good sign. Especially not when followed by a tremulous “What happened to you?”

Kyle tried to open his eyes, but even the dim light in the alley made them sting. Without having to see, he could hear Adam coming closer, and soon felt the other man’s hand on his shoulder. “Do you see my shirt anywhere?” Kyle asked, trying to stop his voice from shaking. It was a wasted effort. 

He felt it shoved into his hands, and after a little trial and error, managed to get it back on. “You’re bleeding,” Adam informed him. “What happened to you? And who was that? Not you, right?”

“No, not me,” Kyle told him. For the moment, he ignored that first bit. “His name’s Ryka. He’s a parasite demon. We’re sharing my body. As for that other guy, he wasn’t here for me. Um, and it wasn’t me he was trying to kiss.” It felt important to add that, though saying it also made him a little ashamed. Why did it matter?

There was silence while Adam tried to absorb what Kyle had just told him. As the quiet stretched on, Kyle came to realize that, contrary to what he had seen, Adam didn’t believe him. 

“You were asking what made my class suddenly change. It was him. They went too far, and I panicked and summoned Ryka. That’s also why Dr. Taylor and Mrs. Vargas won’t even look at me anymore. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s all true. You saw him, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Adam said slowly. “It’s just ….”

“I know.”

 “Do you need help getting up?”

“Please.” Adam grabbed Kyle’s wrists and helped haul him back to his feet. It was only then that Kyle had felt the blood that had dried on his hands. And when he grimaced, he felt it cracking on his face. As if Adam’s word hadn’t been enough, there was no denying it now - those hadn’t been tears. “How bad do I look?”

“Uh, well, I’m wondering if you still have eyes.”

“I’d better. Ryka ….”

Suck it up. Twenty-twenty vision doesn’t come without a price, you know.

Kyle was still attempting to open his eyes just a little when Adam started leading him out of the alley. Only when he heard gasps and horrified murmurs did he realize they were back at the deli. But they didn’t stop walking, and Kyle assumed they were in the restroom when he heard their footsteps echoing on tile. 

So that Adam didn’t have to help him clean up, Kyle finally forced his eyes open. And then he stared. Not because he looked like he’d just barely survived a vicious assault - with blood trails running down his cheeks and more smeared around his eyes - but because he could see his reflection in perfect detail. Better, even, than when he’d had glasses. “Why didn’t you do this sooner?”

I told you, I had other things I wanted to fix up. And to be honest, I also didn’t realize how bad they were until it was too late. Demons don’t have those kinds of stupid flaws. It’s not easy trying to figure out how to fix that shit. But since we’re here, and it wasn’t as much of a drain -

“- And you sent my glasses to Hell -”

- I thought it was worth a shot. 

“‘Worth a shot?’ So, you could have made it worse?”

Hardly. 

“Um, where did you say your glasses were?” Up until that point, Adam hadn’t commented on the fact that Kyle seemed to be talking to himself.

Even though it really wasn’t all that funny, Kyle found himself laughing. “Hell. It’s a long story.”

“Maybe you could explain it over a beer tonight.”

***

The rest of the trip went off without a hitch. Well, aside from a few questions about all the blood, which Kyle brushed off, chalking it up to clumsiness. No one said anything about how he was suddenly able to function without his glasses, but again, he thought it was better not to have to try and make up answers to such questions. It seemed that if he acted like nothing was out of the ordinary, people seemed more than happy to play along, rather than deal with unusual or uncomfortable  - or downright terrifying - things.

And, sitting in a bar, talking to Adam about non-school and non-demon related subjects - at least once those were out of the way - Kyle found he had no reason to be upset about that afternoon’s events in Salem. Though Ryka didn’t seem too keen on the fact that Kyle was spending time with someone else.

Don’t get too attached, he warned. Kyle had ignored him, at least until he got home that evening.

“There’s no reason for you to be jealous,” he said, stretching out on the couch. 

And why not? You’re going to outlive all the people around you, but at least, in the meantime, you can touch them, right?

“When you say it like that… But I’m not interested in any of them, Ryka.” Kyle took a deep breath. This was better than the alley, right? “You’re the only one I care about. The only one I’d want to touch.” He could feel his face getting hot. That last bit had slipped out inadvertently. Too late for regrets now.

