Felix the Demon: Part One (complete)

Female Reader x Male Monster (both cis)

The shop is pretty quiet today, although I don’t expect it to stay that way for long. It’s never peaceful for too long around these parts, especially since I’m the closest thing to a doctor here. These days, I revel in periods of boredom. For the longest time there was no quiet, so when I wake to a morning like this, I take it in and savor it.

That is, until I hear a pounding at the front door. Someone is hurt and dragging themselves into the front of the shop. Oh well, so long, tranquil morning. Goodbye, crisp breeze. I suppose I will have to visit with you another day.

I go inside, setting my warm mug down before heading into the front. There I see a familiar face, and I sigh heavily and approach him as he slouches against the counter. “My god, how often am I going to have to see you?” I grab my kit, knowing he’s just going to stay on the floor until I deal with him.

“Can it, Doc,” he snarls. “It’s my back.”

“Your back?” I scoff. “Seriously, what happened, Felix?”

Felix is one of those marked as a demon. I’m sure that’s not what they really are, but over the decades it’s become the term people call them by. He eases down from the counter and sits on the floor, hissing as he reaches for his back.

“The bed is right back here,” I protest. “You can make it that far.”

“I traveled miles to get here, Doc. You better be happy I even walked through the door at all.” He winces, and his face contorts in a way I’ve never seen before. Felix is known to me for many reasons, but he’s come to me because I’m one of the only doctors who will treat him or any of the other demons in this area.

“You have to talk to me Felix, not snap at me. Lie down here, I guess, and tell me what you did this time.” I prepare my kit on the floor, taking out bandages, ointments, and the surgical sewing kit in case he’s had another chunk taken from him.

Felix rolls onto his back. The long tendrils that cascade from his head flop to one side, and I see his broad back is covered in dark, deep bruises, as well as cuts and splinters. “What the fuck, Felix?!” I demand.

“What sort of healer says that?” he barks back at me.

I scoff and get to work, applying pain killer to numb him while I try to remove all the splinters. “What on earth did you do?”

Felix sneers, and I see the glint of his teeth. “Oh sure, it’s always something I did.”

“It usually is.” I place the splinters onto an unused bandage as I remove them, then temper my voice and speak calmly. “Come on, now. Talk to me.”

Felix grumbles, muttering under his breath as he lays his head back down. “It was a fight, if you must know, and they got the jump on me. Started hitting my back with a plank.”

“Why were you fighting in the first place?” I take out a nasty splinter, one that’s bitten deep into his flesh. The skin around the splinters has darkened from its usual grey to a wine-like purple, tinged black around the edges.

“They were attacking a house in our village,” he grunts. He means the area off the mountain, where most of the demons live. “It was a kid, caused trouble, but... Ow!” he yelps. “That fucking hurts!”

“Sorry.” I smooth more of the painkiller over his skin. “So you jumped in, playing hero and causing trouble.”

“I wasn’t the troublemaker this time,” he growls back at me.

I smooth my hand along his back, trying to feel for injuries. “You’ve been lucky for far too long, Felix. You’re getting close to losing that luck.”

Felix flinches when I touch the bruises, but it’s at his lower back, just above his tail, where he can no longer hide his discomfort or agony. His expression contorts, and his whole body tenses as he tries to escape my fingertips. “Lie still, please,” I say calmly yet urgently.

“Then stop touching it,” he growls, hunching forward

“I think you may have broken your tail, but it could be a dislocation. I’ll have to administer some stronger painkillers, maybe even a sedative, to make sure.”

“You’re not putting me under!” Felix tries to pull away, but it hurts him too badly so he lies back down on his stomach.

“Then I’ll have to give you a shot.” I stand up and go behind the counter, into the closet for my supplies.

“Wait, Doc…” Felix hisses.

I wash my hands and put on gloves before preparing the syringe. I don’t get many of these, and I have so few left before I have to travel to the city. When I exit the close, Felix is struggling to stand. “Don’t you come near me with that!” he growls, trying to balance without the use of his tail. “Seriously, Doc!”

I kneel beside him, placing my hand on his middle back to distract him while I put the syringe in. “Seriously, Felix. If you stopped these antics of yours, I wouldn't have to waste my supplies. Now, stay still and give it a minute.”

“Fuck.” He presses his palm into his forehead.

I smooth my hand down his back every now and again, seeing him react less and less to the pain. “I swear, sometimes I think you get hurt just to see me.”

