"I know, I know, I know you want me

You're just a pig inside a human body

Squeal out, squeal out, squeal out You're so disgusting."

- Lady Gaga, Swine

in front of a big two-story house, Maki motions for me to climb out. So I do. There's a nervousness bubbling inside me, coiling into the pit of my stomach. The wind is cold. I hug myself just to keep myself warm. Despite the weather – the sun is scorching hot, angling in my direction, I shiver.

It takes a couple of seconds before Maki climbs out of the cab, thanking the cab driver and I just stand there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Maki is still in the suit, and as he bends down just to thank the driver again, his clothed butt is on display. I don't know why I'm blushing, or I feel like it's a sin to stare, but it just does to me. His suit is already crumpled, his tie loose already, and I wonder if it's my fault. He stands up straight again, turns around, and eyes me, his eyes raking me from head to toe. I hide my face.

Carrying the plastics that we purchased, he jerks his chin to what I assume his house. "Let's go inside," he says, his tone calm and collected. I'm a stranger to him, and he is to me. We just met just because I needed help from doing groceries. I hate groceries. Just because I can't remember the way back home, this leads here. "C'mon."

"Okaaaaay," I say, still unsure where I'd go follow him.

After a couple of seconds of thinking whether it's perfectly safe to go inside his house, I decide I should or have to. It's cold out here, and I don't want to die freezing. I'm not used to this type of weather – I like the temperature back in the unit the demon and I are sharing (truth be told), even though the demon is annoying as hell.

Maki leads me to his house. Bushes are trimmed almost into perfection; they are round, red flowers starting to bloom. The front porch is wide, with wooden chairs facing outside. It's fancy.

"Wait, you're in a suit," I say matter-of-factly.

He looks at his dress, as if recognizing for the first time that he's wearing a – probably – very expensive suit. Then he looks at me, with an amused expression. "So?"

According to my logic, if one perfectly looks good in a suit, he should have a car. Right? "Do you have a car?"

"A car?" he says again, his tone rising but not in a bad way. His eyes are wide, and they are looking straightly at me. A grin curves, and his eyes shine. "What? I have a car. Just didn't bring it. Didn't feel like it." I feel stupid for asking him. I just nod.

We enter his house and as soon as I take a step into his house, onto the tiled floor, I feel something twists inside my stomach. I stop from moving. Maki looks at me, then arches his brow, silently asking me if there's something wrong. I shake my head. I feel like there's something wrong. Though the house is beautiful, both interior and exterior, the aura of the house is different. Something inside me twists again, and I take a step back, coughing. Maki puts a hand on my shoulder, bending down just a bit just so he can get a look on me. He flashes me a worried look.

"You okay?" he asks me.

This time, I shake my head. It's not really pain, but something.

"Let me get you some water," Maki says to me as he practically drags me to the living room. "Suit yourself. I'll be back in a bit."

Before I can say anything, or even clutch him for support, Maki leaves my sight and goes straight to what I assume is the kitchen. My eyes have time to roam around the living room; the walls are painted white, and the style of the house is Greek-y. There are pillars, two on either side, – Tuscan order – for every entrance of each room. The front porch has a different type of pillars though. It has a swirling thing at the top, each one for each corner. In front of me is a big television set, with black tall speakers. Before I know it, Maki has come back and is giving me a glass of water. I also notice that I'm already lying down on the couch.

Maki places the glass of water on the see-through glass table and helps me sit up. I feel weak, as if I've lost all my bones. I feel like I'm some sort of a jelly-ace. He rubs my back in a soothing manner. It definitely helps. I feel my inside relaxes, and I sigh. He grabs the glass of water again and tips the glass into my lips. He murmurs that I should just gulp slowly, but I don't. I drink the water in one go.

At first, I think that it's because I'm here at this house, for leaving the demon Slate. But no, I did not exactly leave him. He asked me to do groceries, so I did, it's just that I've forgotten the way back to the unit. I'm not used to the places of Earth. All I know is that this is America, or Brooklyn. Whatever.

"How are you feeling?" he asks me, still looking worried. I give him a smile.

It's so nice of him.

But why do I feel like he knows something already? "Okay then. Just rest." There's something the way he says the word, and as it escapes his pinkish lips, I feel my eyes drooping. His voice is like a lullaby, soothing the insides of my ears. I feel calm, but troubled. It feels wrong yet it feels so right to hear his voice this way. It's as if he's calling out to me. "Just rest." – chirps, chirps – "Just rest." – clicks, chirps, clicks – "Good night."

I shot up forward, breathing out loud, my eyes frantically going left and right. I notice that I'm in a different house. Looking through the window, outside is dark already, I almost can't see anything. I search for a clock, because I'd like to know what time it is. Knowing Slate, he'd have a fit.

Slate is probably laughing right now because he thinks that I've broken my promise, that I left him, and he thinks that I'm being punished now. No, I did not break anything.

"Mak!" I call out, scared.

He emerges out of the kitchen, wearing nothing but black boxer shirts that really looks tight on him. I suck on a breath, and look away, because I feel like somehow I'm invading his privacy. I hear him chuckle. He walks towards me, and feels his breath fanning my neck. I turn around and am shocked to see him so near the tip of our nose is almost touching. I yelp. He barks out a laugh, shaking his head at me. I narrow my eyes at him, and point my index finger at him.

