Demon Boyfriend: Felix (rough draft)

The shop is pretty quiet today, although I don’t expect it to stay that way for long. It’s never too peaceful for too long around these parts. Especially since I’m the closest thing to a doctor in these parts. Thanks to that, I’m never without full hands. I can appreciate the quiet when I have it. These days I revill in it. For the longest time there was no quiet, there was no peace here. So when I wake to a morning like this, I take it in and savor it.

That is, until there is a pounding at the front door. I can hear it opening from my perch at the back of the house. 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 him, a familiar face which I was not surprised to see. I sigh heavily and approach him as she slouches down the counter.

“My god, how often am I going to have to see you?” I grab my kit, knowing he’s just going to slouch there 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 was one of those marked as a demon. I’m sure that’s not what they really are, but over the decades it’s all people know 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 fuss at him. “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 faces contorts in a way I’d never seen before. Felix was known to me for many reasons, but mostly he came to me because I was one of the only doctors who would treat him or any of the other demons in this area.

“You have to talk to me Felix, not snark at me. Lay down here I guess and tell me what you did this time.” I prepare my kit on the floor, taking out bandages and ointments as well as the emergency sewing kit in case he has another chunk taken from him.

Felix rolled onto his back, the long tendrils that cascades from from his head flopped to one side and I saw the damage there. His broad back was covered in dark, harsh bruises, as well as cuts and splinters.

“What the fuck, Felix?” I snap.

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

I scoff and get to work. I apply an atypical 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, because it’s always something I did?”

“Usually?” I place the splinters onto an unused bandage as I remove them. I them 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 rough wood.”

“Why were you fighting in the first place?” I got out a nasty splinter, one that wasn’t just big, but deep into his flesh. His skin was dark gray, but the bruises and the skin around the splinters had become a mottled wine like purple, tinging black around the edges.

“They were attacking a house in our village,” he grunts. He meant the area off the mountain where most of the demons lived. “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, causing trouble.”

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

I smooth my hand along his back, trying to feel for anything or gauge a reaction from his body. “You’ve been lucky for far too long, Felix. You’re getting close to losing that luck.”

Felix flinches near 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, his whole body tenses as he tries to escape my fingertips.

“Lay still, please,” I say calmly yet urgently.

“Then stop touching it,” he growls. His body hunches, almost arching his back.

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

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

“Then I’ll have to give you a shot.” I stand up and go back behind the counter, going 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. I go back out, seeing Felix struggling with trying to stand. “Don’t you come near me with that!” He growls. He’s having difficulty without his tail to balance him. “Seriously, Doc!”

I kneel back beside him, placing my hand on his mid 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, give it a minute.”

“Fuck.” He presses his plm 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 in a deep breath and furrows his brow. “What does?”

“Okay good, it’s working.” I start massaging my fingers into his tail, inspecting for broken bones. Luckily, it’s nothing so bad, just a simple dislocation. But I have learned from working with demons so much, a dislocated tail could mean a range of symptoms. The most common would be a loss of balance for a few days while the tail healed and regained strength. 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 his tail, very nearly putting my hand on his butt.

“What are you doing?” He snarls. “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, he tries to trash but he flos into a puddle on the ground.

I ease his tail back down gently then sigh as I move my hand away from him. “Take your time.” I stand back up. “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.”

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 which I squish under his head. “Would you like something to drink?”

His ears flick then he hides his face into the pillow, muttering under his breath again. His shoulders tense then fade slowly, going back to the ground. I just leave him alone to let him cool down from all the poking and prodding I did before. Not to mention his tail is going to hurt for a while now.

The first time I met Felix I was assisting in a birth at the demon village. The woman was human while her husband was demon and the pregnancy had taken a toll on her. Luckily the baby and mother came out of the birth alive, but both were small and weak. 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, and that guarding the house of a newborn was important considering how the entire family was most vulnerable. I’m not sure if that tradition was true, but since the mother was human I could assume her family must not have been happy. I didn’t question, it wasn’t my place. As a healer, all I wanted was to do my job. Once I knew the mother and baby would be okay I tried to leave. But then a fight had broken out elsewhere in the village and I tended to the wounds there. Everytime it seemed Felix was around. Ever since then the demons sought out my help, knowing I’ll tend to them without question. Felix is just one of my frequent customers.

I check on him later, finding him still laying there on the floor of the front room. “Everything alright, Felix?”

“I suppose,” he grumbles.