“Like hell I do,” he mutters.

“How does it feel?” I gently press two fingers near the base of his tail.

Felix takes a deep breath and furrows his brow. “What does?”

“Good, it’s working.” I start massaging my fingers into his tail, inspecting for broken bones. Luckily, it’s just a dislocation, but I have learned from working with demons that a dislocated tail could have a range of consequences, such as loss of balance for several days. He might not be able to walk until then, which means he’s stuck here.

“Okay, hold still for me. You’re just going to feel some pressure.” I hold up Felix’s tail, very nearly putting my hand on his rear.

“What are you doing?” he demands. “Hey! What are you…”

“I said stay still!” I shove him back down, grasping at his tail and pushing it hard back into place. He screams and thrashes before flopping back down on the floor. I ease his tail back down gently, then sigh as I move my hand away from him. “Take your time. I suggest you rest here for a couple of days. You won’t make it off the mountain in one piece if you try going now.”

I stand up as Felix moans into the floor. “Flattery won’t work today, I’m afraid. You know what I accept as payment.” I walk off to the back room again, fetching a pillow to place under his head. “Would you like something to drink?”

Felix’s ears flick and he hides his face into the pillow, muttering under his breath again. His shoulders tense, then slowly relax. I leave him alone to let him cool down from all the poking and prodding I did. And his tail is going to hurt for a while now.

The first time I met Felix, I was attending a birth at the demon village. The woman was human, and the pregnancy had taken a toll on her. Luckily the baby and mother both lived, but they were greatly weakened by the effort. I ended up staying in the village for a few days to look after them. While I was there, Felix had taken up guarding the house. He claimed it was tradition to defend the house of a newborn, considering how a birth rendered the whole family vulnerable. I’m not sure if that was a real tradition, but since the mother was human I could assume her family must not have been happy. As a healer, all I wanted was to do my job. Once I knew the mother and baby were safe, I tried to leave. But a fight had broken out elsewhere in the village, and I had to tend to the wounds. Every time it seemed Felix was around, and ever since then the demons sought out my help, knowing I’d tend to them without question. Felix is just one of my most frequent customers.

When I return to check on him, I find him still lying on the floor of the front room. “Everything alright, Felix?”

“I suppose,” he grumbles.

I kneel beside him. “Good. Would you like me to help you up?” I hold out my hand.

“If you laugh, I swear to…”

“If I haven’t laughed yet, I never will. Now, give me your hand, Felix. I’ll get you to one of the beds so you’ll actually be comfortable.” I take his hand as he offers it, supporting him as he rises, but he loses his balance and falls into me, knocking me into the countertop. His body is heavy, but his skin is like velvet. I push against him as he regains his footing and meets my gaze.

“Easy now, big boy.” I pat his chest. “You’ll be off-balance for a few days, so get used to that. Just hold onto me if you need to.”

Felix chews his tongue, then slips his arm around me for balance. “How humiliating,” he huffs. “Not you. I mean…”

“No, I get it.” I help him to my recovery room. I have four beds there for patients, one of which I’ve already prepared for him. “Stay on your side or stomach. You can’t lie on our back just yet.”

“I get it.” Felix grunts as he lies down.

“I’m going to put a splint on your tail just to keep it elevated. It might help with some of the discomfort you’ll feel.”

“I already do. It feels like someone is pulling on it right now,” he huffs.

“Then I’d best get that splint on.” I sit down beside the bed and add the splints, slowly wrapping gauze around them. “Anything else I should be made aware of?” I ask.

“No,” Felix mutters.

“Okay, then.” I keep wrapping to make sure the splints are secure and his tail will be comfortable. “You don’t have to be injured to come and see me, you know?”

“Shut up,” Felix huffs. “Like I come here to see you. I wouldn’t come here at all if I could manage.”

I smile to myself. “You would think after all this time, the two of us would eventually become friends.” I secure the gauze and let his tail relax.

Felix sighs. “I respect you, Doc. That’s more than most people get from me.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. Hero.” I stand from the chair. “I’ll let you rest now. Is there anything I can get you?”

Felix lies there, looking to the side as I walk around the bed. “I’m humiliated enough. Just leave me to die here.”

“Sounds good. I’ll bring dinner when I make it.”

