Chapter 18
Eighteen
Pythor
While I'd never been on a date with a human before, what I'd lacked in experience, I'd made up for with my knowledge about Codie's likes and dislikes.
The most popular date activity—that I thought Codie would enjoy—was dinner, but I'd known he wouldn't want to go to a crowded restaurant, and we already had dinner at our places, which meant I needed to find something different. I was glad Codie seemed to like what I'd come up with.
While I could've just brought him here from his place, I may have wanted to build the suspense a little. Seeing Codie's reaction, I was glad I had.
"What if someone looked up and saw us?" he asked, though he didn't sound worried, just curious.
"They won't. My magic shields us from all eyes. They'll just see the sky."
Codie shook his head, wonder clear on his face.
"Would you like some music?"
"Music?" he asked with a laugh, then shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
I snapped my fingers, and a playlist from his phone started playing, though my magic made it sound like the music was coming from all around us.
"Okay, this is seriously cool," he said with a shake of his head, then grinned at me. "I'm very impressed."
Smiling, I reached over and took his hand in mine. "I'm glad. Now, what would you like to drink?"
He pursed his lips, then said, "Some sparkling water, please. I—I don't drink, not anymore."
I didn't have to ask what he meant by that. Instead, I nodded, and two glasses of sparkling water appeared on the table.
Delighted, Codie grabbed his glass and took a sip, humming as he smiled at me, his dark eyes sparkling. I loved seeing the joy on his face.
We chatted for a few minutes as Codie told me about his latest commission and the many requests the client had made. He sounded mildly annoyed, but also like he was enjoying the challenge.
When his stomach growled as the topic came to an end, I smiled. "What would you like for dinner?"
"What's the menu?"
"Anything you want."
"Really?" he asked, brightening up, and I nodded. I could get him the most expensive human delicacies if he wanted. I'd get him whatever he asked for.
"I would like the best potato soup you can get your hands on," he decided, and I blinked. He wanted potato... soup?
"You mean beside yours?"
The compliment made him blush, which was what I'd been aiming for, and he nodded.
Focusing, I used my magic to search for the restaurant that had the most appreciated potato soup in the world, then got us both a bowl since I was now curious as well.
"Anything else?"
"Maybe some breadsticks?"
I got the best of those as well, and we started eating. While the soup tasted better than Codie's, I still preferred his because he made it.
"Oh my god, this is delicious!" he exclaimed, and I grinned as I watched him eat.
We enjoyed our meal in silence except for a few comments here and there, and once we'd cleared our bowls and polished off the breadsticks, I magicked the bowls away as Codie decided he'd like some choco-chip ice cream for dessert.
I got him one of those, and myself a vanilla one that he scoffed at, and I told him about the kids at the community center as we ate.
He seemed to like hearing about them, so I'd been giving him updates about them every few days.
They were delightful kids—much better than some of the adults I interacted with—and I adored how invested Codie was in their progress.
Our own lessons had slowed down a little, but I wanted to make sure Codie could protect himself.
Not that I ever planned to give him the chance to use those skills, but life could be unpredictable, and I'd rather he be over-prepared than not enough.
Once we'd finished our desserts, I sent those bowls away as well, then offered Codie my hand. "Would you like to dance? Though I will say I am utterly unskilled."
Codie grinned as he shot to his feet, shrugged off his coat and hung it over the back of his chair, and took my hand. He seemed so relaxed tonight, so at ease. Was this what he'd been like before that night?
"Just follow my lead," he said as he led me away from the table, then pulled my hand to rest on his hip before placing his on my shoulder.
I cupped his hip with my other hand as well, and he slid his around my neck, stepping close until our bodies almost brushed.
There was still some space between us, full of the mingling heat coming off our bodies, but neither of us tried to close it. We didn't need to.
Codie swayed with the music, and I followed his lead, my eyes roaming over his face as I took in the look of contentment on it.
He looked so happy, so utterly at ease, and I wanted him to feel like this for the rest of his life.
I wanted to erase everything—and everyone—that caused him fear, and make it so he'd never have to be afraid again.
"You look so serious," Codie murmured, and I smiled down at him.
"I am very serious about you."
He snorted, then smiled. "Who would've thought when you sent me that note that this was where we'd end up?"
"Not me," I said with a chuckle, making him laugh.
"Yeah? What did you think of me before we met?" I winced, which just made him laugh harder. "That bad, huh?"
"The lights and music annoyed me. I couldn't sleep, and sleep-deprived me is kind of a dick," I admitted.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said with a smile, and I sighed. How could I have ever been annoyed by this sweet man?
Codie
My eyes slid to Pythor's lips, and I instinctively licked mine, wondering what they would feel like. Did they taste like vanilla? Were they as soft and plush as they looked?
When I moved my gaze up, I found him watching me, and I wondered if he'd caught on to my preoccupation with his lips. If he had, he didn't mention it. Was he waiting for me to make the first move?