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

“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 where you’ll actually be comfortable.” I take his hand as he offers it, supporting him as he rises. He loses balance, falling into me and knocking me into the countertop. His body is heavy, his skin like velvet. I push against him as he regains balance, pushing himself off me and meeting my gaze.

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

Felix grits his tongue between his teeth 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 which I’ve already prepared for him. “Stay on your side or stomach,” I tell him. “You can’t lay on our back just yet.”

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

“I’m going to put a splint on your tail ust to keep it elevated. It might even 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 best get that splint on.” I get the supplies then sit down at the bed. I add the splints, slowly wrapping gauze around them. “Anything else I should be made aware of?” I ask.

“No,” he 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 make it.”

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 up from the chair. “I’ll let you rest now. Is there anything I can get you?”

Felix lays there, his eyes cutting 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 way off, even just 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 something,” I reply. “Just trying to use up some of the vegetables I had before they spoiled.” 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 my cow who I was given as payment but her milk supply has saved my ass more than once.

“I don’t eat meat, actually,” he grouses. “But even still, do you cook by just throwing things at 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.” He 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, although it fades as he takes another bite of the stew. “I can’t take this.” He looks around. “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, curling his lip up over his teeth. “You. I know how to cook.” He puts his arm around me so we can lumber into the kitchen. He goes to the stove, peering into the bubbling pot of the stew I made. He sniffs it then looks around, seeing the small supply of spices I had at the ready. He takes a few, tossing them into the pot. He then takes the basket of vegetables out from under the counter, taking a pepper and a garlic bulb.

“I was saving that,” I huff.

He 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?”

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

“I was edible before.”

“For livestock.” He 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, 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 was somewhere else, I could see it easily. “Nothing bad is going to happen. The village will be protected, and nothing happens here for me needing protection. 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 new 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’s become. It was bland and a little green tasting before, but now it was hardy in flavor and a little spicy. “Not bad.”

He scoffs. “All I had to do was add salt to make it ‘not bad’. I made it good.” He refills his empty bowl but 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.”

“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. I have him lay down to I can give him the massage. I avoid the large bruises, but I do knead around them to relax the muscles there. He grunts and groans, flinching sometimes but he relaxes upon the bed enough for me to feel where the knots are worse.

His back is broad, his shoulders and arms are thick with muscle. There’s a lot to work on. His skin feels velvety though and it’s nice to touch. I have to admit, despite our back and forth, I do think Felix is quite handsome. And I do respect him for what he does and 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 sounded 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 and knotted 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 rung the bell later that evening.

I come down in the morning to check on him, finding him sitting up in bed with a strange look upon his face.

“Everything alright? Did you sleep well?” I came into the room, standing before him.

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 hangs his head into his palms and breathes out.

I’m not sure why, but I reach out to him. I put my hand upon the top of his head, rubbing the tendrils and the back of his neck. I stood 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 upon my arm, gripping it softly yet tight. “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 he woke up 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 hold of his hand and squeeze it. “You’re not dreaming.”

“Good.” Felix clears his throat and starts to appear 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 were happy and fluffy as I went to fetch eggs. I tossed them their food and watched them peck at the ground for a little bit before heading back inside. Felix was bracing against the wall, looking more nauseous than off balance.

I placed 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.” He came 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.” He 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 snapped. His eyes then widened, showing the bright green a little more. “Sorry,” he then 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 his skin around his face. His neck and shoulders were a darker shade of gray, while his chest and face were a softer color. Not anything knew, it’s just that it looked different in the morning light. His ears flick forward then back and his eyes catch me staring.

“What?” His lip curls up.

“Nothing, just admiring is all.” I lean back in my chair.

Felix’s eyes narrow upon 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. He turns around to face the sink, but I catch a glimpse of his back. He’s a fast healer, but the bruises still look nasty. Not to mention there was now some bruising around the 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 to his back, knowing he can’t move quickly now and I touch his back.

“Hey!” He 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 hip roll back and he quickly recovers, taking a stiff stance before the counter. “That tickles,” he mutters shyly.

I’m surprised. “It 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,” he 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 of the time. I step back, fetching him the butter before taking my seat. I glance out the window as the pan begins to sizzle. I have a list of things I need to do in my head today. I have the garden to tend to. Some things that need to be harvested. I need to clean Meredith’s stall at some point. I need to put fresh hay 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 had a hole cut from it. “Egg in a basket.”

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

I swallow down 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 scrambled.” He glances back, seeing me look at what should be a pretty unemotional breakfast. Instead I’m fighting back tears as I miss my family, although all I have is my sister. I sniffle, trying to keep myself from crying out right.