Later that day, I help Felix get up from bed and move around a bit. His balance is very off, enough that even standing in one spot gives him a sense of vertigo. He joins me at the kitchen table for dinner, glaring at the stew I’m serving. “What is this?” he asks.

“Eggplant,” I reply. “I’m just trying to use up some of the vegetables I have before they spoil.” I start eating. “If you want meat, just know I’d rather have eggs than kill my chickens. And Meredith is like my pet.” Meredith is a cow who I was given as payment, but her milk supply has saved my ass more than once.

“I don’t eat meat, actually,” Felix grouses. “But even still, do you cook by just throwing things in a pot and seeing what sticks?”

“I use what I’ve got, and I’ve learned to live with it.”

“You really avoid the main village.” Felix picks up his spoon and takes his first bite.

“They think I’m cursed because I work with demons,” I chuckle. “But they still come to me with their broken bones and missing fingers, so I won’t complain.”

Felix rolls his eyes. “You’re cursed alright, but not because of demons.” A smirk crosses his face, but it fades as he takes another bite of the stew. He puts down his spoon and looks around “I can’t take this. Where’s your kitchen?”

I wipe my mouth. “I can show you, but I don’t trust you around my knives.”

“I can save this thing you want to believe is food,” he huffs.

I arch a brow at him. “Save it from what?” I stand up and go to help him walk.

Felix gives me a withering look. “You. I know how to cook.” He puts his arm around me so we can lumber into the kitchen. He goes to the stove, peers into the bubbling pot of the stew I made, sniffs it, then eyes the small supply of spices I have at the ready. He takes a few, tossing them into the pot. Then he takes the basket of vegetables out from under the counter, extracting a pepper and a garlic bulb.

“I was saving that,” I huff.

Felix smashes the garlic with his fist to split it up. “It’s garlic, not a special occasion.” He takes a clove and peels it open. “It’s a lifesaver, a staple. You cook with it or you give it to someone who will respect it. Now, give me a knife.”

“You’re flirting. That’s new.” I open a drawer, pulling out a knife for him.

Felix smirks. “You won’t have time to appreciate my flirting when I turn it on.” He snaps the blade into the garlic then minces it up so fast I’m impressed. He chucks it into the pot, then starts slicing the pepper.

“I’ve learned a lot about you today,” I reply. “You don’t eat meat, and you cook. How on earth do you keep the girls off you?”

Felix sticks his tongue out. “You make jokes, Doc. But you would be surprised.” He stirs the pot. “Give it ten minutes, then it should be edible.”

“It was edible before.”

“For livestock.” Felix fumbles at the counter, nearly tipping over before he presses his palms into the counter to secure himself. “I fucking hate this.”

“It’ll only last a couple of days, so don’t worry about it too much. Just relax while you’re here,” I assure him.

Felix frowns, his eyes focusing beyond the countertop. His mind is somewhere else, so I try to redirect him. “Nothing bad is going to happen. The village will be protected, and nothing happens here that requires me to be protected. So stop worrying about that.”

“I’m not. I…” Felix stops himself and grimaces. “You don’t know me.”

I smirk at him. “I think I know you enough, Felix.” I nod towards the stew pot. “Is it edible yet?”

He fills me a fresh bowl. “Try that. I dare you to tell me it isn’t even a smidge better.”

“You use the word ‘smidge’?”

Felix sneers. “Just eat!”

I take my first bite, pleasantly surprised by how good it is. It was bland and a little green-tasting before, but now it’s hearty and spicy. “Not bad.”

Felix scoffs. “All I had to do was add salt to make it ‘not bad’. I made it good.” He refills his empty bowl, and I take it back to the table while he balances along the wall.

“Well then, you can knock some off your bill by cooking while you’re here,” I offer.

“I should get my bill wiped clean. If that’s how you eat, then my cooking should be worth gold to you.” He sits down, looking a bit tired.

“We’ll see.”

Felix huffs, stretching his shoulders and back as he tries to get comfortable. “I’ll give you a massage with some of that heating oil later,” I tell him. “You’re probably going to be extremely sore tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about you manhandling me like that.” He rubs his shoulder and neck. “What good would a rub do?”

“A massage, Felix, and a therapeutic one at that. I promise it will help. And the heating oil will soothe like a hot bath. So it’s either that, or I give you a bath.”

He scowls. “Fine.”

