Page 65 of The Succubi's Choice

And thinking too hard about the night in the dimly lit room hurts.

With another sigh, she pushes herself up, cause if Gabriel’s still asleep he’d probably appreciate being woken up before his sleep schedule is as fucked as hers. So she opens her door, all but stumbles out, and…

Standing in the middle of her living room, a blank look on his face, is Not-Thomas. His eyes are red, his shoulders back, and he watches her with detached curiosity.

It’s silent, very silent, in their small apartment complex where everyone’s probably at work still and all the children still at school, and she gives him some major side eye before going to the kitchen and getting some of her appetite drink.

He doesn’t say anything, just watches her, his eyes hooded, as she drinks a full bottle before making eye contact with him again.

“Breaking into houses is rude,” she says, when the silence stretches on so loud it echoes through her brain. “I just woke up, hadn’t gotten your text until like...three minutes ago.”

“They hurt you,” he says, his voice muted, like somehow the possibility hadn’t occurred to him. “Who.”

She gives him more side eye, because this isn’t exactly what anyone wants after the night she had. “Whatcha gonna do about it?” She shoots back, leaning against the counter.

He shrugs, loose, and it’s only a little intimidating. “I could make it clear it shouldn’t happen again,” he says, and his careful words don’t do anything for her.

“Well, it’s was the Organization, and your human friend from the meeting, did you know she was part of it?” She crosses her arms over her chest, and vaguely aware that her pajamas are rather ratty. “She had them test me, says I charmed you to inviting me places.”

His nose wrinkles for a hint of a second, the only vague hint of a tell. “Here she told me she was in the mob.” His voice is neutral, still. “No wonder the Organization didn’t stop the demigod, if she was influential with them.” He gives her a narrow-eyed look, and his eyes settle on her arm, before he holds out his hand. “May I?”

She doesn’t move.

“I won’t be able to heal you, but I might be able to tell you more of what they did.” His voice is somehow, embarrassingly, very tender. “I doubt they explained everything.”

“They were testing my charm, made it go crazy.” She still doesn’t move, not wanting to touch anyone. Or, rather, have anyone touch her. “Because of me showing up at your little group.”

Again, a small twist in his face, the barest of hint of something resembling remorse, before his eyes narrow down and his jaw works. “They didn’t let you hunt, either.”

The fact that he can just know without being told further rankles her, sits poorly in her empty stomach and twists her face.

He seems to hesitate, like an immensely old creature of unimaginable evil could hesitate, before coming to some internal decision. “I could fix that part of it.”

“I’m not something to just fix,” she says, and, conspicuously, she hears Gabriel stop snoring in the other room, and just hopes he doesn’t come out with a gun. “Why’d you show up here anyways?”

“An ‘ally’ of mine sent me your file this morning.” He smiles, not at her, but almost at the thought, and it’s wide and a little bit spooky. “They thought it’d be of interest.”

“Yeah, well, you’re freaking me out.” She says, not bothering to take out the harshness of her voice. “I was just freaking...tortured...because of you.”

“You were tortured because the Organization decided to,” he says, and his eyes track to Gabriel’s door, where it’s conspicuously silent, before looking back at her arm for a long moment.

“Gabriel, you can come out, it’s fine,” Miri calls out, and sure enough his door opens

Scowling, with narrowed eyes, Gabriel trudges out, giving the Archdemon an intensely skeptical look. “What are you doing here so early?”

“It’s three in the afternoon,” Not-Thomas says smoothly. “Are you going to shoot me again?”

“It depends on if you threaten my friend again,” Gabriel shoots back, his voice rough. “Then, probably?”

The question in his voice causes Not-Thomas’s mouth to twist up into a smile. “I won’t.”

“Then I won’t.” Gabriel scoots onto the kitchen counter, pouring himself some coffee, and it’s because she’s known him for forever that she can see his hands shake, ever so slightly. “What the fuck are you doing in my house?”

The Archdemon takes one of his long moments and observes Gabriel, just long enough that she can see the nerves magnifying and twisting under the gaze.

“He said someone told him about what happened,” Miri speaks up, to spare his pain. “I think this is him checking up on me.”

Gabriel nods at her, recognizing what she just did. “And he thinks the way to do it is to show up here unannounced?”

---