“It’s just an egg,” he says cooly.

“Yeah well-” I try to perk myself up 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, where the rest of the meal is on the silent side. We eat, 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, it’s always busy in the mornings. I’ve not had a quiet pause for some time.” He looks out the window. “I’ve always been in large crowds.”

“There’s safety in numbers.”

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

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

A smirk appears on his 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 cart 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, 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 no body has to get hurt.”

“Seriously, you can’t just expect me to lay in bed all day.” He stands up, but wobbles so he lops himself right back down.

“That should be all the answer you need. Until your tail and balance get 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 go back inside, rushing to his side as he attempts to pick himself up.

“I’m fine! I’m fine,” he 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 standing. “Just lean on me.”

“I don’t want to go back to bed!” He fusses.

“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 anymore 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 the more we sit like this. 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?” He frowns.

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

He rolls his eyes and lays 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 at him. I felt bad for him. I knew he was used to being busy, to doing everything he could around the village. Hell, he’d done a lot for me here over the years. I knew this was driving him crazy, but the more he rested the sooner he would be back on his feet.

I go back into the room. “Would you like another massage before I go? Maybe that’ll help you feel more apt to lay there.”

“Hmm?” His brow is pinched. “Another one?” he 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 but also feel out where he was holding tension the most.

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 do that swivel things again, almost putting his ass right against my stomach. “No just-” 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 he lets out a moan that can only be described as sexual. I ease away from him and he buries his face down into the pillow. We’re both quiet, both afraid to move.

“You can go now,” he whimpers.

I lick my lips. “You sure?”

He 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, between busting out laughing and holing myself away. Why did that get so...hot? Felix and I have known each other a long time and it’s never...I mean, sure I’ve thought some things, but never have I ever considered it going like that. I try to block these thoughts with work. I pick green beans, I weed, I clean the stall. Just anything to keep my mind off Felix’s moan. But it haunts me, it calls to me, it begs me to think about it and 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 to change, maybe even mop up a bit. I peel off the dirty, sweaty clothes and toss them aside. I fan myself off then splash cold water on my face. Okay, think straight. Felix is a friend and patient, 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 stop myself and splash my face with cold water again.

I get dressed, putting on clean clothes before heading back to the recovery room to check on him. Felix is laying 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?” He 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?”

His eyes narrow and he’s stuck between a frown and begging for mercy. “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 on his two feet. He goes too fast though, losing balance and falling 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 from laying on his tail he whips around, throwing me down onto the bed as he frees his tail. We then look at one another, frozen in that breath as we realize the position we are in. My eyes widen, his breath hitches.

“Sorry, Doc,” he whispers.

“Happens all the time,” my voice cracks.

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

I shake my head. “Never.” I hold my breath. I don’t know why I don’t want to move. Or well, I didn’t until he kissed me. The sudden urgent press of the lips was momentary until we melted a little. I touch his face, pulling him closer. Our lips parts, I feel his tongue. I lose my breath as he goes deeper. His hands dig sharply into my hips. My teeth nip playfully at his lip. It all happens so fast that I am lost before I realize where we’re going.

Felix pulls back suddenly, a little drool connecting our lips. He looks at me and comes to his senses. He 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-”

Felix nods. “Good but-”

“It was good?” A smile began to grow.

“It was-” He stops and frowns. “It was,” he then says with a smile growing. “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!” He huffs. “I’m not some wild kisser.” Felix turns more towards me. “I just let it take me over for a minute.” 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 perked up and he turned towards me. “You think that?”

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

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

“What?” I laugh.

“It’s true.” Felix comes in 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 I am unsure why that thought keeps pestering me.

“Well, let’s keep those to ourselves for now.” His hand brushes against my hair, pulling it back then 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. 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. Next I know I am on my back with his weight upon 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. Our eyes are locked as well as our bodies. We’re a breath away from going further and deeper. But we hold it and he lets me go. I deal with Mrs. Cara, getting her a medicine for her daughter as well as making an ointment to rub on her chest for her cough.

When I’m done, I find Felix is 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.” He started 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 him, his bright smile, the glint of his eyes. Holy shit, I never realized it. I never acknowledged how much I liked him or that I was falling.

“I won’t?” I say between laughs.

Felix’s smile is seductive yet 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,” I huff. “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,” I answer. “But it was a really long time ago.”

Felix nods and his ears perk up. “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?” He 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 opened 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.”