After eating, we go back to the recovery room and Felix lies down so can give him the massage. I avoid his large bruises, but I do knead around them to relax the muscles there. He grunts and groans, flinching sometimes, but he relaxes enough for me to feel where the knots are the worst. His back is broad, his shoulders and arms thick with muscle. But his soft skin is nice to the touch. I have to admit, despite our back and forth, I do think Felix is quite handsome. And I do respect how he fights for his people.

A low moan escapes his throat, one that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I wouldn’t ever admit it, but it sounds almost lewd. “Everything okay down there?” I ask.

Felix sighs. “Yeah.” His voice is relaxed, smooth. “Not bad at all, Doc.”

“Good. This should make your morning a little better, but you may still be stiff as a board.” I sit back and wipe off my hands. “Just relax now. Don’t think. Just breathe.”

“Mm,” he moans again.

“If you need anything in the night, there’s a bell by the bed. Just ring it, I’m a very light sleeper.” I pull the blankets up over his legs. “Get some rest, Felix.”

“Thanks, Doc.” He turns his head and looks up at me. “No wonder you’re a doctor. Your hands are amazing.”

My cheeks feel warm for the briefest flash. “Go to sleep. You don’t sound like yourself.” I turn off the lights and leave the room, keeping the door open in case he rings the bell later that evening.

I come down in the morning to check on Felix, finding him sitting up in bed with a strange look on his face. “Everything alright? Did you sleep well?”

Felix nods and rubs his face. “Yeah. I just… I feel weird waking up in a strange place,” he murmurs.

I furrow my brow. “That’s fine. How’s your back? Your tail?”

Felix shakes his head. “Give me a minute, Doc.” He presses his face into his palms and breathes out.

I’m not sure why, but I put my hand upon the top of his head, rubbing the tendrils and the back of his neck. I stand closer, letting him rest his head against my side. “It’s just me here,” I murmur to him. “Just us. You don’t have to worry. I’m here.”

“Thanks, Doc,” he breathes. He places his hand on my arm, with a firm careful grip. “Thank you.”

I used to get scared like that when I was little. My family and I moved around so much sometimes I never knew where I woke up. Sometimes I was forced awake. I wonder how many places Felix has woken up that he didn’t want to be? “I’ll be right back,” I say gently. “I’ll go get eggs for breakfast. Do you eat eggs?”

Felix nods. “Can I have some water?”

“Yes, of course.” I step away from him, but his hand stays on me. “You’re awake now, it’s okay.” I take his hand and squeeze it. “You’re not dreaming.”

“Good.” Felix clears his throat and seems more like himself. He lets go of my hand and rubs his face. “Just the water, then.” I suppose both of us have seen the war up close.

The chickens are lively and happy as I go to fetch eggs. I toss them their feed and watch them peck at the ground for a little bit before heading back inside. Felix is bracing against the wall, looking more nauseous than off-balance. I place the eggs near the sink. “I was bringing the water. You didn’t have to get out of bed.”

“I didn’t want to run the risk of you ruining a perfectly good egg.” Felix comes up beside me, bracing on the sink and taking an egg in hand. “Nice big ones.” I smirked and he gave me a look. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Doc.”

Felix sits down at the table, and I place his full cup before him. “What else do you want for breakfast?” I ask.

“Doesn’t matter,” he sighs after a long drink. “I rarely eat breakfast.”

I pull down plates from the cabinet. “It’s the most important meal of the day.”

“Fuck off with your motherly platitudes, Doc!” he snaps. Then his eyes widen, showing the bright green a little more. “Sorry,” he grumbles. “I’m not a morning type.”

“I can tell,” I chuckle. I sit down near him at the table. “Do you mind if I look at your back, then?”

“Not right now. I don’t feel like being prodded just yet.” He looks away from me, showing the mottled color of the skin around his face. His neck and shoulders are a darker shade of gray, and they look different in the morning light. His ears flick forward, then back, and his eyes catch me staring. “What?” His lip curls up.

“Nothing. I’m just admiring you.” I lean back in my chair.

Felix’s eyes narrow at me. “Admiring what?”

I stroke away that bothersome lock of hair that keeps falling in my face. “If you don’t know, then I’m not going to tell you.”

“You don’t get out much, do you?” Felix finishes off the glass of water and stands up. As he turns to face the sink, I catch a glimpse of his back. He’s a fast healer, but the bruises still look nasty, and there are fresh ones around his tail. He must be very uncomfortable this morning. “Stop staring, Doc,” he scoffs.