You mean it? 

“Yes.” He said it with much more confidence than he felt. It hadn’t been easy coming to terms with his feelings for Ryka. But the demon was right – he couldn’t deny how he felt. And it wasn’t fair to either of them to keep pretending. If he hadn’t been sure, that sudden pang of jealousy earlier had confirmed it.

I’m so happy, Master. It’s been hard waiting for you to figure things out. I know I didn’t always help; I got impatient. And frustrated – I can’t lie, but you didn’t understand how serious I was. So when subtlety didn’t work ….

Kyle felt his throat tighten. He thought back to the day he had summoned Ryka in his classroom, and the demon’s light-hearted confession in the parking lot afterwards. And when Kyle hadn’t realized how serious it was, Ryka’s subsequent melancholy, and his very blatant visualizations of what he hoped for with his host. It was rather impressive, Kyle thought, how much restraint Ryka had shown, when he’d all along been able to sense exactly what Kyle was thinking, how he’d struggled with his feelings. 

“I’m so sorry, Ryka. That I didn’t get it. But I’ve never been good at this. And then there was ….” Why bother explaining how unloved he’d felt to someone who could read all his thoughts.

Don’t be sad. You were alone, so you were there, just waiting for me. 

“I guess so, huh? But I’m not any good at this, Ryka. And this is so different. It’s also a bit scary.” Anxious, he sat up, wringing his hands. The scariest part was how easy it had been to fall under the demon’s spell. He could be dangerously charming and sweet. 

What’s so scary? You’ve already given me your soul.

“My body, too,” he replied. Not what he’d meant to say. Feeling his face get hot, he tried to correct himself, but Ryka was too fast.

I’ll never get enough of that, stud. He couldn’t be sure which of them was making his heart race. Both, he supposed. But that’s not what you’re worried about, right? I’d never hurt you, stud, and you know that I mean it. My feelings are real, and now you know that, too.

“Thank you, Ryka. That means a lot.” There was something very reassuring about being loved by someone who could never lie to him. He’d had enough of that. “But this is weird, right?”

Who cares? The only thing that matters is that you want me as much as I want you. And I really want you, Kyle.

Kyle felt his breath catch; Ryka never used his name. Now his heart was battering against his ribs, pulse pounding all throughout his body. An electric buzz spread out from his core before settling back in his belly and groin. That sensation back in the alley was nothing in comparison. His cheeks were burning. Did he really have to say it out loud? “Ryka ….”

I meant right now. With a gasp, Kyle fell backward on the couch. He swore he could feel two strong hands pushing him down. And his own hands, which had been clutching his shirt, suddenly went numb. Close your eyes, Ryka suggested. Kyle did, and jumped a little feeling a finger run from his chin down to his navel. And then two hands - which no longer felt like his own - expertly slipped under the waistband of his pants. 

 “Wait, hold on, Ryka.”

I love you, Master. Let me show you.

“I l-love you, too, Ryka.” His khakis and briefs were suddenly down around his knees, but his hands - no, Ryka’s now - didn’t linger there for more than a moment. “Hold on. Take it easy. It … it’s been awhile.”

That’s my fault, so let me make it up to you. The only argument Kyle could make was an embarrassing moan. He’d watched Ryka in the mirror enough times to be able to visualize exactly how Ryka was touching him. And it was easy to imagine the lusty grin he’d be wearing.

 Just as he’d all along known how his host really felt about him, Ryka’d also certainly known how much Kyle really had enjoyed watching him. Denying it had been a pointless exercise, and was completely impossible now with Kyle’s every thought of his parasite. Enjoy yourself. Kyle was, and Ryka didn’t need to be able to read his mind to know it.

“I’m sorry.” 

For what? Think of whatever gets you off. Glad it’s me, though.

What was he supposed to say to that? Of course it was Ryka. Ryka, who had him with his eyes squeezed closed, biting his lip and arching his back, already far too close to the point of no return. “Please ….” Kyle pleaded, not quite sure what he was asking for.

I’ll know when you want me to stop. 

“Don’t.”

Then I won’t. We’re just getting started, stud. 

Kyle tried to for exasperated, but sounded only elated when he managed a breathless “Ryka.”

That’s right. You can’t say you-know-who’s name. But use mine as often, and as loudly, as possible.