"Pythor..." I murmured, having no idea what I was going to say.
"Yes?" he asked, his eyes on mine, his expression open and warm. He was such a wonderful man, and had been since the moment we met. Even when he'd been annoyed by my music, he'd been kind in the note he'd written me. He could've been a dick if he wanted to, but he hadn't.
If there was anyone in this world I could trust with my heart, with my soul, and maybe even with my body someday, it was this man.
Instead of saying anything, I went up on my toes and pressed my lips to his in a soft, chaste kiss, taking just a moment to absorb how soft his lips were before pulling back.
Pythor's eyes were wide as he watched me, but before I could even think about worrying, a brilliant smile lit his face, his dark brown eyes wonderfully bright as they roamed over my face.
Neither of us said anything, but I closed the space between us, leaning my head against his shoulder. In reply, his arms slid over my back, holding me securely as we continued swaying.
For a while, we did just that, and I reveled in the wonderful mix of comfort and joy that being around Pythor filled me with.
This whole date had made me feel like my old self, like the man I was before that night.
It'd reminded me how to enjoy life, and it was all because of the demon I was snuggled up to.
"Would you like to take a flight with me?" Pythor broke the silence after a while, and I pulled back to look at him.
"Do you mean like fly around with you in your demon form?"
"Yes. I won't let you fall—I promise."
"I know that! Let's do it," I agreed quickly, excited at the prospect. I was glad I wasn't afraid of heights, because I knew this wasn't an experience I wanted to miss.
Pythor looked pleased at my excitement, and he stepped back, quickly shifting into his true form while I grabbed my coat and pulled it on. "Would you like to face me or away?"
"Away," I decided, wanting to look around, and he nodded as he stepped closer.
I turned my back to him, and he slid his arms under my arms, wrapping them over my chest. I felt some invisible magic pin my hips against his abdomen so I wouldn't hang awkwardly, and a second later, I felt the invisible floor under me fall away as our dinner table and the floating lights disappeared.
Pythor's grip on me was firm as he flew higher before going horizontal, the sound of his beating wings comforting in the otherwise silent night.
"Wow," I murmured as I looked down at the houses. We weren't too far up, but they still looked pretty small. "Can we go higher?"
"Only a little, because you'll struggle to breathe," he said, going a couple of feet higher. I'd never thought I would see the world from this angle, this height. It looked nothing like it did from the ground, and yet it was the same world I lived in.
My nose felt a little cold, but most of my body was warm from the coat, probably because of the magic Pythor had put on it.
I wanted to paint the scene from here, and I wondered if Pythor would be up for doing this again. Would he make me a temporary painting station like the dinner setup if I asked? It would be so much fun to paint up here.
With a start, I realized just why I liked it so much. I was free. Free to move around without the fear of attracting the wrong kind of attention or stumbling upon him. Free to just be. No one could get to me here.
"You seem to be enjoying this," Pythor said, a note of satisfaction in his voice, and I grinned.
"I love it! Can we do it again?"
"As often as you want."
Pleased, I turned my gaze back to the ground below, shrieking when Pythor suddenly dipped before going up again.
"Too much?"
"Do it again!"
So Pythor weaved around the sky for a while, making loops, flying in a zig-zag pattern, and just going crazy as I laughed and shouted in delight. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had this much fun, and I didn't want it to end.
Pythor couldn't fly around all night, though, and we both needed sleep, so after a while, he flew us down. A few seconds before our feet touched the roof of my house, he used his magic to teleport us inside.
Hella appeared a moment later—she must've heard or somehow sensed us arrive—and I stepped away from Pythor to give her a few scratches, a smile still on my face.
"That was amazing. The whole night was perfect," I said as I turned to look at him, and he gave me a warm smile.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. We can do it again whenever you like."
Happy to hear that, I waffled between asking him to stay and my need for some time to myself to absorb everything that'd happened tonight.
Pythor must've sensed my indecision somehow, because he hitched his thumb back toward the front door. "I should go, let you get some sleep."
I nodded reluctantly, then decided I'd walk him to my door, not wanting to let go just yet. He could've just used his magic, but he seemed to want to drag the moment out as well, and he headed for the front door with me at his side.
"I had a great time tonight as well," he murmured as I unlocked the door, and I smiled up at him, glad to hear that.
Impulsively, I leaned up and pressed another chaste kiss on his lips before pulling back and opening the door, keeping my body half-hidden behind it as I peered at Pythor.
He gave me a soft, pleased smile, then stepped out, waiting until I'd turned all the locks before heading over to his place.
I watched the security feed until he closed his door, then walked back into the living room and threw myself onto the couch.
Hella climbed up on top of me, and I groaned at her weight but pulled her in anyway, hugging her tightly.
"Damn, Hella. I think I might be falling for your demon dad."