I stand up. “You’re my patient, and I’m checking on you. I would love to see if any of those splinters have caused any infection, but I guess we’ll wait for you to rot to find out.” I come up behind him, knowing he can’t move quickly enough to stop me.

“Hey!” Felix yelps.

“Hey is for horses,” I murmur under my breath as I inspect him. The muscle twitches under the flesh, and his back arches in a sensual way. His hips roll back, but he quickly recovers, taking a stiff stance before the counter.

“That tickles,” he mutters shyly.

I’m surprised. “What?”

Felix turns away from me and picks up an egg. “I said it tickles, touching like that. Your hands are cold, too.”

“I didn’t realize it tickled, I was just trying to be gentle,” I say.

“I’m just going to fry these with toast,” Felix grumbles. “Got any butter?”

I’m not sure why, but my cheeks have grown warm and I feel rather embarrassed by doing what I do all the time. I step away and fetch Felix the butter before taking my seat, then glance out the window as the pan begins to sizzle. Today I have the garden to tend to, Meredith’s stall to clean, and fresh hay to put in the chicken coop. I count all these things off, barely noticing Felix setting a plate down in front of me. The egg is cooked in the center of the toast, which has a hole cut from it. “Egg in a basket,” I say in surprise.

“Oh good, you know what it is.” Felix turns back to the stove.

I swallow a lump in my throat. “My dad used to…” I clear my throat. “I haven’t had one of these in a long time.”

“They’re fairly easy. I prefer cooking them over scrambling.” He glances over his shoulder, seeing me staring at what should be a pretty unemotional breakfast. Instead I’m fighting back tears. I miss my family. All I have now is my sister. I sniffle, trying to keep myself from crying outright.

“It’s just an egg,” Felix says cooly.

“Yeah, well…” I lift my head and wipe my nose. “It is.” I take my knife and spoon in hand. “It just happened to remind me of something.”

Felix joins me at the table. We eat in silence, and occasionally stare off into the distance. “Not used to having company?” Felix asks.

“Not at all. I’m used to patients and being alone,” I answer with a huff. “So forgive me if my table manners are lacking.”

“I live in the village, and it’s always busy in the mornings. I’ve not had a quiet pause for some time.” Felix looks out the window. “I’ve always been in large crowds.”

“There’s safety in numbers.”

“There goes that cliched drivel again,” he chuckles. “Is that all you spout?”

I smile and shrug. “I can tell you to bend over and cough, if you’d like.”

A smirk appears on Felix’s face. “I’d rather you didn’t.” He finishes off his food, then leans back in his seat. “Is there anything I can do today besides cook?”

“You’re resting and healing.” I carry the dirty dishes to the sink. “I’ve got things I have to do today, but you aren’t going to be doing anything. You’re going to be in bed and letting your tail and back rest.”

“I’ll go crazy,” he growls. “Just sitting around doing nothing? You might as well bury me.”

“That goes against my job entirely,” I laugh. “Just do as I say, young man, and nobody has to get hurt.”

“Seriously, you can’t just expect me to lie in bed all day.” He stands up, but wobbles and sits right back down.

“That should be all the answer you need. Until your tail gets back into working order, I’m not risking you bashing your head or breaking a leg.” I fetch my garden gloves and slip them on. “I’ll be in the garden. Do you need me to take you back to bed?”

Felix just frowns. “No.”

“Then I’ll see you later.” I step out into the garden, and already the sun is quite bright. I take in a deep breath, enjoying the tranquility and quiet. Then I hear Felix fall. I hurry back inside, rushing to his side as he attempts to pick himself up.

“I’m fine! I’m fine,” Felix grumbles as I help get him upright.

“I can’t leave you alone for five seconds.” I take off my gloves and help him back to his feet. “Just lean on me.”

“I don’t want to go back to bed!” he protests.

“You need to. Doctor’s orders!” I get him back to the recovery room and make him get down onto the bed. He lays there limp, pouting with me. “Just rest. Why is that so hard?”

“Because it is.” He rolls onto his side so his back is facing me.

“I know it is, but I don’t want you getting any more hurt than you need to be.” I sit down on the edge of the bed. “If you promise to rest while I garden, then you can help me string beans later.” Felix stays quiet. “There’s going to be a lot, and I don’t like doing them.” I lean over him. “Just stay here for me. Okay?”

