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When I had explained every single detail to Clyve, I didn’t get as much of a reaction as I had hoped for. He just stared at the table we sat on, his folded hands supporting his chin and a deep frown on his forehead, like he still didn’t really understand it, which I didn’t blame him for. It was well known that people didn’t really like demons, not at all, actually, so he didn’t get why I had ever felt any desire whatsoever to work with and even for humans, without even getting that much paid. The reason was rather simple; I was always provided of food and shelter, and all I had to do for it was to stay human and be polite, which wasn’t that hard for me. Clyve, though, didn’t seem to understand that. After a while, he looked up at me. ‘As I said, you can stay here as long as you want, just make sure that kid doesn’t piss me or any demon, really, off. That might not end well for him.’ He sounded a little grumpy and I knew he only did this for me, not for Chris. Clyve despised humans and once he had settled with an opinion, there was no way to change that opinion. ‘Thanks, again,’ I said, ‘I better go check on him. I promise he won’t be a bother and I’ll be out of here in no time, I’ll just get my own place.’ He nodded and me and shrugged. ‘Take your time.’ I smiled thankfully at him, after which I went back upstairs to the room I left Chris in. A part of me hoped he would still be asleep, so I didn’t have to talk about... well, pretty much everything yet, but a bigger part of me hoped he was awake, so I could be certain he was alright. When I stood in front of the door, I doubted again. What if I had scared him? What if he never wanted to see me again? Back nearby the castle he didn’t seem to care, but he was freezing back then, how could I be sure his judgement was completely trustworthy? After a deep breath I told myself it’d be fine. Even though I was still sceptic, I opened the door and stepped through, my eyes immediately searched for Chris. When I spotted the boy, my heart jumped a little; Chris was awake and he had changed his position, so he was probably feeling better again. I rushed towards the boy and promptly dropped to my knees when I reached him, so that we were at eye level. A big smile graced my face, as I was about to hug him to pieces, before I realised once again how I may have scared the poor boy. I took some distance from him and avoided his look, hoping he would break the silence, since I had no idea how to. I felt like I needed to apologise for scaring him and for never having told him about my true self, but on the other hand, I had saved him, so he had no excuse to hate me anymore. Besides, I was still very eager to hear about how he was feeling. I just didn’t know where to start, I felt lost in my own thoughts. 

Even though I wasn’t looking at him directly, I noticed immediately how he stood up – well, tried to, as he collapsed on his knees in front of me. A concerned look crossed my face, wondering if he’d hurt himself. More feelings and lots of thoughts crossed my mind when he hugged me. I felt relieved, but also scared and doubtful, unsure. If felt like thoughts weren’t just occurring to me anymore; they were running through my head like a bunch of crazy bulls and I felt hopelessly out of control. It therefore took me a little while to gently wrap my arms about the now crying boy, pressed against my chest. His crying confused me even more, since I honestly had no clue whatsoever as to why he was crying. When he then actually giggled, I was completely and utterly lost. My brain couldn’t process everything that was happening, and apparently it felt like the best way to solve that was to stop working at all, which was the reason why I just sat there quietly, not responding to my surroundings, including Chris. I suddenly felt exhausted, like I had just run a marathon. Nothing but sleep could fix any of this. At least, that was what I thought. But boy, was I wrong. The words that Chris had spoken earlier hadn’t really registered yet, but when I felt his soft lips on his cheek, it was like I had just woken up from the best sleep in my life. My thoughts and feelings made sense again, just like Chris’s words. He didn’t hate me, he wasn’t even afraid of me! The insecurities that been bothering me for a while now were finally solved, making it feel like a giant weight was lifted off of my chest. I took a deep breath, feeling relieved, and the depressing feelings made way for happy ones. I smiled, finally feeling as calm as I like to feel again. What Chris said next, though, wiped that smile away. I wasn’t angry or upset with him, it just broke my heart when I realised why he had to ask me that. He had never felt loved, nor has he had anyone to love. His parents weren’t there for him when he needed them and who else could he go to? Right, no-one at all. Again, I took my time to respond. I couldn’t help but frown a little. Not only because of him, but because of myself as well; I noticed that I pitied him. Of course, it wasn’t a crime to feel bad for someone, but I knew Chris wouldn’t want me to pity him – no-one wanted to be pitied, but it was hard not to. I’m sure I’ve said this before and I will probably say it a couple times more, but Chris doesn’t deserve this kind of life. He has never deserved it and will never deserve it. He should be happy with lots of friends and a loving family, he shouldn’t be stuck with some demon, unwanted and not loved. Except by me, of course. I loved him, I wanted him with me, but the rest of the village would not approve. My over-thinking completely crushed the happiness I had felt before, but I still forced a smile on my face, not wanting Chris to worry. I pulled him closer to me and kissed his forehead. ‘We’ll make it work, I promise,’ I said softly, after which I hugged him again. I realised that I didn’t really answer his question, but what could I answer? I wasn’t exactly the love-guru myself either. But what I did say, was true. We’d make it work, no matter what.