"Cute," he says to my beet-red face. He's about to pinch me when something, like a lightning, rumbles.

I let out a girly scream, burying my face into the cushion, peaking slightly. The windows have come open, and the front door has been busted. A strong gush of wind enters the house, cooling my skin. My heart races at the sight. While I'm freaking out here, Maki remains the same, calm and collected, as if he's been expecting this.

As my eyes go back to the busted door, a figure emerges through the doorway. Just the horns protruding on the temple, I already know it is: Slate the Demon.

Slate is beyond furious; his eyes are burning with fire, and just the mere sight of Maki in front of him, who's still calm while looking at Slate with no interest, makes his aura different. Slate's eyes move from Maki to me, and they flicker with recognition and something I can't quite pinpoint. But as soon as Maki scoffs, the fire in his eyes blaze again.

"Forneus," Maki says, his voice, though calm, is laced with venom. So much that I think it's going to have an effect on Slate. Forneus. That name again. I feel like I've heard that before – back when I was a kid. I just don't know when I first heard that name.

"Dantalion," Slate hisses, his hands clenching and unclenching on his side.

Maki grins, winking at Slate. "That's me. Dantalion, the Great Duke of Hell, with thirty-six legions of demons under my command. And you Forneus, a Great Marquis of Hell, and has twenty-nine legions of demon under your command. Nice."

"YOU'RE A DEMON?" I ask with wide-eyes.

"DO NOT TALK TO HIM, YOU IDIOT OF A HUMAN!" Slate bellows. I shrink back in fear, almost burying myself into the cushions. I want to hide, to escape his wrath. I know that this is my fault. He has probably been looking for me. I think demons have tracking magic, right? Why did he not use it? Or did he use it already, that's why he found me here, in another demon's house?

Maki, or Dantalion, whatever his name is, just laughs and shakes his head. "Don't scare the poor boy, Forneus." He says mockingly at Slate. Slate looks like he's ready to slash his gnawing and deadly fingers across Maki's beautiful but demonic face. In fact, he looks more like a demon than Slate. Maki winks at my direction, at me, and Slate growls. "Oops. Possessive, aren't you?"

The two have a staring match; the moment their eyes meet, a lightning rumbles in the sky, so loud that it makes me shrink back in fear again. I look between Maki and Slate; from here it looks like they are going to have a deathly match. The way Slate's chest heaves up and down, the way his fingers curl and uncurl at his side, he really looks like he wants to kill Maki. Maki, on the other hand, is just glaring daggers at Slate. I thought demons treat each other as brothers?

What do I know, they are demons, right?

They are just a bunch of egotistical, blood-hungry, sinner-makers, bad influencer creatures.

But to be honest, I'm more scared now of Maki instead of Slate. Slate shows what he's really feeling, which is hatred and disgust and annoyance, while Maki shows only a little. I bury myself deeper into the cushions, hugging another one and pushing it into me.

"I'm taking back what's mine," the demon Slate says through gritted teeth. His eyes are black and dilated. He's basically on fire, and it looks like he wants to have Maki's blood all over him.

"Oh, he's yours?" Maki continues to mock Slate. Slate lets out another growl. "Finders keepers."

Finders keepers.

That's the word that triggers Slate. He jumps, almost just a blink in my sight, then he's already in front of Maki, punching him right in the gut, so hard that Maki flies backwards, his back hitting the wall. The table that is pushed on the wall rattles, making the marbled white vase with intricate designs tumble down, and it falls on the ground, broken.

"You little piece of shit," Maki growls and throws himself at Slate.

Slate's black and massive wings sprout of his back, and does a side-step. Maki swirls around, with haste, and throws a punch on Slate's chest and it hits him, making him step-back. I watch them in fear. I watch them. They keep slashing, throwing punches, snarling at each other. Wings keep flapping, walls keep thudding.

The sofa that I'm sitting on has been taken off by Slate. I fall on the ground, on my butt, and I let out a groan. Slate throws the big and comfy sofa across his enemy's direction and I squint my eyes, bracing myself for the impact, as if I'm the one he's going to hit.

Demons are fighting each other in front of me!

I run to the kitchen; I assume this would be the safest room. I take a peak; they are still fighting. There's blood running across Slate's cheek, and there are wounds, slash marks – and they are deep, across Maki's chest. I notice that he's already naked. I blush despite the scene happening in front of me. As if he's a wind, Maki just disappears, then re-appears behind Slate and kicks him so hard that Slate falls on the ground, face first.

Slate rolls just in time to avoid Maki's foot. In a blink, there's already a massive sword in Slate's hand, as well as Maki. Slate's wings flap hard and wide, and he stands up. Everything becomes a slow motion when the two begin to swing their swords at each other.

I don't know why I have this instinct to run and stop them – I just do.

Even though it's pretty deadly and very stupid of me.

Hello readers, I apologize if I haven't been updating much lately. I'm working on a lot of stories. I'm trying my best to make a lot of time to write chapters, and publish them. I want to share it with you guys as soon as possible. I thought I'd be free this January - turns out I'm wrong. I'm a bit busy in my career right now, and I'm always trying to squeeze writing into my work time (whenever I'm on break, lunch break, or bio, I write, too!). Thank you for understanding the situation I'm in right now.

To share it with you guys, I'm currently writing another story called "Brooklyn Nights" and it's exclusively uploaded or published in Radish (an iOS/Android app) only. So you might want to check it out, too!

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