Felix turns his head and looks up at me. My heart skips a beat, then pounds faster. I feel close enough to kiss him, although I don’t know why that thought popped into my head.

“What are you looking at now?” Felix frowns.

I stand back up. “Never you mind. Promise me you’ll rest.”

He rolls his eyes and lies back down. “Fine. I’ll rest here, Doc.”

“Good, I’ll be back later. If anyone comes to the front, you just ring the bell. I should hear it.” I stop in the doorway and look back, feeling bad. I know Felix is used to being busy and doing everything he can around the village. Hell, he’s done a lot for me here over the years. I know this is driving him crazy, but the more he rests the sooner he’ll be back on his feet. “Would you like another massage before I go? Maybe that’ll help you feel more amenable.”

“Hmm? Another one?” Felix attempts to sit up, but stops and rolls onto his stomach. “Just don’t tickle me.”

I sit down and drip some of the warming oil onto his back. “I’ll try my hardest.” I smooth the oil in, taking my time like last night in order to avoid the bruises and feel out the spots where the tension is worst.

Felix grunts, sighing out as he tries to keep from moaning. “That feels nice.”

“That’s good,” I say softly. “Does it hurt anywhere?”

His hips swivel again, almost putting his ass right against my stomach. “No. I…” He’s trying to hold back a moan, but it only makes his body more responsive. “That feels good there.”

I’m kneading down the center of his spine. “Can I go harder?”

“Yeah, harder,” he breathes.

My cheeks feel warm, but so does the center of my chest. “How does that feel?”

“It hurts but it’s nice,” Felix bites his lip. His ears are flat against the side of his head. His neck strains back and I see his face. He looks strangely erotic. “Can you go harder?”

“Sure.” I lean into his back, rubbing to relieve him. “Harder?”

“More,” he groans. There’s a pop, and Felix lets out a moan that can only be described as sexual. I ease away from him as he buries his face in the pillow. We’re both quiet, afraid to move. “You can go now,” he whimpers.

I lick my lips. “You sure?”

Felix nods. “I’ll rest, I promise.”

I clear my throat as I get up off the bed. “You just… You be good now.” I hurry from the room, wobbling between the urge to burst into laughter or implode from embarrassment. Why did that get so… heated? Felix and I have known each other a long time and sure, I’ve thought some things, but never have I considered him a potential bed partner. I try to block these thoughts as I pick green beans, weed the garden and clean the cattle stall. Anything to keep my mind off Felix’s moan. But it haunts me, calls to me, begs me to linger on how I could hear it again. Be gone, spectre! You shall be exorcised if you do not leave me!

I go back inside hot, sweaty, and stinking. I go to my room and peel off the dirty, sweaty clothes and toss them aside. I fan myself off, then splash cold water on my face. Felix is a friend and patient, and I don’t need to be getting hot under the collar over this. I look at myself in the mirror, smoothing back my long, dark hair. I wonder, how does he see me? I splash my face with cold water again, then put on clean clothes before heading back to the recovery room. Felix is lying in bed, and he looks like he’s sleeping. I consider leaving him alone and going about my day without having to acknowledge what happened.

“What are you staring at?” Felix grumps. He rolls onto his side and lifts his head. “Can I get up now?”

I smile at him. “I don’t know. Can you walk after that pop?”

Felix’s eyes narrow, and his face wavers between irritation and longing. “I can walk just fine.” He slips his legs over the edge of the bed. “I can certainly walk better than you.”

I smile at him. “Well, get up. I’ve got all these beans to string.” I offer him my hand, helping him to stand, but he quickly falls backwards. His hand grips hard onto mine, pulling me down with him. “Your back!” I yelp, but it’s too late. I land on him, and he cries out in pain throwing me down onto the bed as he frees his tail. We then look at one another, frozen in place as we realize the position we are in. My eyes widen, and Felix’s breath hitches.

“Sorry, Doc,” he whispers.

“Happens all the time.” My voice cracks.

Felix’s eyes dart over my face. “Does it?”

I shake my head. “Never.” I don’t know why I don’t want to move, or I don’t until Felix kisses me. The sudden, urgent press of his lips makes me melt into him, and I touch his face, pulling him closer. Our lips part, and I feel his tongue. His hands dig sharply into my hips, and my teeth nip playfully at his lip.

