Why You Should Never Rescue Stray Demons Chapter 73

**KACIA**

When Oz calls out to me, I get to my feet a little too fast for someone with sore ribs. I wince at the sharp pull in my side but do my best to hide it. Mikey, unfortunately, notices everything.

“You never get up that fast when I want something.” He says, far too smug for someone who’s supposed to be my friend. Or maybe that’s exactly why he gets to be smug. I shoot him a look as I walk past, trying not to let the blush creeping up my neck betray me. 

“Shut up…” I mutter. Mikey chuckles under his breath, and I can practically feel him getting ready to eavesdrop. Which, knowing him, he’ll do with shameless enthusiasm. I school my face into something vaguely neutral, friendly, casual and innocent as I call down the hall. 

“Hey, you’re up! Did you need somethi-” I round the corner and stop dead. Oh… Oh wow! Oz is standing in the hallway, fresh from the shower, towel slung low on his hips, droplets of water still clinging to his skin. Steam curls faintly off his shoulders like he stepped out of some sultry demon magazine photoshoot. His hair is damp, slightly tousled, and his chest is fully on display, toned, sculpted, and so incredibly distracting. I know I’ve seen him like this before, technically. But last time I was miserable, exhausted, and emotionally compromised. Now? Now I’m upright, lucid, and very capable of appreciating the view. And wow, am I appreciating it. I mean, seriously, is it legal to look like that? I know I should say something. Should tear my gaze away. I should not be openly ogling the demon I’ve spent the last twelve hours emotionally spiraling over. But my eyes don’t get the memo. They’re perfectly happy where they are, thank you. What surprises me, though, is him. Oz isn’t teasing. He’s not smirking or throwing out a smug comment about how I’m checking him out. He’s… Silent. I glance up to see that he is wide eyed, almost uncertain. Like HE’S the one caught off guard. Which makes NO sense, because I’m the one being handed a free show. I blink, trying to clear the fog in my brain.

“Uh… Can I… Help you with something?” I manage, trying to sound unaffected but coming off awkward instead. Oz clears his throat and gives a small nod, like he had to reboot before answering.

“Yeah, can you grab my clothes for me? I thought you might not want me wandering through the house… Like this.” He requests as he gestures vaguely down at himself, as if I need a visual cue. I smile, half amused, half flustered, and raise an eyebrow. 

“Yes. Definitely. Can’t have you walking around like that, at least, not when guests are around.” I tease, then I throw in a wink for good measure, just to see what it does to him. His eyes widen a fraction. Victory! I give him one last look, a slow, deliberate, lingering once over, then turn and walk away to fetch his clothes. And if I sashay just a little more than usual, well… Sue me.

I grab Oz’s clothes and bring them to him, doing an absolutely terrible job of not staring as he takes them and heads back toward my bedroom. I mean, how am I supposed to not look? He’s still damp from the shower, towel barely hanging on, looking unfairly good for someone who has only had a few hours of sleep. Still, I could definitely get used to this. Unfortunately, Mikey being here ruins any chance I have of expressing myself the way I might’ve liked to. Next time, though… I sigh and head back to the living room, only to find Mikey waiting for me with the most obnoxious, shit eating grin I’ve ever seen on his face.

“Don’t even start.” I say, pointing a warning finger at him.

“Or I’ll remind you how much of a mess you were when you started dating Sarah.” I threaten. Mikey’s grin only widens. 

“So, you admit you two are dating?” He says, jumping on the comment. My mouth opens, instinctively ready to say yes, because honestly, it feels like we are. But then I pause. Frown. 

We haven’t actually… Talked about that. At all.

“…Probably?” I hedge, immediately hearing how ridiculous I sound. Mikey raises an eyebrow. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” He asks. 

“It means, that we haven’t talked about it. Things have been a little chaotic.” I say, already feeling defensive. Just as Mikey opens his mouth again, Angelo wanders over, balancing a large glass of milk with both hands. With the intense focus of someone completing a sacred task, he climbs up onto one of my dining chairs and takes a seat. He looks at me with his usual calm, overly literal expression. 

“Surely you and Oz are a couple. It only makes sense.” He remarks, adding his one cent to the conversation. Mikey frowns, crossing his arms. 

“Exactly, you forgave him for lying and let him sleep in your bed. I assumed you had some kind of… Discussion.” He says awkwardly. I sigh. “We haven’t exactly had a lot of downtime lately.” I say, rubbing at my temple. Mikey doesn’t look particularly pleased. It’s not the ‘my friend has a guy in her bed’ thing, he’s not that old-fashioned. It’s the protective cop slash friend slash basically my brother thing. The, I can’t let my baby sister get emotionally steamrolled thing. 

“I don’t want to nag…” He starts gently.

“But maybe you should prioritise that conversation. These things can cause confusion.” He reminds me. 

“These things can cause misunderstandings.” Angelo agrees, nodding seriously like he’s reading off a poster in a school counsellor’s office. Why do I suddenly feel like I’m being parented? I sigh. Then nod. 

“You’re both right. Which is why… You need to leave.” I declare. Mikey blinks. 

“Huh?” He asks. I stand, grab his arm, and start guiding him toward the front door. 

“Out. I need to talk to Oz.” I inform him. 

“And Angelo should probably go too…” I

I add over my shoulder. “Hey, Angelo, want to help Mikey clean his house? His wife’s pregnant, I bet they’ve got all kinds of stuff that needs organising and cleaning before the baby comes.” I throw over my shoulder. Angelo lights up like someone offered him a million dollars. 

“Really? I love babies. Yes. I would like to help!” He says excitedly. 

“Perfect. Mikey’ll give you a ride and introduce you to Sarah. She’ll be thrilled. Bye now!” I say cheerfully. I all but shove Mikey toward the door. He looks stunned, still trying to remember what day it is.

“But… I came over for a reason.” He mutters.

“And that reason was?” I prompt sweetly, already halfway through shutting the door. He fumbles in his pocket and pulls out a folded sheet of paper, which he hands over like a peace offering. 

“It might be related to the drainers. Let me know if it leads anywhere.” He requests. I nod and take the paper, unfolding it as he walks out the door with Angelo close behind, already chattering excitedly about folding baby clothes by colour. I doubt they even have baby clothes yet. But who am I to burst his bubble?

“Seeya!” I call, waving at them both as I close the door. A beat later, I hear footsteps behind me. Oz enters the room, now fully dressed, hair still a little damp but tamed into something vaguely reasonable. He glances around. 

“Oh… Did Mikey leave?” he asks, and to my surprise, he almost sounds disappointed.

“Yeah. Angelo went with him to visit his place. It’s just us.” I say, turning to face him, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. Oz freezes in place.

“Oh.” He says. I give him a pointed look. 

“Yes. Oh. We need to talk.”