Way Down We Go

Chapter 8

"I was...confused." Confused seemed a safe word to her, "I didn't know what to think."

"We could've sorted this mess out right then, you know," His hand seemed to almost unconsciously reach for, and his fingers brushed against her knee. A gentle touch to support his words.

"I know." She brushed her hair back that had been flying in the wind, and excuse to break eye contact. "But then, we were rushing to get me home, and..." She let the sentence drop.

And then you were completely lost in the feel of his arms around you?

She brushed that thought aside too. This was Asa. Asa the demon. And she was human. Mostly. Partially? Probably? More importantly, he was a powerful asshole in a charismatic casing and this was a ridiculous line of thought.

You were confused, that was all. Confused after an emotionally and physically exhausting day. That's all. Because it's not like you don't have anything to be confused about.

"Since you made a demand of me, I'm going to make one of you, little one," Asa smirked as she scrunched her nose at the nickname.

"Fine, what is it?"

"If and when this happens again, tell me? Don't wander in the dark. If I'm helping train you, solving this with you, don't hide those moments from me. You did tell me, yes. But tell me as they happen, if you can. Alright?"

"So, basically, on the whole, we just need to get a hell of a lot better at communicating." They grinned at each other.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked. She nodded, and stood, picking up the water bottle. Asa opened his arms to her, and they disappeared into nothing, reappearing a moment later in an alley a few blocks away from her car.

"Why--"

"Less crowded. It's still daylight." He started to walk out into the street, and she followed behind.

"Asa," she muttered, just in case people overheard. "We forgot something before we left though,"

"Did we?" He raised an eyebrow, and it was comforting to see the familiar expression on his face after their conversation.

"You didn't take, you know, my..." blood, she finished the sentence silently.

"Oh, yeah. Hang on," He waited until they reached her car. He spun her around and leaned her against the driver's side door.

"Are you attached to that bottle?" He asked.

"I don't have to be." He took it from her, unscrewed the lid, and dumped the water out, then gave it back to her.

"I'll need that in a second. Right, this is going to hurt a little," he said apologetically. He carefully took her hand, and, in a flash, his hand and a streak of purple slashed across her forearm. She gasped, she couldn't help it. The cut stung as the breeze drifted across it, but she didn't complain as he took the bottle back and held it under the cut, allowing the thin stream of blood to drip into it.

"Rory!" A voice called out across from them, and she whirled around to see Kevin and Amy walking out of the store. Amy was waving at her, coming towards them. "I thought you left a while ago!"

"Oh, I did," She managed, before Asa's hand closed surreptitiously around the cut, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I was just walking her back to her car." He smiled at Amy. "I took her out for coffee after her shift,"

"Oh," Amy smiled. "That's nice, hope you guys had fun,"

"We did," Asa grinned, and to Rory's complete surprise, kissed the side of her head. At the same time, she noticed a warm sensation on her arm and realized that he was taking the moment to heal her.

Amy, realizing Kevin was heading to the bus stop without her, hurried after him calling over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow!"

"See you!" Rory called after her. She waited until her coworkers were out of earshot before whispering, "I didn't spill it when I turned around, right?"

"No," his voice was low and dangerously quiet. Asa didn't let her go, he kept his grip on her tight, staring off towards the backs of Kevin and Amy. Rory looked down and saw the bottle on the ground. Whatever was happening, she knew at this moment not to interrupt his focus.

He had been so still, the feeling of him bending close to her, his breath tickling her ear made me jump.

"Do me a favor?" he whispered.

"Sure?" She tried to get her brain to speed up.

"Keep an eye on that boy for me, would you?" And leaving her even more confused than before, he stepped back and left without another word.