Felix pulls back suddenly, a strand of saliva connecting our lips. He comes to his senses and jerks away, nearly falling off the bed. “Sorry, Doc.” He rubs the back of his neck.

“Yeah, that was…” I stop as I look at him. “Felix, I don’t…”

“I know.” He holds his breath. “That was… good, but…”

“It was good?” I start to smile.

“It was…” Felix stops and frowns. “It was. Yeah.” He laughs and looks away.

“It was.” I brush my hair back. “But maybe we should talk?”

Felix sighs and scratches his temple. “Maybe.”

“Do you do that often to people? Kiss them like some passionate maniac?” I ask. I want to keep it light, but I also want to know everything.

“No! I just let it take me over for a minute,” Felix huffs, and turns more towards me. He swallows nervously. “Do you do that?”

“I can’t even remember that last time I was kissed, even badly.” I rub my cheeks. “I’m not offended. We both agree it was good. Not to mention you’re a very attractive man.”

Felix’s ears perk up as he turns towards me. “You think that?”

The hair on the back of my neck bristles. “Well, sure. You know that, right? Everyone must think you’re attractive.”

Felix smiles, somewhere between shy and smug. “Well, then… you must know you’re attractive, too.”

“What?” I laugh.

“It’s true.” Felix comes closer. “You have other things that a gentleman such as myself would never dare admit out loud.” He’s close enough to kiss again, but the thought irritates me.

“Well, let’s keep those to ourselves for now.” Felix’s hand brushes against my hair, combing through and touching the back of my neck. “Easy,  there.”

“Did it tickle?” he murmurs near my ear.

“Yeah.” I look up and into his eyes again.

“Should I stop?” He’s so close.

“No.” I’m out of reach of my senses.

Felix kisses me again, and I tilt my chin up to better reach him. I touch his chest, gently pulling him closer to me. Our lips part for the briefest moment so we can breathe, and next I know I’m on my back with his weight on me. He feels so good, but I know I should stop this, no matter how much my body is cheering for it to continue further.

“Dr. Ihai? Are you here?” Someone calls from the front.

I peel away from Felix. “Yes! Who goes there?”

“It’s Mrs. Cara, dear. My daughter is sick and I need something for her sore throat.”

I’m looking at Felix while she speaks, and we’re a breath away from going further and deeper. But he lets me go. I deal with Mrs. Cara, getting her medicine for her daughter and mixing an ointment to rub on her chest for her cough. When I’m done, I find Felix stringing the green beans in the kitchen. He looks at me and then away just as quickly. “Good thing she came in.”

“Maybe so.” I sit down and take a fistful of green beans to remove the string. “But it wouldn’t have been awful, would it?”

“I suppose not.” Felix starts to smile. “Might have been kind of fun, although I would be limited in what I can do.”

I bite my lip to keep from smiling. “You have tricks?”

“Sure, but now you won’t get to see them.”

We both start laughing. I look at his bright smile, the glint of his eyes. Holy shit, I never acknowledged how much I liked him. “I won’t?” I say between laughs.

Felix’s smile is seductive and sweet. “Well, maybe after dinner I can show you one.” He makes a show of licking his lips. “If you’re into it.”

“Maybe,” I say breathlessly.

Felix looks away shyly, biting his lip before he looks back at me. “Really?”

“Why not? We’re both adults.”

“Are we?” he teases.

“Yes. We are. What does it hurt if we give in a little?” I shrug as I go back to stringing beans. “To have some fun. Burn off some steam.”

“I have lots of steam,” he scoffs.

“Same.” I murmur.

Felix’s eyes flick over to me. “Have you ever… I mean, with a demon?” he asks.

“Once. But it was a really long time ago.”

Felix nods and lifts his ears. “How was it?”

“Fine.” I snap a bean in half. “I won’t be surprised by what I find, if that’s what you’re hinting at.”

“Just fine?” Felix smirks.

I frown at him. “Don’t make it a contest for something that happened ages ago. If we’re going to go through with this, then let’s have fun. Let’s both enjoy each other.”

His eyes brighten and his smile makes my heart jump. “Then why should we wait?”

I’m stuck between being a lover and a doctor. I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. His hand captures my chin, and I am pulled back into another long kiss. I want him, of course I do. But as a doctor, I have to worry. “Just go easy,” I breathe.

Felix’s tongue hangs from his lips as he grins. “On you? Maybe.”