Page 24 of How Not to Date an Angel

Rami hummed as they finished chewing. “Close your eyes,” Rami said, once they’d swallowed.

Julian narrowed his gaze before doing so, making his suspicion loud and clear.

Rami shut his eyes as well. “Go to the left three times,” they said. After a tense second, they heard the click of the remote. “Now, right five times.”

Their lips twitched as the demon obeyed. “Up ten. And finally, down two.”

Click. Click.

“What’d we land on?” they asked, and blinked their eyes open.

“That’s chaotic,” Julian said, and stared over at them. “Just randomly picking something. What is wrong with you?”

Rami chuckled and motioned to the television. “We’ve picked something, though, haven’t we?”

“Do you even care about old cars?” Julian muttered, and pressed the correct configuration on the remote to play the title.

“Not at all, but maybe this will be interesting,” Rami said, and shrugged. “Eat your risotto, before it gets cold.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Julian retorted, and Rami rolled their eyesagain.

The demon’s enthusiastic moan a handful of seconds later almost made Rami jump off the leather, it was so unexpected.

“This is fucking delicious,” he groaned, and spooned up an even bigger bite.

Once Rami let the shock fade, they smiled and took a sip of wine. “Thank you, that’s quite the compliment.”

“Whatever,” Julian drawled, mouth half full. His gaze trailed to the television while he ate, and then Rami remembered they should probably eat as well, instead of just staring at the demon.

Clearing their throat, they turned their focus toward the first episode of a show about restoring old cars, apparently. The accents were downright charming, and they couldn’t help but snicker every time Julian echoed the O-sound by repeating whatever word the man on the television had said.

The risotto was one of their best creations in a while, and they finished their bowl long after Julian finished his second serving.

“You eat slowly,” the demon complained.

“I like to savor,” Rami told him over the angry yelling on the television. Even though they’d been stationed on Earth for a few hundred years, food was still such a… treat. It deserved to be enjoyed as well as sustained.

“Feel free to help yourself to a second glass of wine,” Rami told him.

The demon did just that, with soft steps padding into the kitchen.

Rami had been right. Itwasrather intimate, having dinner with the demon. But what was one to do?

With a sigh, they watched the man on the television rebuild a beautiful antique car, and then struggle to part with such a beauty.

“This guy’s an idiot,” Julian complained from the kitchen as he slid the stoppered bottle back into the fridge. “He’s never going to make money that way.”

“I see why he wants to keep them. She’s gorgeous.”

Rami supposed it might be similar to their own attachment to their Earthly possessions, like their books.

When seen in that light, Rami wouldn’t want to let the car go, either.

“I guess,” Julian said reluctantly.

Rami finished their food, finally setting their bowl aside and finishing off the last of their wine by the time the episode ended.

“Well, now what?” Julian asked.

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